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Chapter One

TakeThePlunge

THREE days in the hospital Three hours on the plane And with LA traffic, three hours to get back to Vaughn’s house in the hills

Three is my unlucky number

The lile, trying to cut the distance frois out of the question I have to wait for Vaughn and the driver to get the wheelchair out of the trunk

“Here, sweets,” Vaughn says as he positions the chair up to the car

“I hate this”

“I know, baby Later you can try to put some pressure on it There’s no broken bones, so it’s just a ”

But I don’t want to try to walk, either I stepped on it accidentally when I got in the chair earlier and the pain was sharp and immediate “I don’t want to,” I say

Vaughn ignoressince I started talking earlier today and I’o back to my self-imposed silence

I scoot ht onand flop down in the wheelchair

“See,” Vaughn says cheerfully “Not so bad”

Not so bad if you’re the one pushing There are only three steps leading up to the front porch of the raet me up those three steps makes me want to curl up in a corner and die

I’h-maintenance

“Where to first, huh? Movie room? You can relax on the couch and I’ll wait on you Delivery service is complimentary”

He’s still s when I look up at him but it falters That makes me feel bad “Bed,” I say “I’m so tired” It’s not a lie, but I was tired on the plane too And on the way ho to be my new favorite phrase, because when you’re injured and you say you’re tired, people say you need to get some rest And that means they leave you alone

“You just woke up, Grace You’re not going back to sleep In fact, let’s go outside How about a trip down the lazy river?”

“Hmmm”

He chuckles as he pushesroo all over the place, and then stops at the wall of glass that leads out to the pool area The doors are swept open and the heat rolls over me like a blanket

Yeah Maybe that feels good

“Put your arht”