She nodded. I led her inside and up the stairs, telling her what to look for with his head injury. Nick was still asleep when we entered his room. Lexi very quietly pulled one of the two armchairs from in front of the window on the far side of the room over to the side of the bed. I went to get her a blanket. As I tucked her in, she glanced up at me.

“Thanks, Annabelle,” she whispered.

I nodded. No matter how this played out, I knew I’d made the right decision. I left Lexi with Nick and went home to find Sir waiting for me. It was good to have company, because I didn’t plan to sleep. Not at all.

“You had no right!”

I snapped awake, finding myself on my couch with Nick seated in the armchair across from me. He was still in his flannel pajama bottoms and thermal shirt. He was barefoot. His hair was mussed and the bump on his head was now deep purple. I lurched upright, dislodging Sir, who leapt to the ground with a plaintive meow.

“Nick, are you all right?” I asked. I made to reach for him but he leaned back.

“No, I’m not.”

“Your head,” I said. “Let me get you some ice. How about pain medicine? Have you taken any recently?”

“Stop,” he snapped. “Stop taking care of me like I’m some injured bird you’re trying to rehab back into the wild. I’m fine.”

I pushed my hair out of my eyes. Fine? He was not fine. He had a knot on his head, he was pale with dark circles under his eyes, and he was so agitated, he was practically vibrating in his seat.

“I’m making coffee,” I said. There was no way I could handle this conversation without coffee. “Can I get you some?”

“No.” He paused. “Thank you.”

Manners. Maybe he wasn’t as mad as I thought.

“Where’s Lexi?” I asked. I knew it was the equivalent of hitting a hornet’s nest with a stick, but I figured we might as well get it out of the way. Nick followed me into the kitchen, where he slid onto one of the barstools.

“I sent her home,” he said. He watched me make the coffee. Neither one of us spoke. When it was finally ready, I poured my first cup, and he continued, “You knew how I felt about keeping my distance from Lexi, but you called her anyway. Why?”

He sounded genuinely confused. I sipped the hot brew, trying to figure out how I could answer him in a way that would make him understand.

“Because she’s your sister.” I went for the simple truth. My sister, Chelsea, was my first best friend and the person I always reached for in a crisis. Nick needed to have the same in his life even if he didn’t realize it yet.