The Replacement Boyfriend

Chapter 26

Tace

The next morning, Cassidy said nothing about what she had heard me tell Amelia. She asked me how I was feeling as we ate breakfast together. Jax had made fried eggs and bacon for everyone – even Amelia who had finally joined us. Amelia still seemed out of it but at least she was eating. Cassidy and Jax lectured her a little after breakfast. We were still talking when Jax got a phone call.

"It's mom," Jax said before picking it up. "Hey, mom. How's dad? Do you guys want to come home and rest? We can come over and stay with Erin for a while. Amelia wants to see her, too."

He stopped rambling for a second, his face serious until he suddenly teared up and put the phone down. I felt like my heart was in my throat as I looked at the three siblings. Jax had tears in his eyes and as much as I wanted to hold him, I knew I had to control the urge. I couldn't let Cassidy know something was going on between us until all of this was over.

"What? Spill it now," Cassidy ordered. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head and looked at Amelia. He came around the kitchen counter and hugged her tightly. Cassidy punched his shoulder but he ignored her.

"Tell me," Amelia whispered. "Is she-"

"She woke up," he breathed out and I felt the tension in the room break.

Cassidy's face lit up and then she looked at me and jumped off the stool to hug me. She squealed in my ear and I held her as she started crying.

"Thank God," she cried and I stroked her hair until Jax let go of Amelia.

He waited for me to let go of Cassidy before hugging her and I looked at Amelia who was out-right crying.

"Thank you," she cried, hugging me. "Thank you for helping me. I would have hated for her to see me like that."

"Shh," I whispered into her hair. "You're a strong girl."

"We should go," Jax said suddenly, letting go of Cassidy.

I felt a little disappointed that he hadn't hugged me but I felt him come closer and take my hand, hiding it behind us. He squeezed it and let go, stepping away and I noticed Cassidy give us a weird look but she didn't say anything.

Amelia watched us as we started heading out of the kitchen to go up and change but she didn't make a move to follow us.

"What's wrong?" I asked her and she looked at the floor, looking surprisingly scared instead of happy that her sister was awake.

"What if she hates me?" she asked in a soft voice and I felt Cassidy roll her eyes even though I wasn't looking at her.

"She asked for you as soon as she woke up," Jax told her. "She wanted to know whether you're okay. She asked to see you so you better get ready now."

And looked at him, still looking scared and I heard him sigh in frustration. I grabbed both his and Cassidy's hands and squeezed to shut them up before either of them said something they regretted.

"She's not going to hate you, honey," I told her even though I had never called anyone honey, let alone anyone close to my age. It felt weird but it felt assuring. "She asked for you because she's worried. You can make it up to her by taking extra care of her when she comes back home."

She looked at me, looking a little less scared and then nodded. She started following us up the stairs and I quickly let go of both their hands.

"How do you know what to say?" Cassidy whispered fiercely.