Page 48 of Searching for Love

“It’s broken?” Sophia asked.

Lucas nodded. “Looks like a clean break,” he said, touching her cheek. “Your head appeared broken too. He couldn’t find a brain in there.” He motioned to the nurse, who chuckled.

“No brain, but that means you don’t have a concussion.” He winked at Sophia, who smiled weakly.

The nurse touched his shoulder and nodded at him when they returned to the same room they’d been in before.

“You okay?” Sophia asked Lucas when they were alone.

“Me?” He sat on the side of her bed. “Yeah.”

Sophia reached over with her right hand and touched his lips. “You have a fat lip and a black eye.”

“So do you,” he said with a slight frown.

“He… he tried to get me alone. Mom fought him off.” Sophia looked down at her hands. “I think he wanted to⁠—”

“Stop,” he begged. “I don’t know if… I want to kill the man.” He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, pacing in the small space. “Shit, I wasn’t there to protect you. I didn’t think he’d…” He turned when the curtain opened, and Avery stepped in to wrap her arms around him.

“Your mother is being admitted and taken up to a room. Your grandfather and a man named Graig are with her now. Your mom and Graig seem… close.”

“Good.” He relaxed slightly. “Graig’s a good man.”

Avery nodded. “Yeah, I can tell. He was worried sick about you too.” She turned to Sophia. “We can head up to your mother’s room once they’re done in here. I heard you’re going to get a cast on?”

Avery released him and walked over to sit next to his sister, who looked pale and sick.

“Yeah,” Sophia nodded.

“What color are you going to choose?” Avery asked as if it was a privilege to get a cast instead of a bad thing because a worse thing had happened to her.

“Blue,” Sophia said, her eyes locked on his. “My brother’s favorite color.” She smiled a little at him.

He nodded. “I’ll be back. Can you stay with her until…”

Avery nodded and touched his arm.

He nodded. “I’ll be back,” he told Sophia, then stepped outside.

Seeing an officer in the hallway, he marched towards the man to ask what had happened to his father.

When he stepped back into the small space, Sophia had a new blue cast on her left arm. The nurse who had flirted with him was telling Avery all about his sister’s care after her discharge.

Avery listened intently to the woman’s every word and even asked questions.

When the nurse left, he walked over and wrapped his arms around Avery. “Thanks.”

“So?” Sophia asked. “Where’s Mom?”

“Room two-thirteen,” he answered.

“Dad?” Sophia asked.

“Jail. For now. We’re going to make sure he stays there.”

Sophia nodded. “I want to see Mom and Graig.”

“Let’s go then.” He held out his hand for her right one.