Mikaila looked at him and said, “Jesse, it’s me. I’m right here, baby.” She looked at me and gave me the bitchiest sneer I’d ever seen cross someone’s face.
Jesse started to speak to her, “How are…” before he started coughing again. Something felt wrong.
Mikaila tried to calm him, “Don’t talk, Jesse. You took in a lot of smoke.”
I was having a tough time reconciling her being there and everything I learned about what she’d done to Jesse. Someone must’ve told her about him, but I wondered who would do that. I felt like I was watching an entire scene that I shouldn’t be taking part in. My heart sank. Glancing at Brady, he seemed to be just as confused as me. My pulse sped up as I started to panic and slowly walked out of the room. Brady followed me. “Laida…”
“No. Stop. I don’t know what the fuck that was, but I’m out. I don’t need to be a third wheel in unresolved feelings. They can have each other.”
He tried to explain, “I don’t think it’s…” but I stopped him, not in the mood for excuses.
“I have to go. I hope he gets better. That’s all I’ve got.” Rushing down the hospital hallway, I left Brady standing there. When I got outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to regulate my breathing and anxiety. The entire interaction broke me. I went from living in a dream, to completely crushed, and felt naïve for letting my guard down.
Chapter 12
Jesse
“Mikaila…,” Was all I could get out before I started coughing up a lung.
Mikaila looked at me and said, “Jesse, it’s me. I’m right here. Don’t talk.”
“How are…” I tried to ask what she was doing there, but another coughing fit kicked in. Just saying her name was poison. If I could talk long enough without coughing, I’d tell her to get the fuck out.
“Don’t talk, Jesse. You took in a lot of smoke.”
Brady came into the room and gave me a look that said something was wrong. Iknewthat look. His tone was annoyed when he asked, “Mikaila, can you give me and Jesse a minute? Alone?”
Mikaila seemed offended and said, “I don’t want to leave him.” She wasn’t evenwithme.
I glared at Mikaila with hellfire in my eyes. “Out...” I managed to croak out.
A look of worry crossed Mikaila’s face, but she said, “I’ll be back later,” and walked out.
Pointing to a glass of water on my bedside tray, I choked out, “Brady…”
Brady gave me the water and explained while I took a sip, “Listen man… I’ll be quick. I called Laida and she was just here.”
“Here? Where?”
“She’s gone now. She came in while you were recovering and Mikaila made it seem like she was the one who should be here with you. Then you woke up and said Mikaila’s name, and I think that’s what fucked Laida up. She left, man.”
Fuck!I knew she was thinking the worst. “That’s not…” It was so fucked up. I needed to go to her. “That’s not what I was doing. I wanted…” more coughing. Brady gave me more water. “I wanted to tell Mikaila to get the fuck out of here. Why is she here? How is she here?”
Then Brady said something that made all the sense in the world and pissed me off. “I think Ethan called her. It’s the only explanation I have becausehegreeted her when she got here. Why the fuck would Ethan call Mikaila?”
Rolling my eyes, I laid my head back on the pillow trying to breathe better and open my airway. Then it dawned on me. I tried to get it out fast to Brady before I hacked up another lung. “He hit on Laida at the firehouse once and she turned him down. My guess… he thought if Mikaila were back, he could move in on Laida. I’m going to fucking beat the shit out of that asshole.”
“Damn, that’s fucked bro, but you need to rest. Look at yourself.”
I was too busy hacking…and thinking. Laida was never going to forgive me. She thought I wanted Mikaila there. It was the furthest thing from the truth. “Brady, I need you to go see her. Explain everything.”
“I don’t know, man. She’s really upset.”
“Please… I… I didn’t think I would want to date anyone after Mikaila. Laida is special. I don’t know what I’d do without…”
“Okay. Easy, big guy. We aren’t gettingromanticalhere. I’ll go talk to her.” I laughed, until I started choking again. “Jesus, man. Okay, you gotta sleep and get better. I’ll go talk to her tomorrow during normal business hours, so no one gets the wrong idea, like I’m trying to date her. Besides, she’s probably upset right now and needs time to calm down.”
I nodded at him. “You’re probably right. Thanks. Call me tomorrow, after you talk to her.”
