Sins of the Innocent - Jamie McGuire Page 0,48

Grandma Lillian?” I asked Claire.

She held her thumb in the spout to get some of the thicker mud off my skin. “Should be here any second.” She turned her wrist and looked at her watch. “She should be here by now actually. Probably stuck in holiday traffic.”

Ryan and Claire were planning on traveling with Lillian when the fall semester began, so Mom was eager to have one final family get-together—even if her relationships with Grandmother and Bex were strained.

“Honestly, Eden. Must you traipse around in your bra?” Grandmother scolded.

I stood up, raking my wet hair away from my eyes. The cold water raced from the crown of my head down my neck and back, mixing with the salty sweat my skin had been marinating in all morning. “It’s a sports bra, Grandmother. Kind of like … a very small shirt.”

“It’s a bra,” she snapped. “Cover yourself. It’s lewd.”

“It’s not that bad,” Levi said. “Look at me. I’m not wearing a shirt.”

I smiled at him.

“Eden!” Grandmother snapped.

“Yes, ma’am.” I stiffened and then retreated into the house. Although I was sprinting up the stairs, my steps were silent. I slipped into the bathroom and took a quick shower. Then I got dressed while the water was still beaded on my skin.

Just as I combed out my wet hair, Levi knocked on the door.

“Come in,” I said.

I smiled as he entered.

Dirt was mixed with his sweat, creating smears of mud in different places on his chest, arms, neck, and face. His skin had tanned over the summer from spending hours training with me outside without a shirt on.

My smile vanished. “So serious,” I said. When he didn’t respond, I stood up tall. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” he said, keeping his soiled self a respectable distance from my freshly scrubbed skin and white dress. “No. Lillian was in an accident. Bex is staying here, but everyone else is going to the hospital.”

My mouth fell open. “Then we should go.”

Levi stood in front of me, shaking his head. “It’s covered. The hospital is covered inside and out with every creature imaginable. They think it’s a trap.”

Dad burst through the door. “I’m sorry, but I need you to stay.”

I nodded quickly. “Okay. Of course. Whatever you need me to do.”

Dad kissed my cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart. We’ll be back soon. Levi,” he said, “keep in communication. Watch your six.”

Levi nodded. “Between the three of us and Cynthia, we can handle it.”

“Jared!” Claire yelled from downstairs.

“Love you, baby girl. Stay alert.”

The moment he turned, he was gone, and the door closed. I rushed over to the window, looking down at my mother in the passenger seat of Dad’s SUV. She waved to me, looking afraid, and she pressed her palm to the glass.

“It must be bad,” I said, watching the vehicles tear out of the driveway.

Levi wrapped his arms around me. “They’re up to something, but she’s not what they want. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Dad looked worried.”

“He always does, doesn’t he?” Levi said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

I nodded, turning to hug him.

Grandmother called from downstairs, so Levi held out his hand, and we joined her in the sitting room. She held out her arms, hugging me with an unusual affection.

“She’ll be all right, darling. Don’t worry.” She pulled me to sit next to her.

She held out her hand to Bex, beckoning him to come into the room. He did, and she put her arm around him when he joined us.

“It won’t happen again,” she said. “He won’t do this to us twice.”

“Yes, he would,” Levi grumbled.

Grandmother shot a stern look in his direction.

The clock in the corner ticked out each second, making the time drag by. My phone chimed, and I held it up, tapping quickly on the screen.

“It’s Mom,” I said, clicking out a reply. “She’s still in surgery.”

“For what?” Bex asked.

“I’m sorry,” I said, putting my phone on the coffee table in front of us. “She didn’t say.”

Bex nodded. “She will later. Nina is good in hospital settings. She had a lot of practice with Ryan.”

I offered him a half-smile and then reached for his hand. He took it and squeezed it tight. Grandmother hugged us both to her sides.

Levi stood up and began to pace. His steps began to align with the clock. The waiting was the worst part. Levi paused, looked up, and then began pacing again.

“Levi, please. Do sit down,” Grandmother said.

I stood. “It’s okay. It’s too hard to sit still.”

Bex stood as well, and soon,