Chapter 4

By the time dinner started, I could barely stand. Curtis helped me into a chair and tucked a cushion behind my back.

"See? I'm not ignoring you." In front of everyone, he served me a bowl of soup. "Leslie just gets in her own head sometimes. She'll feel better after she gets some rest."

Chopped parsley floated on top of the soup.

I was severely allergic to parsley. In all seven years we were together, Curtis always remembered to tell servers whenever we ate out.

Today, he forgot. Or maybe with Shannon sitting beside him, he just didn't have any attention left for what I could and couldn't eat.

"Curtis, Leslie doesn't want it. Give it to me."

Curtis immediately slid the bowl over to Shannon. "Careful. It's hot."

The relatives laughed. "Those two were so close when they were little. Now Shannon's finally back, and Leslie's jealous."

"Leslie's been spoiled for too long. She needs to cut Shannon some slack."

Richard walked over with a glass of wine. "You hear that? Nobody here thinks we've treated you badly. Just sign the papers, have a drink with Shannon, and let this go."

They put the agreement in front of me again and set the pen beside it.

My vision blurred, but I still shook my head. "Grandma left that house to me."

Dad finally lost his patience. "How long are you going to keep this up? If you don't sign today, you're not leaving this house!"

Shannon quickly stepped in, her voice soft. "Dad, Leslie isn't feeling well. Why don't we let her lie down for a while?"

The four of them carried me into the guest room, and Richard left the agreement on the nightstand.

"You can come out when you're ready to be reasonable," he said.

Curtis pulled the blanket over me, then leaned down and pressed a hand to my forehead. "You don't have a fever. Stop pretending you're sick and putting your parents through all this."

I opened my mouth. "I need my phone…"

"You'll get it back after you sign."

As Curtis turned to leave, I grabbed his sleeve.

"My medical records are in the master bedroom. Just get them and look at them."

For seven years, whenever I tugged on his sleeve like this, he always stopped and tried to comfort me.

This time, Shannon called his name from the hallway, and Curtis pulled away almost immediately.

"Shannon's been through enough today. I'm going to stay with her." He looked down at me. "Once you calm down and fix your attitude, I'll come back."

The door shut behind him, and a second later, I heard the lock turn.

The pain got so bad that I eventually lost track of time. When I opened my eyes again, it was already dark outside.

Laughter drifted in from the living room. Curtis was helping Shannon open wedding gifts.

My watch could make emergency calls. I only got as far as the second digit before the door opened, and Shannon walked in.

She yanked the watch off my wrist. "You're still trying to call an ambulance? Everyone's right outside. Are you trying to embarrass us on purpose?"

"Give it back." I tried to raise my arm, but it dropped heavily onto the bed.

For a split second, panic flashed across Shannon's face. Then she slipped the watch onto her own wrist.

"It's nice. I'll take it as your wedding gift to me."

She left and locked the door again.

-

I had no idea how much time passed before the living room finally went quiet.

Curtis came into the room with an arm around Shannon, and Mom, Dad, and Richard followed behind them.

"Leslie, you still haven't signed the agreement."

Richard patted my cheek. "Stop pretending to be asleep. The doctor said you were fine at your last checkup. Are you really trying to guilt-trip us again?"

But by then, I couldn't feel the pain anymore.

Curtis sat down beside me, sounding gentle but irritated.

"Look how considerate Shannon is. She's the one who told me to come check on you. All you have to do is sign your name, give her the house, and everything can go back to normal."

Mom adjusted Shannon's shawl. "Shannon came back with nothing. Is it really so much to ask you to give her this one thing? I'm still your mother, too."

Dad stared at me coldly. "Don't think lying there and ignoring us is going to get you out of signing."

Shannon leaned against Curtis and started to cry. "Does Leslie really hate me that much? Maybe I shouldn't take the house. Curtis and I can just leave."

"Don't be ridiculous." Curtis tightened his arm around her, then looked back at me. "Leslie, are you seriously going to kick Shannon out just to prove a point?"

I didn't respond, so Curtis reached over and shook my shoulder.

"Enough."

My arm slid off the edge of the bed and hung limp at my side. Curtis frowned, leaned closer, and reached toward my nose.

A second later, his entire body went still.