The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and babies.
-Johnny Deep

By the time Violet called to tell me she wanted to go home- -but her so called best friends were staying to watch another movie- -I was almost asleep.

I'm almost grateful that I didn't actually fall asleep because I had left my contacts in. That's one bitch of a problem to deal with in the morning.

Contacts.

Ugh.

Pulling up to the movie theater in my truck I only have to honk once before Nonnie is climbing up next to me.

"I thought Jason was going to give you a ride home." I say, trying to start a somewhat decent conversation. She doesn't say anything so I try again "Do you not feel well or are you just-"

"Listen Thatch, I've already told you. I don't want to talk to you so please...be quiet."

Right.

I almost forgot she hates me.

Not having to be told twice my mouth snaps shut, eyes drifting to the road as I take off out of the parking lot.

This town is small, so it takes no time at all to get to her house.

"Bye." I mumble as she leaves, giving me no acknowledgement as she goes.

Same old, same old.

Going back home, I decide to pass up the turn to my driveway and hop on to the highway.

Three hours away and three hours back are where most of my family live.

All in the same town, spread out across the edges. Forty minutes away from each other, able to run to each other any time they need. Even my grandparent's farm is only one town over.

Meanwhile people have to waste six hours of their time to see me.

Not worth it.

To drown out my thoughts, I turn my music up until the bass nearly makes me flinch.

Once my eyes get all stingy I pull over at a rest stop and trade out my contacts for my glasses -knowing Eliza isn't used to me not wearing them and I don't want to add anything else for her brain to make sense of.

First she's kidnapped by that bastard again, then she's broken up with by that oblivious moronic boyfriend she said I didn't need to meet yet, then our douche-bag cousin drags her off to the hospital.

Alexander, her brother, is busy with college- -just like Cellie, who happens to be his girlfriend- -and can't find much time to drive back a visit. He is a great brother, despite his time table.

By the time I park outside the hospital, it's dark outside and around the time that the cafe shuts down. But I know Anderson won't say no to me, he likes me.

That could be because he knows I'm dying.

Or it could be because when Eliza needed the best doctor around, I gave up my best chance so she could have hers.

And of course, that asshole promised he'd never tell Eliza or her parents that. As far as they're concerned, Dr. Anderson just couldn't handle a dying 16 year old.

I've never regretted doing that.

Hospital Boy is home, is what I think as I walk through the doors.

I don't need directions, and just have to smile at a few nurses on my way to Eliza's room.

Nobody questions me.

Most of the people who work here know most of the Wolf's family, extended or not. And, of course, a lot of them know me for a completely different reason.

Before I walk in the room I grab her file from the wall, turning over to her stay now and find a few of Anderson's angrily scribbled notes about her heart and how long she waited before coming here.

"Stupid fuck," I hiss under my breath as I read how Evan was the one to bring her in. How he had to be kicked out. "What -who the fuck are you?"

A blondie and a ginger stare up at me, one holding himself in a pain filled way on a hospital bed and the other sitting in the chair next to him.

Both are younger than me, around Eliza's age.

The blond one looks like the aftermath of a panic attack written out in human form, he's around my height and obviously strong despite how soft he makes himself seem. The other is wearing a beanie, tired eyes struggling even to glare at me, arms crossed and looking ready to shove me out the door.

These two kids look like they've gone through some shit, I'll give them that, but this is my cousin's hospital room and her file. Yet she's nowhere to be seen.

What did I just walk into?

"Where is she?" I asked, pointing to Eliza's empty bed.

"I-I don't know. She, she is...I don't know." Blondie says, making me look to the other one but he just shrugs. "I'm um, Asher?"

It's now the dots connect in my mind, making me want to snack myself for how stupid I am.

Of course he is the blondie that's in her room, not looking top notch with the ginger best friend. 

Who else would it be?

Now feeling awkward, I rock back on my heels. "So um, Eliza?"

"Atticus?" I'm answered by my name and a small body trying to tackle me in a hug, making me smirk as I don't even have to step back. As my cousin hugs me tightly she mumbles, "The fuck are you here for?"

"You, obviously. I know it's been a while, and now's when you need someone. Better than Evan?" Sometimes when she's like this, she'd rather be all alone or sleeping. 

But sometimes, she can't stand to be alone.

People like to make her alone a lot.

I don't find it fair.

"A lot better." She answers me, sharp teeth chewing on her bottom lip.

"Wolf here just had to take a bunch of tests, she's exhausted." Anderson, my favorite doctor, the asshole pipes up from his spot around the door. "So make this visit short."

I nod in reply, turning to Eliza. "After I visit your parents want me to sneak back in with some Blue Moon for you?"

Instantly as to not be caught, she takes to signing. "Why don't you sneak me out, get me ice-cream and relax for a while and pretend that I never left in the first place?"

"Because your doctor is right there? Or do you want me to just kidnap you and tell him to ignore it."

"Just snatch me right up," Eliza grins, though it looks like it's painful to smile. "No one will really notice."

My eyes drift back to the two friends for a second, "You sure about that?"

She narrows her too-blue eyes at me, "Very sure."

Turning back to Anderson, he raises a eyebrow at me as I begin to smirk. "Hey doc' so I'm going to kidnap your patient now and she'll bite you herself if you try to stop me. I'll get her back in a hour."

"No fighting, no bringing her to her idiot cousin's, no bringing her around Trev or Mal, no letting her do something stupid, no-"

"I got it," I could almost laugh at how reckless he thinks me and Eliza will be knowing I'm not. "I'll take care of her. She needs someone now away, sometimes family doesn't cut it."

Eliza snorts, "You'd know."

"Shush."

Giving her a piggyback ride, we make it to my car and instantly take off for Heaven -the hidden spot that has a cliff and a waterfall and an underwater cave. It's amazing, hence the name. 

Once we're there we instantly strip down to tank tops and underwear before diving in the water.

I come up a few seconds before her, making worry bloom in my stomach but that quickly fades when she pulls herself up on the edge next to me. "Are you here because of me, or for me?" Is the first thing she asks. "Or because of yourself?"

"For you and in spite of myself," I answer. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Violet's only five weeks pregnant, and though she told me she wants to keep the baby she said she still doesn't know if it's going up for adoption. What I don't tell her, is if she gives her parental rights up I won't.

So I'm not telling anyone.

I'm not worrying anyone.

Not until decisions are made.

What I'm going through doesn't matter. 

It doesn't matter. Neither do I.

So why worry her?

"I talked to Aunt Ollie about it, she helped I guess. I just...I just don't understand," Tears fill her eyes, making my heart ache for my cousin. "I love him, and after we got out all I wanted to do was hug him and have him tell me everything is normal again but instead he couldn't even look at me. It was like he was scared of me, after. I don't understand it."

"He'll figure out eventually that he just made a mistake...just don't give up on him. Don't give up on yourself either."

Brave words coming from someone who has never believed in himself.

"Easier said than done," She mutters, arms crossing over her chest. "He looks at me and his entire body changes as if he'd half dead. I make him depressed."

"Nah, his poor decisions made him depressed."

If she's feeling this bad, they must really need an intervention.

And I know the perfect devil for the job.

Silently, assuming they're asleep, I open the door- -Eliza in my arms, half aslewp- -and try to be as quiet as possible getting to her bed.

Setting her down, I whisper  "I have to leave, Squirt." making the Wolf girl growl at me and curl into her pillow making me scoff. "I'll come back eventually."

"Yeah in another four months." Eliza says back, sounding sour.

"I have work and my own problems Elle, ones that have to be dealt with. If you need me I'm one call away, and I'll hop right on my bike and drive down here."

"I don't need you, don't worry." I know she only said it like that because she's tired, it doesn't quite help how absolutely worthless I feel.

But that's not her fault.

So I just smile, "I know you don't, get some sleep for once Elle."

"What's sleep?" She murmurs, still half tired.

"The thing you do when you close your eyes for the last time when it's dark out."

"That's called dying."

"You're forgetting the part where you wake up again the next day."

"I hate that part."

"Don't we all." Standing back up, I grab the hospital sheet and throw it over her lazily. "Seriously, sleep. I love you, okay, bye."

Frowning, Eliza clearly doesn't want me to leave but she knows that I have to. In fact, I already might be late. So with a sigh, she waves at me. "Bye A'."

Nodding at her while pretending to tip my hat, I turn for the door once I get a light grin- -the smile is in her eyes, not on her cheeks- -and slowly close the door behind me.

Only when I heard the door open up again behind me, do I stop walking but I'm tempted to ignore it and leave when I notice how I can hear them walking -meaning it's not my cousin.

"What do you want?" I ask, obviously startling him before I even turn around to see who it is.

Asher.

Ugh.

The blondie gulps, "I just...who are you?"

Raising an eyebrow, I turn my whole body to him. "Why do you care who I am? I'm nobody to you. Unless of course, this is about Eliza because that would just make you sound like a jealous ex who's not over someone. Which of course, this is a Wolf, so you're probably not over her. Fix this, because I'm not in the mood for anymore fucking heartbreak."

"I want her back." He blurts, surprising me. "I just don't know how to do it, how she could ever forgive me."

I sigh, running a hand over my face. "She doesn't hold anything against you, she's just confused because you just ran away and didn't tell her anything. Ask her mom for help."

Asher seems to blank at this, "H-her mom?"

"Emmeline Carter? Short lady, grey eyes, cracks jokes a lot. Usually she's just been recently bit."

"I know who she is, you just um, you surprised me." He pauses. "Thank you."

All I do is nod, the day instantly draining me of energy as my exhaustion comes back. "Get some sleep, yeah?"

"Yeah."

If I can't sleep, at least maybe I can have someone else get some.

Maybe Violet won't need anything tomorrow so after work maybe I could go home and actually get sleep for once, if not I could relax and do some research.

Or maybe just something that could put me lethal mind at ease.