Irreplaceable

The chuckle grew into a nasty groan. I sucked in my bottom lip to control the scream about to burst out and fill the halls. It hurt worse than nearly anything I’d experienced before. Only one other wound claimed the most painful spot, and that was my broken heart and fractured confidence in men.

“Sorry, you want me to get the nurse? Get you some more pain meds?”

My head shook just the slightest bit, not wanting to move as the throbbing began to subside.

“You’re too tough for your own good.” He let out a relieved breath and ran his hand over his forehead. “Okay, let’s try this again…slowly. No laughing. Battleship or…”

I sucked in my lips again, hands gripping the rails of the bed, but this time bracing myself to keep the laughter at bay. His face was so serious, which only made it harder.

“Battleship!” I whispered, biting my bottom lip to control my breathing.

“Good choice.” He chuckled and cleared the tray table hovering above me to set up the game.

As he focused on placing his ships, he asked, “It was about Logan, huh?”

“What?” I looked up from the game, melted cheese stuffed in my mouth. He hadn’t mentioned Logan the entire week. I honestly wondered if he even knew about him.

Luke’s gaze rose from the game and locked with mine. “Hilary made it clear to Caleb and me not to mention the guy, but I saw him having lunch with your mother the other day. That’s why you guys were fighting—because of him?”

I swallowed and took a sip of water. “I wasn’t fighting with my mother. I just need her to understand that I can take care of myself. And I especially don’t need Logan’s help.”

“I’m not surprised he would want to help you out. The guy’s loaded, you know.”

“So are you and Caleb. What’s your point?”

His smile fell away for only a faint second, but I caught it. The Townsends were the wealthiest family in town—well, before Mr. Logan West strolled in, anyway.

“No, my father is rich. I make the same amount of money as any other college grad working for him. And Caleb…I’ve yet to figure out the story of where he disappeared to the past few years. But he definitely did well for himself.”

“Good for him. I’m happy he’s happy.”

“My brother’s certainly happy today. When I went in to get lunch earlier, Logan was there, and they were laughing about a poker game they had last night. Caleb won ten grand from him. So if Logan wants to help you, let him.”

Logan met with my mother and went to a poker game all in one day? Yeah, he was really hard up with suffering for me.

“You know what?” I avowed, snatching up my last few ships and placing them strategically. “If Logan thinks he knows me at all, he’s in for a big surprise. I don’t need his handouts, and I’ll be damn sure he gets that memo.”

“Still the stubborn girl I remember.” Luke smiled proudly. “Now, get ready to have your ships blown up in your pretty little face!”

“We’ll see about that, Mr. Townsend.”

As we played our second round, a soft knock sounded from my door.

“Expecting company?” Luke asked, standing and walking over to open it.

I shrugged my shoulders in reply. Hilary was at school and my mom at work, and neither tended to knock, so I wondered who it could be. On instinct, I brought the blanket higher over my chest, hiding the bruises that covered half my body.

Luke opened the door, and there stood a bundled-up Oliver with a nervous smile on his face and his hand wrapped around Julia’s.

“Hi,” Julia said, staring straight at me, her expression clouded with apprehension.

I smiled, surprised but happy to see them.

“I better get back to work,” Luke said, walking toward me. He collected the game, tossed it into his bag, then leaned down to hug me and whisper in my ear. “You have some serious explaining to do as to why I never met this girl before.”

I gave a subtle nod and smiled.

Luke must’ve smiled at Julia as he left, because she had an answering grin playing on her lips. Her eyes followed him, head turning just enough to watch him leave. If it weren’t for Mark, Luke and Julia would make a great couple, I thought to myself.

A soft cough sounded and my gaze fell to Oliver, whose lip was twitched up at the side.

“Hi,” he whispered, shifting his feet.

“Oliver!” I smiled so big my cheeks stung and eyes squinted. I was happy to see him, but anxious about what he must’ve been thinking. I knew I looked wrecked. “Come here and give me a hug.”

To my surprise, he rushed over, but then stopped abruptly and stood beside me, eyes wide.

“Are you okay?” His voice cracked, and my heart melted. I wanted to cry.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I managed.

He looked curiously at the bandage on my arm, where I had a few stitches. “Do you hurt?”

I shook my head, a reassuring smile firmly in place, and gave the most believable lie I could muster. “No.”

Oliver seemed convinced, as his smile broadened. “Here, I made this for you.”

In his hand was a green piece of construction paper that was folded into a card. On it was a drawing of my tree house, with a bright rainbow behind it. I opened it and smiled at his large, careful handwriting: ‘GET WELL SOON, CASSIE’.

“Thank you.” I leaned over and pulled him into my arms for a hug.

It was great seeing him, but not if it meant he’d worry about me. With a slight intake of breath, I willed the beckoning tears from my eyes and watched him hop into the chair Luke had occupied moments earlier.

“I hope you don’t mind us stopping by. Oliver refused to go to school until he was able to see you. Logan brought him home late last night.”

Of course. Why would he bring his son home earlier if he had poker games to play and sympathy money to hand out? I refused to let it irk me any longer—especially during the few minutes I had with Oliver.

Looking at the young tot, I smiled. He had a way of pulling the optimistic side right out of me before I knew what was happening.

“I’m glad you came, but make sure to go to school tomorrow. Promise?” I held out my pinky, and he wrapped his around it.

“Promise.”

“So, how was your time with your grandma?”

He rested back into the chair that overwhelmed his tiny frame, getting comfortable. “Great! She’s fun, and I told her all about you and Scout. She wants to see you too.”

I grimaced. Meeting Logan’s mother was no longer on my to-do list.

“You really like flowers a lot, huh?” Oliver sniffed the bouquet closest to him.

“They were gifts. Flowers have a way of helping people feel better when they get sick.”

I looked to Julia, whom I caught glancing at the door. She stood at the end of my bed quietly.

“Did they make you feel better?” Oliver asked.

I nodded, smiling, looking around the room at the dozens of vases. “Yeah, they did.”

We sat quietly for a moment before he spoke again.

“Where’s Scout?” he asked.

“At Hilary’s. She’s taking care of him for me till I can go home.”

He scrunched his nose and looked down at his lap. “Oh.”