Best Friends Don't Sleep Together - A.H. Series #1

Chapter 31

CHRIS

"So?"

I didn't reply, nor did I move, I just left my arm there where it was, covering my eyes officially from the light, in truth from my sister's scrutiny. The downside of going to live with a sister that's much older than you after being hospitalized for 2 weeks is that she immediately takes on the role of substitute mom. Even when you're 26. Oh, right, my birthday was last week and it was the first one in 20 years that I didn't celebrate with my Vivy. I didn't even celebrate and why would I?

"Chris ..."

"I'm fine."

"You sure nothing hurts?" I could distinctively feel Meredith fixing the pillow under my head the exact way mom used to do when we were children. I guess some habits never rub off, being 10 years older than me and me being the youngest of the family transformed my sister in my eternal babysitter. The fact that she takes care of sick people for a living obviously added to her calling. "Chris ..."

"I told you, I'm fine." Physically, that is. Of course, she didn't believe me, so I could feel Meredith's cold hands on my chest and neck. I grimaced a bit. "How are your hands always so cold? Do your patients jump through the roof when you touch them?"

She scoffed and gruffly moved my arm to open one of my eyes, only to then stick a pen before my face. "Follow the movements."

I didn't. "I told you, I'm fine."

Meredith sighed deeply and pulled back. "So the pain is psychological, not physical." She claimed. "I know a guy-"

"I don't need a shrink."

"He's not a shrink, he's my husband."

I frowned, confused, and looked up at her. "Ex husband, you mean."

"No ..." she pressed her lips, "current husband ..."

"You must have married another shrink because there's no way you'd go back to that manipulative son of a bitch that was-"

"The pot is calling the kettle black ... fascinating." The voice came from the door, and when I located the source, I immediately glared at him.

"Mark." I spat, with all the disgust and disdain I could muster in one word.

"Christopher." He called with the same hatred latched in his voice. We never got along. Probably because he cheated on my sister right before the wedding and then manipulated her into still marrying him anyway. Only to then cheat again after the wedding, of course.

"I always thought your relationship with that girl wasn't healthy," Mark mused, walking over to the bed, "and surprise, surprise, I was right."

"It's not Vivian's fault." Meredith sighed. "She probably doesn't even know."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about Vivian." Mark smirked his ass off, the douche. "Why don't you tell the truth for a change, Christopher? Or are your lies so deeply rooted that you can't even tell reality from your made-up scenarios anymore?"

My sister turned to me, baffled. "What does he mean?"

"Nothing." I sat up, not wanting to dwell on the subject. It's not like talking about it will give me my Vivy back.

"You told Adam somebody pushed you into a dark alley when you were coming out of Shane's bar and beat you to a pulp." Meredith summed up. "And you said that most likely it was Vivian's ex."

"I didn't get a good look at them." I murmured, lowering my glance.

"Them? It's multiple people now?" Meredith raised her voice the same way as mom used to when one of us was about to get grounded.