That’s my trigger.
My legs give out and he wraps his arms around me to keep me on my feet as I fist his jersey and sob into his chest. He adjusts his grip so one arm holds me up and the other gently strokes my hair.
“Shh, Isa. I know. I’m so sorry. It was my throw. I’m so sorry.” His voice cracks as he continues to hold me tight.
“It’s not your fault,” I whisper. I feel him shake his head against the top of mine as a response, but choose not to start that argument right now. “What are we doing over here anyway?” I ask instead.
“I knew you’d come down and wanted to catch you before you burst into some place you shouldn’t be. I know you and Fletch are still keeping things on the down low and I didn’t want you to bust yourself with this.”
“God, I was absolutely about to do that, wasn’t I?” I pull back slightly so I can see his face. “You’re a good friend, Coop.”
“Not good enough,” he says, voice thick with emotion.
Okay, guess it’s time for that argument. “Cut that shit out right now Cooper Lennox or I swear to god,” I say as harshly as I can manage in the moment. “It was a freak accident. Is he— is he going to be okay?” Now it’s my voice that’s cracking.
“Fuck, I don’t know, Isa. I really don’t. I think he was starting to wake up as they were getting him onto the stretcher, but I don’t have all the details.”
I let out a choked, hiccupping sob, and he hugs me back into his body. “I love him, Coop,” I mumble into his chest.
“I know you do,” he says as if this isn’t news to him.
“I haven’t told him because I was scared.”
“I know that too. But so does he.”
Cooper holds me and strokes my hair until I can get my breathing and sobbing under control. He finally releases me from his arms and looks over my shoulder. “Let me go see if I can find anything out before I sneak you back to see him. Okay?”
I give him a shallow nod, wrapping my arms around my middle for comfort.
With a brisk nod, he rounds the corner and heads to find Ryan. Once he’s gone, I dig around in my bag for the inhaler that magically appeared not long after the coffee shop incident. I take a quick puff before I drop it back in my bag. My breathing almost immediately begins to even out and grow less painful. A few minutes later, Cooper returns and silently waves for me to follow him. I trail him until he pushes me into the medical room.
“The coast is clear for now, but I’m not sure when or if someone might come back to check on him,” he whispers quickly before he closes the door behind me with a softsnick, leaving me alone with Ryan.
Ryan, who is currently lying on the exam bed with his eyes closed. They’ve stripped his jersey off him so I can see his bare chest and the angry red circle the size of, well, a baseball over his ribs on the right side and a bandage wrapped around his forehead.
I let out a quiet gasp and my hands fly to my mouth. The tears are starting up again at the sight of him like this.
But apparently Cooper was right, and he is awake because at the sound of me, his eyes fly open and shoot to me before he winces and squints his eyes.
“Isa?”
“Ryan,” I choke out his name on a sob.
His entire face softens. “Come here, baby.” He opens his arms up in a request for me to join him.
I rush over to him, all but throwing myself into his arms. I wedge myself onto the bed, careful not to jostle him too muchbecause I’m not entirely sure where all he’s injured besides the obvious.
“I’m okay,” he says, brushing my bangs aside to press a kiss to my forehead and stroking a hand down my hair. “I’m okay.”
“I was so scared,” I whisper.
“I bet, but I promise you, I’m fine.” His words only slightly reassure me.
“You weren’t moving.”
“I know. The ball only knocked the wind out of me and cracked a rib, but I hit my head when I fell and went and gave myself a damn concussion. It was lights out there for a minute or so.” He grips my chin between his thumb and index finger to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. “But that’s it. A concussion, a cracked rib, and likely a nasty bruise. I’mfine,” he punctuates his statement with a tender kiss, his warm lips meeting mine.
When he pulls back, he looks between my eyes and watches as more tears stream from them. “What is this? Are you crying? Come on, baby. There’s no crying in baseball!”
