Learning Curve

Thursday April 24th

Finn

I’m halfway through today’s assigned reading for my economics class when my phone vibrates in my pocket. I earmark the page, shut my textbook, and pull my phone out to check the screen.

Ace: You need anything? Julia and I are planning to stop by for a bit this evening.

Me: Nah, dude. I’m good. Thanks.

Ace: If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.

I’ve been back in New York for almost week, and I’ve been at St. Luke’s Hospital every single day, nearly every single hour, since I stepped off the plane that Ty managed to get me a last-minute flight on from Daytona.

The only time I’ve been on campus since I’ve been back is to run to my dorm to shower and change clothes. Other than that, I haven’t been to class, haven’t gone to any parties, haven’t done anything but sit in the waiting room on Scottie’s rehab floor.

She’s still refusing to see me, to talk to me, but I won’t let that deter me.

I’m not a mind reader, never have been, but I know Scottie. And crazily enough, we are so much alike it’s not even funny. Her entire world has been flipped on its axis, and she’s distraught and devasted—rightfully so—but she’s also trying to push me away just like I stupidly did to her so many times before because of my own baggage.

Eventually, she’s going to see the light, just like I did.

My love isn’t conditional. It doesn’t go away because she suffered a freak injury that’s left her paralyzed from the waist down, and it doesn’t shrink in value when things get hard. I know that life for her—and us—will come with limitations and challenges I’ll probably never be able to fully understand because I’m not her, but none of that matters to me.

I love her. All of her. And there isn’t a single fucking thing in this world that will change that.

So, I wait. In this dreaded hospital waiting room with the worst kind of chairs imaginable. And I also try to stay on top of my classes in the process.

“I had a feeling I’d find you here.”

I look up to find Ty striding down the hospital hallway toward the waiting room. He doesn’t stop until he plops his ass down in the chair beside mine.

“No luck yet?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“No luck.”

“Is she letting anyone else back to see her?”

“Besides Wren and her dad, not really. She barely even let Kayla and Julia come in to see her when they stopped by yesterday afternoon.”

“You’re a good man,” he says and nudges my knee with his.

“She makes me a better man.”

“Isn’t that how it always goes?” Ty questions with a smirk. “I was a real asshat before I met Rachel. She flipped my world upside down, and I shudder to think about where I’d be now if it weren’t for her.”

I furrow my brow. “You couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Oh, Finn.” Ty laughs. “You have no idea. I was what you’d call a serial dater without any intention of commitment. I had so many fucking girlfriends that when Flynn brought his wife Daisy to our family dinner to meet us all for the first time, I honestly thought she was a girl I’d invited there but just forgot about it.”

“What?” My head jerks back. “How is that even possible?”

“Like I said, man, I was a real asshat.”

I laugh at that. “So, Daisy was just Flynn’s new girlfriend then?”

“No, she was his wife. Though, if it helps at all, it was the first time we were meeting her.”

My eyes damn near bug out of my head. “Wait… He married her before any of you met her? I’m going to need more details.”

“Remind me to bring this up at the next family dinner,” he says through a smirk. “And wait until you hear Remy and Maria’s story. It’s a doozy.”

I laugh, and he shakes his head, gathering his thoughts. “Right. Yeah. Believe it or not, I did come here for an actual reason other than blessing you with my charming company. Two reasons, in fact.”

I quirk an eyebrow.

“I’ve managed to get all but one of Scottie’s professors to agree to pass her for the semester. She’ll have the option to take the final or to go with whatever her grade was prior to the accident.”

“All but one?”

“Professor Murkowski is being a bit of a dick, but I’ll wear him down,” he updates with an annoyed roll of his eyes. “Worst case, she’ll have to take the final in order to pass, but I’m confident I can make sure he gives her plenty of time to catch up on anything she’s missed.”

Professor Murkowski has a reputation for being a hard-ass, so this revelation isn’t that big of a surprise. Still, the girl’s fucking paralyzed. If that’s not enough to wear him down, I don’t know what ever will.

Truthfully, Ty’s the reason I’ve gotten approval from all my professors to work remotely. He’s also been working behind the scenes with the Financial Aid Office to figure out what they can do about Scottie’s cheerleading scholarship and figure out ways that she can keep funding for the next three years without being an active cheerleader on the squad. She’s a good student and they have a couple of grants for some scholarships that are largely at their discretion, so he’s pretty confident it’s going to come through.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing,” I tell him, and he just claps a hard hand to my back.

“Of course.” He rises to his feet. “Now, I gotta head out. Emily has a dance recital across town, and both my girls will ream my ass if I’m late.”

Before he can go, I find myself standing and hugging him. I don’t know why and I don’t know how, but it just feels right. It’s only been a few months since we’ve started working toward a relationship, but it feels like I’ve known him all my life.

“Thanks, Ty.”

“I’ve always got your back, bro.” He flashes a smile over his shoulder as he starts to head toward the elevators, but something dawns on me.

“Wait…what was the other thing you wanted to tell me?” I call out toward his retreating back.

He turns briefly to meet my eyes. “I’ll text you.” And then he disappears around the corner of the nurses station.

My phone buzzes a moment later.

Ty: The jurors found him unanimously guilty on all counts. And the judge has sentenced him to life in prison.

Holy shit. With everything that’s happened with Scottie, I completely forgot about my dad’s trial. Normally, it can take a year after someone is brought into custody before they stand before a judge and jury, but since he killed a police officer and he’s been a wanted man for many years, the court system fast-tracked that shit.

I don’t hesitate to open up the group chat with my siblings.

Me: He got life in prison.

Their responses come in seconds later, a variation of shock, surprise, and relief. All of which I completely understand. There’s a small part of me that feels sad for my dad, but it’s so small that if I blink a few more times, it’ll disappear on the wind.

I don’t know what I thought would happen when I set foot on Dickson’s campus at the beginning of the year, but I know with certainty I never anticipated this. My mind rolls through everything that’s happened over the past year, and I find myself scrolling through my other text conversations.

Ace and Blake, two guys I didn’t know at the start of the year who have now become my best friends.

Julia and Kayla. Scottie’s friends who have become my friends.

My group chat with all the Winslow siblings—who are my siblings too. It’s been nonstop chatter since Scottie got hurt. Every single one of them wanting to stay updated on her condition. Every single one of them offering support in whatever way they can.

My separate conversation with Ty, whom I’ve grown so close with over the past few months that I actually feel like he’s my own full flesh and blood. In a weird way, he’s become a bit of a father figure that I’ve never had.

My siblings, of course. And despite the bomb I just dropped on them, our group chat has gone from ugly things happening within our house to peace and joy and happiness.

My mom. Ever since my father has been out of the picture, she’s starting to find herself again and working through the guilt that comes with not leaving and getting us out of that house sooner. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, though, and she never had the support we have from the Winslows when she was trying to do it on her own.

Scottie’s sister, Wren. Even her dad. For the past week, they’ve been keeping me updated on Scottie’s condition and welcomed my loitering with open arms. Yesterday was the first day they left Scottie’s bedside to go back to Westchester because they couldn’t miss any more shifts from their jobs.

And of course, Scottie. I scroll up, past all my most recent text messages to her that have gone unanswered and look at the exchanges we had before she got hurt.

There are more I love yous than I can count. There’s teasing and flirting and the kind of happy, cutesy fucking texts that probably would’ve made me want to puke a year ago.

I miss her.

She’s the only missing piece to my happily-ever-after.