Page 5 of See My Words

Minh blinked at him.

“Has anyone at least called?”

Minh fished his phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. “No.”

“Shit.” Rylan clutched his hair. “I can’t believe this! No one at the club has bothered to check on him?”

The words hadn’t even left his mouth when Minh’s phone rang, and he held a finger up to shush Rylan as he answered it. “Hey, boss.”

Rylan felt some of his anger drain away when he realized it was Corey, tensing again when Minh’s face tightened at whatever he was saying.

“No, I haven’t seen him yet. He’s still in the ER with no visitors allowed.” A pause. “I just said I haven’t seen him, Corey. I don’t know.” Silence. “Of course I’ll call you as soon as I find out anything.”

He hung up. “That was Corey. He said he heard Scott was hit in the face and wanted to know if he’s okay, if I’d seen him yet, and how bad the damage was.”

Rylan cursed viciously, kicking at one of the plastic chairs. “Son of a bitch! All he’s really worried about is the MC₂ gig, isn’t he? You can tell him that Scott has a broken jaw, extensive facial bruising, and a concussion.” He kicked the chair again. “But he’s alive, and he’s going to make a full recovery, which is all that should really matter, right? Right? Fuck MC₂! Fuck Corey!”

“Baby doll.” Minh stood up and wrapped his arm around Rylan’s shoulder. “Let’s go outside and calm down. There are children present.”

Indeed, a few mothers with blanket-wrapped children on their laps were glaring at him, and Rylan flapped his hand at them in apology as he let Minh lead him through the front doors and out onto the sidewalk. The sky was just starting to lighten with a pinkish glow, and Rylan had the inane thought that he wished he had his camera right then. Camera! He patted his shoulder frantically, realizing the weight of his backpack wasn’t there, and spun around to rush back inside. His entire future was in that—

“Easy, Ry. Chris took your backpack home,” Minh said, correctly interpreting what the problem was. “He told me he’s a photographer too, and that he’ll keep it safe for you, okay? So you don’t have to worry about it while you’re here.” His face filled with apprehension. “Shouldn’t I have let him take it?”

Rylan collapsed against the wall in abject relief, his knees shaky. “No, that’s good. Oh, my God. Jesus fuck. I never gave a thought to it once the nurse called me back. Fuck me.”

Minh smiled with relief. “He also said it’d give you a reason to call him.” He raised an eyebrow. “He’s cute, and he likes you.”

Rylan was still reeling over the close call with his most prized possession. “Yeah, and I like him, too,” he said distractedly. “He’s taking an interest in my work.”

“Hmm, I just bet he is.” Minh snorted. “Taking a big interest in your cute little ass—I mean, your ‘work.’”

“Minh—”

“Sorry, too soon.” Minh held his hands up. “Just trying to lighten the mood. I joke around way too much when I’m upset.” He put his shoulder against the wall facing Rylan. “So tell me what’s up with Scotty.”

Rylan relayed exactly what the doctor had said, and Minh grimaced. “Poor bastard. He’s got himself in a pickle this time ’cause no way will he be healed in time for Miami.”

“Someone knew exactly how to hurt him the most, didn’t they?” Rylan wanted to punch the wall in his anger and frustration.

“Yeah. And I think you’re right about Lance not having time to do it, unless he had someone do it for him.”

“Maybe it was just a random thing, you know, someone trying to rob him or carjack him? Got scared when the woman with the dog walked by.”

Minh gazed up into the predawn sky, his eyes distant as he thought it over. “Yeah, maybe. One of those fuckin’ wrong place and wrong time things.” He sighed. “It’s just—Scotty paid his dues, and it was time for something good to happen. You know? The MC₂ gig, it wasn’t just important to Corey, Rylan.”

Rylan tilted his head back against the brick. “I know,” he said quietly. “I know it was important to Scott too. It’s not fair.”

Minh didn’t say anything more, so they stood together side by side, watching the sun come up, until Minh at last pushed away from the wall. “Gonna go in and see him, if that’s okay.”

“Of course. I’ll try to find us some coffee while you’re gone.”

There was a coffee cart just opening up nearby, and Rylan pulled out his wallet, chagrined to realize he was down to his last twenty dollars. Shit. He purchased two black coffees anyway and headed inside to wait for Minh.

His coffee was almost gone by the time the doors leading back to the treatment bays hissed open and Minh came out, face drawn. Rylan handed him his cup, and Minh took it, slumping down in the chair next to him.

“Shit,” he whispered, lips trembling a little. “Dude is messed the fuck up, ain’t he?”

Rylan didn’t see the need to answer, and so they sat there in silence until Minh stood up once more. “I need to head home, get some sleep. There isn’t anything more I can do for him tonight, and I’m ’bout dead on my feet.”