Page 24 of Hale

I clench my teeth, desperate to push Amy away and pull my sister to me. To ask her what has her so upset and how I can fix it. Rylie must sense me staring at her because she turns my way. Her stare skims over Amy and then she regards me with watery eyes.

“Are you okay?” I mouth to her.

She nods and turns back to the television. From my vantage point, I don’t miss the tear that streaks down her cheek or the hasty way she swipes it away. By the time the movie ends, I’m practically jumping off the couch to take Amy home.

“Let’s go. It’s getting late and I’m tired,” I say rather sharply.

Amy frowns at me but nods. “Y-Yeah, of course.”

“I’ll be back soon,” I tell Rylie. She tries to smile but even that fails. When I walk past her, I ruffle her hair. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

The drive back to Amy’s house where she lives with her parents is quiet. It isn’t until I’m sitting in her driveway with the car in park that she speaks.

“Is everything okay with you, Hudson?” She pauses for a minute. “With us?”

“Of course it is. I just have a lot on my mind.” Understatement of the year.

Her lip trembles. “You feel so distant lately. Like I’m a bother to be around.”

I take her hand, but my tone is sharp. “I lost both my parents and my sister is severely depressed. My focus is elsewhere.”

She winces as though I’ve struck her. “I know. I’m sorry. When you put it that way, I feel selfish.”

“I just need time to make sure my sister is okay,” I utter and scrub my palm down the side of my face. “Can you give me that?”

She nods and leans forward to kiss me. I offer her my cheek and pat her hand.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I tell her as she pulls away.

“I love you,” she says tearfully.

“I love you too.”

She climbs out of the car and I wait to make sure she gets in okay. My thoughts are a mess, though.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

But do I?

I cheated on her, for fuck’s sake.

My relationship with Amy needs to take a back seat. I can ponder on all of it when Rylie is more stable. Right now, she’s my focus. Ry is the only thing I have left.

When I get back, the house is dark. Rylie isn’t in the basement, so I go upstairs looking for her. The light under the bathroom door shines out into the dark hallway, indicating she’s inside. I’m just about to knock and ask if she’s okay when the door opens. With big, sad brown eyes, she stares up at me. Her face is free of makeup. All her freckles are on full display.

“Are you okay?” My voice is husky and raw with emotion. She looks so fucking broken right now.

Water drips from her hair and skates down bare shoulders. It’s then I realize she’s just wearing a towel. Her collarbone protrudes and she’s so pale.

“Have you not been eating?” I demand, motioning at her body.

She glances past me down the hallway. Right. Aunt Becky. The last thing I need is for her to come join an argument about my sister’s weight. She’s vulnerable enough as it is. I grip her wrist and urge her back into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

“Rylie,” I growl. “Talk to me, dammit.”

Her dark brows furl together. “I’m never hungry.”