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“Can I see him before you take him up?”
“They’re already preparing him for surgery, so there isn’t time.”
Every part of me wants to argue, but standing here keeping the doctor from Nash isn’t going to get me what I want. He gives me a small nod and leaves.
Declan comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder before returning to Xavier. I sit again because there’s nowhere else for me to go, trying to concentrate on what the doctor actually told me instead of everything he couldn’t promise. They found the source of the bleeding, Nash responded to the blood and fluids, and they can get him into surgery. For now, that has to be enough.
Alessia arrives with Conor and Jaxon after Nash has been in surgery for a while. She comes directly to me and wraps both hands around one of mine before sitting beside Kieran. Ronan gets here later, having left Colton and Ollie at home before coming to the hospital.
He tells me quietly that there’s still no sign of Alina, but Taylor has taken over at the hotel while he’s here. Adrian remains in police custody, and the search for Alina hasn’t stopped.
That’s all I need from him right now. I already told him to find her, and repeating the order every time he walks into a room isn’t going to make it happen any faster.
Liam and Finn have both been told what happened, and neither of them needs to come sit in a hospital waiting room when there’s nothing they can do here. Everyone who was at the gala is accounted for and safe. That should make it easier to concentrate on Nash, but every time the doors open, I still look up expecting someone to tell me something has changed.
Xavier stays tucked against Declan’s side, with Declan keeping some part of himself against him at all times. Conor and Jaxon sit across from them while Alessia leans into Kieran beside me. Ronan has his phone with him, but he keeps whatever he’s doing quiet and doesn’t give me another update unless there’s actually something new to tell me. None of them suggests leaving. They simply settle in around me and wait for Nash with me.
The surgeon comes into the waiting room a little over two hours later, and I’m on my feet before he reaches us. Everyone around me goes quiet while I search his face for some indication of what he’s about to say.
“The surgery went well. We were able to control the bleeding and repair the damage to his spleen, so we didn’t have to remove it. He needed additional blood during the procedure, but there were no complications. He’s stable.”
The word stable is the first thing anyone has said to me tonight that loosens some of the pressure that’s been sitting in my chest since Nash collapsed in the ambulance.
“When can I see him?”
“He’s being moved to recovery now. Once he’s settled and the nurses are finished with him, someone will come get you. He’ll probably sleep for a while.”
“Is there anything else I need to be concerned about?”
“His blood counts will be monitored closely, along with the repair to his spleen, but everything looks good right now. He did very well through surgery.”
“Thank you.”
After the surgeon leaves, Alessia reaches over and wraps her hand around my wrist. I look down at her, and she gives me a small squeeze before leaning back against Kieran. Nash is stable. The bleeding has stopped, they saved his spleen, and soon I’ll be able to see him. I repeat those facts to myself while I sit back down and wait for the nurse to come get me.
When a nurse finally comes for me, I follow her through the hall and into Nash’s room. She tells me a few things about what to expect as the anesthesia wears off, but most of my attention is already on him.
He’s asleep, pale against the white pillow, with the bruising along his jaw standing out against his skin. An IV runs into his arm, another line disappears beneath the blanket, and the monitor beside the bed keeps a steady rhythm. I watch his chest rise beneath the blanket before I move any closer.
The chair is farther from the bed than I want it, so I drag it over until my knee touches the frame and take his hand. His fingers are warm against mine.
I sit there for a long time without doing anything except rubbing my thumb over his knuckles and watching him breathe. A few hours ago, I was irritated because he wouldn’t stay where I put him at the gala. I wanted him close enough that I could reach for him whenever I wanted, and Nash, being Nash, argued with me about whether I needed to keep a hand on him all night.
I bring his hand to my mouth and press my lips against his knuckles before resting it against my chest. The steady rhythm from the monitor fills the quiet room while I look at the man who came into my life delivering my lunch and somehow ended up changing nearly every part of it.
Alina is still out there, and I’ll deal with her eventually. Ronan and Taylor can handle the search tonight. Adrian is in custody, my family is safe, and I have nowhere else to be. I settle deeper into the chair without releasing Nash’s hand. When he opens his eyes, I’ll be right here.
Chapter 42 Nash
The first thing I feel is Duncan’s hand around mine. I don’t open my eyes right away because everything else takes a little longer to make sense. My mouth is dry, my body feels too heavy to move, and when I try to take a deeper breath, pain spreads beneath my left ribs and into my abdomen. The steady beep somewhere beside me fills in the rest.
Hospital.
My fingers tighten around Duncan’s, and his chair moves immediately.
“Nash?”
I force my eyes open. Duncan is leaning over me, still wearing the white dress shirt from the gala. His jacket and tie are gone, his sleeves are rolled up, and my blood has dried dark across the front of his shirt. He looks like he hasn’t slept at all.
