EMP Catastrophe , Hamilton, Grace [phonics readers txt] 📗

“Let me try, at least,” Matthew said, a hint of desperation coloring his voice. Max knew that tone—it was Matthew’s marketing voice, only instead of promising trends and interview opportunities, he sounded incredibly genuine. “I’m sorry for what I said. I’m even more sorry for what I did and how I acted. I made a terrible mistake based on a lot of my own assumptions, but also my own fear. Please forgive me, Jade.”

The young woman—Jade—snorted as if she’d heard that line one too many times. “Words are cheap, Matt. What are you going to do in an hour when I make you mad? Throw me out again? I’m not sticking around to take the brunt of your anger. I won’t allow you to take your fear out on me.”

“That was wrong of me,” Matthew quickly cut in. “I can’t apologize enough.”

Max shifted in his bed to see that Jade’s glare had intensified and Matthew’s mouth clapped shut. “Your mood swings are getting to me,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t care if you want me to stay or not. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to be somewhere else—no, around other people that I can at least earn respect from. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted, and you’ve made it perfectly clear where you stand on that issue.”

“You are wanted here,” Matthew insisted. “I didn’t mean to drive you away.”

“Your words say something way different than your actions.”

“At least stay the night. Leave in the morning. I’m positive you didn’t get any sleep while you were at the Carpenter Country. Spend the night, relax, and head out early tomorrow. Please.”

Jade hesitated and bit her lip. “Fine,” she said, her voice clipped. “One night. That’s it. Unless you throw me out earlier, that is.”

Max studied Jade as she spun on her heels and disappeared from his line of sight. Now alone, Matthew slumped as though all the fight had drained out of him. His face looked drawn and older, as if he carried an incredible unforeseen weight on his shoulders. It was a much different look for him, compared to the progressive eyes-to-the-stars marketing expert Max had always known. Whatever had passed between his brother-in-law and Jade…it had been bad.

A wave of dread flowed over Max and he eased back down so that he was lying in the bed. Jade seemed like a good person—she’d saved his life, after all—so what could have transpired between her and Matthew to make Matthew kick her out?

Whatever she’d done, Max would put money down that she hadn’t broken out of jail, stolen from a second-hand clothing store, beat up a prison guard, and enraged the cartel. He would put a whole wad of cash down because he knew whatever she had done, it was nowhere as bad as what Max had been involved with.

The thought was sobering. He’d toyed with the notion of coming clean to his family, or at least to Kathleen, but now that he saw that they were kicking out people who they most likely trusted, he wasn’t sure he wanted to confess anymore. Maybe he should just keep everything close to the chest until he could see how things played out. Or at least until his thoughts weren’t quite so mushy. His eyes drifted closed even though the situation made his stomach knot with anxiety.

“Max. Max, can you hear me? Max?”

Kathleen’s voice washed over him and Max groaned in response. He heard her chuckle before cracking his eyes open. Sunlight filtered through the windows, showing him that the bright morning had slid into an even brighter afternoon.

Kathleen hovered over him. A line appeared between her brows to illustrate her concern. “Two black eyes,” she said as if reciting a list. “Split lip. Bruises on your shoulders and all along your ribs. Head cracked open. Concussion, most likely, but I’m not a doctor. That’s all I can see right now. How many bears did you fight off to get here?”

Max laughed and immediately winced with pain. “Only a hundred.”

Kathleen tried to hide a grin by reaching around him and fluffing the pillows behind his head. Max took small pleasure in his ability to make her smile, even at his worst. Kathleen cleared her throat and said over her shoulder, “Matt? Can you find Ruth and see where that hot water and bandages are, please?”

Max heard a humming sound of acquiescence come from behind his sister and realized Matthew had been watching over him. His footsteps retreated away from them down the hall.

“Why does Matthew get a please and thank you, huh?” Max asked. “I only get yelled at.”

“Well, Matthew doesn’t have any internal bleeding or broken bones,” Kathleen said, matter-of-factly.

“Neither do I,” Max said, even though he wasn’t exactly sure.

“I’m glad you’re certain,” Kathleen said. “We don’t have any way to treat such injuries, and today is not the day that I lose my brother.”

Max snorted a laugh, even though he saw the dark shadow cross over Kathleen’s face. In moments, the door squeaked open and Ruth came in with a pot of steaming water between her hands and fresh washcloths slung over her forearm. Max knew Ruth was Matthew’s mother, but he hadn’t really spoken with her since Matthew and Kathleen got married. He gave her a tentative smile and wondered what kind of stories had been told about him to her. “I hope these injuries don’t ruin my good looks,” he joked as Kathleen ripped open three packets of pills from the first aid kit and handed him a handful of white tablets.

“Improved them, I’d say. Now take the pain pills.”

“That looks like a lot of pills.”

“Are you in a lot of pain?” she asked.

Max waited a beat. That assessment wasn’t something he could lie about. He nodded.

“Then it’s the right number of pills,” Kathleen said. She handed Max a bottle of water and he downed half of it in one go. Ruth set the pot on a side