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“Looked more like a jump, but you were too hammered for me to tell the difference. The media is going crazy with it. They think you tried to…you know…since Lena is gone.”
“No statement has been released saying that we broke up,” I reasoned. “They don’t have anything to stand on with that rumor.”
“You didn’t have to give a statement for the world to know. You’ve been acting like a lunatic—”
“And it’s all been for nothing,” I cut him off, my eyes falling to the cast on my right arm. It ran from my shoulder to my hand. Great. I won’t be playing for a long time.
“You were swearing yesterday that you were back to your old self.”
“Obviously, I’m not. I’m never going to be,” I admitted, eyeing him warily. “We both know that Lena came in and fucked up my heart, man. She walked out.”
“She walked out on a business deal. That’s all there was for her to walk away from. You never gave her the option for it to be anything else. Well, you added the complication of a no strings attached fling for your own selfish gain.”
“Okay, I’m an asshole.”
“Yeah, you are.” Tyson laughed. “But now what’re you gonna do?”
I thought about it for a moment, the past with my mom flooding back. “I’m going to let her go. She deserves to be with the kind of guy who doesn’t have the damage that I have.”
“But you’re not damaged, Jackson. You just have to come to terms with the fact that not every woman is like your mom. Lena has shown up for you.”
“She walked away and never answered my calls,” I argued.
“Because it was business! She probably thinks that you have no feelings for her. Why would she accept calls or texts when she thinks it’s just about your image and some stupid PR stunt?”
“I don’t know…” My voice trailed off as I closed my eyes. There was so much to sift through in my head, trying to understand why I had fallen for Lena—and what the hell I was supposed to do about it. Part of me dreamed about buying the record label and settling down…with her.
But happily ever after wasn’t something that happened to guys like me.
“Excuse me, Mr. Whiss?” The nurse’s voice caused my eyes to flutter open. “You have a visitor. It’s your emergency contact.”
“What?” I felt confused, my eyes going to Tyson. “I thought you were my emergency contact.”
“I thought I was too…”
“That’s not what you filled out on the paperwork once you were admitted…” She looked at me cryptically, her white hair piled on top of her head in a bun. “Can I let her in? She’s come a long way.”
“Uh…sure,” I answered.
Her? Who did I write down? Surely not…
I waited with bated breath as the nurse disappeared, and I heard a short conversation happening outside the room—but I couldn’t make it out. The heart monitor picked up as I heard soft footsteps slowly enter the room, followed by a light sigh.
And I knew.
I just fucking knew.
“Hey, Lena.” Tyson stood to his feet the moment she appeared. “I’ll give you two some space.” He patted her shoulder and then shuffled out of the room.
I took in the sight of her, dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a black V-neck T-shirt. Her blonde hair was braided half-up, her face devoid of makeup.
Fuck, she’s a sight for sore eyes.
“Are you okay?” She rushed to the chair beside the hospital bed, her voice thick with emotion. “I saw the video…you took a hard fall.”
I stared at her, her perfume wrapping around me. I couldn’t believe that she was so fucking close to me again. “Where have you been?” I choked out.
Her brows furrowed. “I…I took the first flight I could out of Los Angeles, but the layover in Atlanta was ridiculous…I couldn’t find one straight through. I’m sorry. I have to fly back out this afternoon too. I couldn’t get off work for very long.”
