Page 6 of Write Me For You
Like it always did, my gut twisted to the point of pain when someone asked about my family situation.
I rubbed the back of my neck like I was casually shrugging off the comment.
“No problem, Junebug,” I said, pasting on my well-practiced smile.
Then added, “Mom can’t come here with me.
Her work is back home, and she couldn’t get leave.
Plus, my little sisters are at school, and I didn’t want to uproot them.
I’m here alone. I speak to them every day, several times a day, and they’ll visit some on the weekends while I’m here.
” I shrugged, hoping I sounded as cool about it as I wanted to present.
I’d gotten real good at hiding my feelings throughout the years.
I understood that my family couldn’t be here with me, I did.
My mom was a single parent, had a low-income job, and had my two little sisters to take care of.
She was already completely in debt due to my chemotherapy and treatments over the past few months.
A good chunk of this new treatment was paid for by the drug company alongside of my insurance, taking away some of the financial burden from my mom.
It was too much of an opportunity to miss out on.
Not having them here felt like a stab in my chest, yet I had no choice but to cope with it. It wasn’t like my wayward dad was coming back into the picture to help. Nah, that would be far too much to expect of him.
I took a quiet, deep breath, so June didn’t notice my inner turmoil. I was seventeen. I could do this alone. I had to. Plus, I had my fellow patients to lean on, and they were all pretty cool. It all didn’t seem so bad now that I was here.
I can do this…
June’s silence made me turn my attention to her.
She clearly felt the heaviness of my gaze as she met my eyes.
“I’m so sorry they couldn’t come.” She sounded heartbroken for me.
My chest squeezed at that. I wasn’t used to people caring for me outside of my little family.
It was…nice. Unfamiliar but nice all the same.
I didn’t really know how to process that.
“It’s okay,” I said nonchalantly. “I intend to go back to them fully healed and ready to live the rest of my life in perfect health.” I meant every word of it.
June’s responding smile was blinding. “I believe you will,” she said.
I smiled back as we rounded the corner to her suite.
“Ah, thank you!” she said, humor in her soft voice.
“I would never have found my way here. I’d have been calling out an SOS.
” We stopped at her door. She faced me. “You’ve really sussed this place out in the couple of days you’ve been here, huh? ”
“Eh, not really.” I dramatically stepped backwards a few steps until I stood before the next suite’s door. “This is me,” I said, tapping on the door’s nameplate. “Stag.”
“You’re room’s next door to mine?” June said, kind of breathless.
“Looks that way.”
“Ah, there you are!” A man’s voice came from behind June right before he came into view. He was middle-aged and looked kind of like June. Her dad, I assumed. He was followed by who had to be June’s mom. Neenee brought up the rear.
“Jesse,” Neenee said, spotting me by my door. “I see you’ve met June.”
I looked to June and winked. “I have.”
She blushed.
“I’m Greg Scott, June’s dad,” the man said, and I shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you, sir. I’m Jesse Taylor.”
Mr. Scott looked to my baseball cap for a few moments, then said, “Jesse Taylor who is set to join the Longhorns next year? Jesse Taylor, offensive player of the year, QB?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, and just like happened with most people I met, his gaze turned sympathetic.
I tossed the ball between my hands faster—it was part of me at this point, and it helped calm me.
“Just got to kick this cancer’s butt first,” I said, trying to keep things light.
I needed to keep things positive. I couldn’t entertain anything but a full recovery here at the ranch, so I was making no room for the alternative.
I had dreams to fulfill and goals to achieve, and I only had a small window for that to happen.
“You managed to still play football sick?” June asked, shocked, and that twist was back in my gut. The truth was, we hadn’t known .
“We didn’t pick up on the signs, Jesse. I’m so sorry. We thought they were injury related, not this ,” the team doc said, his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know how you managed to push through each game, son, through practice. You’re nothing if not tenacious. If anyone can beat this, it’s you.”
The flashback to a few months ago made every fiber in my body strain. I rubbed the back of my neck again. When I felt that pit in my stomach begin, I didn’t want anyone else to notice it. I was outgoing Jesse. MVP QB Jesse. Would beat this cancer and get to UT next year Jesse.
I wasn’t weak.
Mr. Scott cleared his throat, and when I looked to him, I panicked that he could see through me, could see the cracks in who I tried to be.
“I wish you nothing but the best, son,” he said.
“Truly. I saw highlights of you on our local football channel. You’ve got a great talent that I hope to see on the Longhorn field someday soon. ”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, meaning it. I could see June’s brows pulled down in confusion, but she didn’t ask anything else—thankfully. “Are you a UT alumnus?”
“I am,” he said, then put his hand on his wife’s arm, a proud expression on his face. “We both are. It’s where we met, freshman year.” He then put his arm around June. “June is set to go there too.” His demeanor shifted. “After?—”
“After she also kicks cancer’s butt,” I interrupted, and watched as June’s anxious face morphed into one of amusement.
“That she will,” Mr. Scott said. “Oh, how rude of me! This is my wife, Claire.”
I shook Mrs. Scott’s hand. It was like seeing June in the future. “Nice to meet y’all,” I said, then looked to June. “I guess I’ll be seeing you soon, Junebug.” I nodded at them all as I turned to leave.
I headed back in the direction of the rec room while June finished up with settling in, only to hear, “Goodbye, Jesse.” I looked over my shoulder.
June’s parents and Neenee had gone inside her suite, but she remained there, alone, green scarf on her head, brown eyes beautifully locked on me as she still clutched that notebook to her chest.
“First rule of the Last-Chance Ranch, Junebug: we never say goodbye, only good night.”
June laughed.
“ Good night , Junebug,” I stressed.
June smiled, then said, “Sleep tight, Jesse.” She ducked inside her room, her cheeks flushing. My heart was racing, and shivers had broken out along my skin.
June Scott…what a revelation. Suddenly my time here didn’t look so bleak.