My eyes widen as my heart rate picks up. “We… we waited to see the babies.”
“Well, we don’t want you here. Go home.” He folds his arms over his chest.
“Greyson, you can’t be serious right now!?” I plead as my lungs tighten and a lump grows in my throat.
“I’m dead serious. You’re not welcome here.”
“But… but Emma… she’s my friend… my sister. Greyson, please! Don’t do this to me…” I beg him as tears begin to track down my cheeks and I start to feel lightheaded. I wobble to the side, and Shane quickly places his hands around my waist to steady me.
“You made your choice on who your family was when you got withhim.” He glowers at Shane. “In there,” he then points behind him, “that’smyfamily, and I choose who’s allowed in there or not, so don’t cause a scene and leave.”
A sob breaks free as I cover my mouth with my hand, stepping back into Shane’s chest as I lose my footing once more. Greyson turns and leaves us without another word as I begin to gasp for air and my vision blurs slightly. I can feel my heart cracking into a million little pieces, my entire body aching as the tightness in my chest making it hard to breathe.
I need to get out of here. I need to go before I suffocate.
I step out of Shane’s hold and sidestep him, heading toward the exit. I hear him call my name, but I don’t stop, I need to leave.That’s what he said. My brother wants me gone, so I’m leaving.I walk close to the wall and place my hand on the railing, but it slips and my knees give out.
Shane’s hands reach me before I have time to hit the ground. He lifts me up quickly and presses me to his chest. One armbehind my knees and the other along my back as I cry into the crook of his neck.
“Tell me what to do, Angel. Tell me and I’ll do it,” he says quietly with pain in his voice, like his heart is breaking right alongside mine. “If you want me to go back there and punch him in front of everyone, I will. I don’t care if it costs me my career, I’ll do it for you.”
“Just t-take me h-home, please… Take m-me home…” I manage to get out, and he moves into action immediately, carrying me down the hall and out of the hospital. He sits me down in the passenger seat, buckles me in, then runs around the car and climbs in behind the steering wheel.
I bend in half, coving my face with my hands as I wail uncontrollably, hyperventilating as the tightness in my lungs burns me from the inside. I’ve never felt pain like this; I don’t know how to stop it.
I hear a loud smack at my side as Shane’s hand connects with something and he curses. It’s quickly followed by the click of my seatbelt being disconnected, before he slides it past me, then lifts me out of my seat and onto his lap.
“I wish I could take away your pain, Angel. It kills me to see you like this.” His mumble is filled with sadness as he squeezes me tighter against him.
It takes me well over an hour to collect myself, and by the time my sobs turn into silent whimpers, my head is pounding and my eyes hurt… so does my heart. “I’m sorry I wasted your time in there for nothing…” I say quietly, still resting against Shane. At some point he reclined his seat for me to really lie on top of him.
“No time spent with you is wasted time, Aubrey. I’d rather spend thousands of hours at your side doing nothing than one hour of meaningless crap, because you are what’s important to me, above everything else. You and our Little Star come first.Always.” He kisses the top of my head as his fingers glide through my hair.
“Thank you, Shane. I don’t think I could have gone through that without you.”
“I’ll always be here when you need me, Angel. And even when you don’t, I’ll still be standing beside you,” he murmurs into the quiet night. I’m not sure what time it is, but it seems really dark outside now. “Are you ready to go home?”
I nod against his chest. “I am.”
I climb back into my seat and buckle myself up as Shane repositions his seat and pulls us out of the parking lot. He takes my hand in his, lacing our fingers together, then brings it up to his mouth and presses his lips to the back of my palm.
“Are you hungry, sweetheart? Thirsty? In the mood for something in particular?” He glances my way with a knowing smirk. “Anything, Angel. Just name it and I’ll find a way to get it.” He finishes with a wink that makes my cheekbones flush brightly.
I love how even after almost three months of being intimate together, he still makes me blush constantly. I know I already blush more than the usual being, but when Shane admitted he loved how easily it happened, I was afraid it would go away once we grew close and I got comfortable around him.
I lick my lips, thinking of all the savory things I could go for right now, but one shines brighter than the others in my mind. “I could go for a caramel sundae.”
“Yeah?”
I nod, biting my lip. “Mhmm.”
“You know what’s really crazy?” He grins, keeping his eyes on the road, but by his light amused tone, I can tell this is his playful side talking.
“What?” I raise a brow.
“I was just craving a caramel sundae, too. Isn’t that strange? I guess you could call us… birds of a feather.” He waggles his brows at me.
A laugh bursts from my throat as I cover my mouth. “Oh my God! You have never spoken your age until just now.” I laugh harder, holding my stomach. “Do people even say that anymore?”
