Crash Into You

Chapter 79

Rachel

WITH A HIP COCKED AGAINST the door frame of my bathroom, Abby watches as I wrap one last strand of my hair around the curling iron. She showed halfway through my therapy appointment. As always, she just walked in, not announcing herself to anyone, and stayed in the shadows until I saw her lurking.

It’s weird, but it’s Abby.

“I don’t know why you’re doing all this. You could show up in a garbage bag, and Isaiah would still think you’re pretty.”

I release the strand from the iron and a hot curl bounces on my neck. “It’s our first official date. As in Dad knows and Mom knows and everyone’s okay with it.”

Pretty much okay with it. Mom and Dad are still a little hesitant about Isaiah, but they understand him better. He’s been shockingly open with them about his past, his present and his intentions with me. While I was in the hospital, he told them everything about Eric and the debt.

I don’t think what swayed them was his honesty as much as his devotion to me. Besides school and work, and he even skipped that some, Isaiah never left my side.

“Will your mom take pictures since it’s your first official date even though they know you’ve stayed the night with him?”

I cringe. Isaiah was a little too honest with them. “Why?”

“Can I be in the pictures?”

“Sure.” I move my wheelchair to the left so that I can get a better glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror behind me. Mascara. I need mascara. As if hearing my thoughts, Abby hands me the mascara from my cosmetic bag.

“Can we take one of just me and you?”

I meet Abby’s eyes and she looks away. That was very un-Abby to do. “Yeah. I think I’d like that.”

Abby glances over her shoulder into my room. “Ethan alert.”

“Heard that, freak.” Ethan leans past Abby to poke his head in to see me. “There’s only so much small talk Tattoo Boy and I are capable of, so get moving.”

I sigh as I finish stroking on the mascara. While West and Isaiah have come to a surprising compromise, Ethan’s not entirely sold on my relationship with Isaiah. I have faith that will change with time.

Abby examines my brother in a very not-best-friend way. “Hello.”

“Uh...hi.” Ethan blinks as if he’s a fish that just realized he was hooked on a line. “How are you?”

“Better now that you’re here.”

I stifle the giggle when Ethan’s cheeks turn red. “Ah...Mom asked if you’re staying for dinner.”

“What are you having?”

“Steaks?”

“Count me in.” Mom’s oddly adopted Abby. No one’s asked outright, but they all seem to understand that she’s not private-school Abby, and while they observe her as if she’s a science experiment about to explode, they generally seem to like her.

“I’m not going to be here,” I remind her.

She flashes a smile that promises all sorts of trouble at my brother. “But Ethan will be.”

Ethan clears his throat. “Seriously, are you done?”

“Yep,” I say quickly to save him from Abby. My best friend loves to make guys squirm. God help any man that falls for her, because they’re going to need all the help they can get to keep up with her.

“Then let’s go.” Ethan swings me up and carries me down to Isaiah.