“Let’s do it now. Today.”
“Do what now?
“Get married.”
Wait, now? I barely expected a yes. My heart races. Maybe this is a trick, her way of seeing if I’m committed. I am. I’ll do it here and now if she really wants, but I also want it to be right. If things go the way I’m hoping, Piper will only get married once. “Don’t you want a white dress and flowers and whatever else it is girls want on their wedding day?”
She shakes her head. “No. I just want you. They do this kind of stuff in hospitals all the time, and everyone I love is already here.”
“Except for Bane.” I don’t know why I’m stalling. I want to marry Piper. Gretchen’s the only family I care about, and she’s already here. So for me, there are no hold ups. I just can’t shake the feeling that most girls dream about the perfect wedding. I can’t imagine that this is anything close to what she thought up. “And we don’t have a marriage license or anything.”
“We can do a big ceremony this fall. Bane can go to that one along with whoever else you want to invite. And I’m sure the hospital has a stack of blank marriage licenses. You know, for those couples where someone is terminal and it’s their dying wish or whatever.”
My heart stops and shatters in my chest. Terminal? “Piper, is there something you’re not telling me?”
33
Piper
I don’t mean to laugh, but I can’t help it. The look of sheer horror on Rex’s face is priceless. Scaring him was never the goal, I just meant that hospitals are prepared for weddings. You know, just in case. A jolt of pain breaks through the drugs, killing the moment. I suck in a breath, hoping my stilled body will end the pain. It does, thankfully. I exhale slowly and rest my palm on Rex’s cheek. “No, Baby. I’m healthy as a horse that’s been shot.”
“People don’t shoot healthy horses, Piper.”
“Good thing my shooter has terrible aim then.” I quip. The line between Rex’s brows deepen. “Too soon?”
He shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips.
“So, are we doing this? You know the whole marriage thing.” My stomach flutters. I’m nervous and excited and kinda terrified this is some crazy hallucination from all the drugs they’ve got in me. I know I should be worried about Bane and what’s going to happen next, but I survived. I want to celebrate that my nightmare is over with the man I love.
“If you’re sure about this.”
I squeeze his hand. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. “I am. Send out a group text. Let’s do this.”
Less than two minutes after Rex sends out the text message, Mamma T bursts through the door. “Are you out of your goddamn mind, Piper?”
“Mom!” Coopers voice carries down the hallway to us. He comes in the room a second later, huffing like he just ran up a flight of stairs or something. “Calm down.”
“I will not calm down.” She yells at her son before looking at Rex and me. “Piper, you literally just got out of a coma! You can’t get married. I get that you love Rex, and I’m glad you guys have worked out whatever issue you had but be reasonable.”
Mamma T’s reaction was the last thing I expected. Cooper freaking out, sure. But they seem to have switched roles and it’s a little confusing. “I am being reasonable.”
“No, you’re not!” She paces in front of the bed, running a hand through her messy hair. I bet she’s stressed. By the looks of the bags under her eyes, I don’t think she’s gotten much sleep the last few days.
“Well, it would be nice to have your blessing, but I’m doing this either way. Hopefully within the hour. So if you won’t support my decision, then you can go home.”
Rex leans in and kisses my cheek. “I’m gonna talk to the nurse. Be back soon.”
I smile up at him and nod. He’s so much more than I deserve. Even with the craziness that is my life, and knowing that I’m dirt poor, he still wants me. It doesn’t make sense, but I stopped trying to figure out Life’s plans for me a while ago.
“Piper,” Mama T says on an exhale, taking Rex’s newly abandoned spot by my bed. “What’s the rush?”
“Life is short.” I say with a shrug. “I don’t want to waste a minute of it wishing I had done something I didn’t. If I’ve learned anything from this mess, it’s that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”
Mamma T looks down at her nails. She’s quiet, so quiet that Cooper comes up and puts his hand on Mamma T’s shoulder. He squeezes, pulling a small smile out of her as she reaches up to hold his hand. “Okay,” she whispers. “Let's get you ready to become Mrs. Montgomery.”
It takes longer than I thought to get ready for a wedding. Mamma T insisted on me wearing a white dress because something needed to be traditional about today. Luckily, Rex’s mom had one in her closet and we are pretty much the same size. Gretchen grabbed it as well as Rex’s jacket from prom and brought it here hours ago.
My hair is in a messy ponytail and the gift shop flowers Rex brought earlier is my bouquet, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Actually, I would. I’d have Bane here with us but from what Cooper tells me, he’s still in the ICU with severe internal bleeding. As shitty as it sounds, there’s nothing I can do for him right now. And when he gets out, he’ll understand.