Page 66 of Drive
Jacques eyes narrowed in what looked like pain. “I’m so sorry, Rainey,” he saidsoftly.
For a moment, she could only nod. Then she looked up at the image of Gloria Lopez-Craine’s son still on Jacques’s laptopscreen.
“I can’t help it,” she confessed, tipping her head to the image. “Seeing this picture makes it more real than just hearing about him. But seeinghim…”
Her voice tapered to a strained whisper, and Jacques’s frown deepened, but he waited for her tofinish.
“…seeing him makes me so excited.” She gave a sad little laugh as the joy and pain pierced her again. “And I feel guilty forthat.”
Jacques was shaking his head before her words were out. “Feeling excited to find a new brother isn’t a bad thing,” he toldher.
She gave him a false smile to keep her face from falling, and she looked up at the ceiling to hold the new tears incheck.
“And yet this rock in the pit of my stomach says otherwise.” She blinked fast to trick her eyes into drying again. “And that’s not all. I want to meet this kid. I want to find out if he’s like me or Holi or John Lee or any of us. But the reason I’m reaching out to him at all is for some stem cells. And now that I’m looking into eyes that look just like mine—” she said, flicking her wrist at the Facebook image. “I feel guilty about thattoo.”
Jacques gave her his gentle smile again. He leaned forward in his seat bringing his face closer to hers and giving her hands a squeeze. “Rainey, just for a minute, picture it the other wayaround.”
She frowned. “What?” She had no idea what he meant, but even the timbre of his voice and the warmth of his hand made her feel a little better. His nearness seemed to dilute the concentration of emotions that roiled throughher.
“Imagine that Ray Charles’s mother called you today because he was the one who needed stem cells. How would youfeel?”
Her head became a giant bell and his words ahammer.
“I’d do anything,” she said in arush.
Jacques just nodded. “And Holi would, too,right?”
“Ofcourse.”
He kept nodding. She watched his mouth work as if he were debating what he’d saynext.
“What?”
He eyed her a minute longer. “I’m thinking John Lee would too if he could,” he saidsoftly.
This truth didn’t strike like a hammer. It settled over her shoulders like a blanket, and she closed her eyes to absorb itscomfort.
“Okay,” she muttered, closing her eyes with a nod. “Thathelps.”
He rubbed his palm over her stacked hands, gave her a pat, and pulled away. Rainey opened her eyes. If she’d doubted his ability to simply be her friend, the foundation of that doubt had just sustained a mighty crack. In the span of two days, he’d proven himself to be the best friend she’d had inyears.
“Here you go.” Sonya materialized beside their table and set down identical plates of golden waffles, snowed under heaps of powdered sugar — just the way Rainey likedthem.
“Oh, man,” Jacques chuckled appreciatively. His face lit up, and Rainey felt the last measure of distress leave her at his widenedeyes.
Sonya topped off their coffee mugs before turning on her heel and disappearing again, and Jacques picked up his knife andfork.
“What do you say to decimating this breakfast and then sending Gloria Lopez-Craine a messagerequest?”
A thrill of nerves shot through her, but Rainey nodded. Jacques must have noticed her apprehension because his smile softenedagain.
“I’ll help you,” he promised before cutting an enormous bite of waffle and devouring it with agrin.
Chapter 17
“She doesn’t wantto talk to me!” Rainey’s voice pealed through the phone, and Jacques heard panic and her struggle to keep it incheck.
A whole twenty-four hours had elapsed since Jacques had helped her compose the message, making introductions and urging Gloria Lopez-Craine to call Rainey. In the short missive, they had only mentioned Rainey’s father briefly, wanting Gloria Lopez-Craine to understand that his daughters sought her because of a matter of life anddeath.
