Chapter Eight

"Biiitch."

Demi eased her eyes open.

"Bitch, wake up," Rachel said.

"Why are you whispering?" Demi asked.

"I don't know," Rachel whispered. "I got you coffee."

"Okay." She sat up and blearily looked around her room. "You really don't have to whisper though, best friend. It's just you and me here."

"Okay, best friend," Rachel whisper-screamed, handing her the iced caramel macchiato. "I owe you an apology."

"You literally don't," Demi assured her.

"I didn't come over last night, and I didn't even text you back."

"Okay. That's okay. What time is it?"

"It's just I've been going through a hard time, and I don't know how to talk about it."

Demi rubbed her face. "Wait, stop! Rewind. What?"

"I've been going through a hard time, and I've been spiraling. I drank way too much last night, and I didn't come over here, which is where I should've been when you invited me, but I am off the rails—"

"Rachel! What is happening?" Demi demanded, half asleep.

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah?" Demi uttered, trying to evict the grogginess from her brain.

"You should be fully awake for this. You have five minutes before I panic and change my mind. Chug the coffee. I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"Okay. Are you going to work?" she asked as she looked at the clock, concerned.

"No, I quit. I just sent my boss an email."

Holy crap. All right. So, she really was spiraling.

Demi sucked on the straw to her ice coffee, hoping the influx of caffein would fix her entire life and also wake up her brain.

She drank down the coffee, dressed in a rush, brushed her teeth, and speed-walked to the kitchen. "What's happened?" she asked.

Rachel was at the table, sipping on her own iced coffee. "I have an admission."

"I'm ready."

"Okay." Rachel stood and paced into the living room and back to the kitchen, sucking on her coffee. "Okay," she repeated.

Confused, Demi slowly sat in a chair at the dining table. "Rachel, what's wrong?"

Rachel smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes. "I think I'm just having a moment."

"That's all right," she assured her best friend. "Did you have a one-night stand? You usually freak out at that. It's not the end of the world. We can work through it."

"No. No, it's nothing like that."

"Okay, great. What's going on?"

"I'm…" Rachel looked at her, and there was such a plea for understanding in her eyes. "I can't do this."

"Can't do what?"

"All my brothers are in town, and the house is chaos, and my dad feels helpless, so he's always mad at everyone, and everything is so…so…"

"Hey," Demi murmured, sensing the heavy turmoil in her friend. "It's all right. What's going on, girl?"

Something about her words opened up the floodgates. Rachel's face crumpled, and she closed her eyes. "My dad is sick."

This was one of those moments she would remember for always.

"What?"

"We found out two months ago. My brothers are all in town, seeing if they are a match for transplant."

"For transplant," Demi repeated.

"It's his kidneys," Rachel whispered brokenly. "He needs a healthy one, and we're hoping one of my brothers can give him one.

Oh, Jesus.

"I got tested, but I'm not a match. My mom is freaking out, and my brothers are all in town, stressing him the hell out. I don't want to work. I don't want to do anything but figure out a solution, and drink all the feelings away, and now the family is together but it's so…so…" She inhaled deeply. "We're all a mess."

Why hadn't Tyler said the real reason he was back in town? Why hadn't he told her?

Fuck.

Demi drew Rachel into a back-cracking hug, and swayed from side to side with her. "Everything is going to be okay."

"You don't understand."

"What is it?"

"I know Tyler's going to be the one. He's going to be the match. I can just feel it in my bones."

"Okay. Okay."

"Demi, he gave up his entire company to come here and try." She drew in a hitching breath. "Dad barely even freaking likes him, and he's going to be the match. I know it."

"Tyler is a good person. He will do it. He's here because he's open to it."

"I know, but you don't understand. Dad has been praying it's any of us but Tyler."

"That's messed up." She eased out of her friend's embrace. "Rachel, that's so messed up."

"I know that! I know. This isn't on me. This chaos is not on me. It's just over my head, and I don't know how to function on the normal day-to-day. Everything else seems so unimportant."

Demi cupped her friend's cheeks. "Yeah. Okay." She nodded. "If it's any of your brothers, you know what your dad can do? Say thank you. That's it. You don't have to take on the weird family dynamics. You stayed here. You stayed near your parents. That doesn't mean their life is your entire life, Rachel. If any of your brothers are a match, you know what you do?"

"What?" Rachel asked, tears in her eyes.

"You let them step up."

Rachel nodded. She nodded and nodded, eyes full of emotion.

"What do you let them do?" Demi asked her.

"Step up," Rachel whispered.

"I didn't hear you."

"Step up," Rachel said louder.

"Good." Demi forced a smile. "You want to work with me today?"