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I stand from the chair and make my way into the hallway. I flag down the first nurse I see and ask her to check on Payton.
“You stay out here. I’ll get you when she’s ready,” the nurse says to me.
I stand in the hallway as I wait for them to talk.
After a few minutes, she leaves the room and motions for me to re-enter.
Payton still looks hazy, but at least she isn’t backing away in fear again. I head to the chair and sit down.
I grab her hand again, unable to help it.
She looks down at our joined hands, then back at me for a minute. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything. There is no witty retort. No fire I never realized I crave.
“How did this happen?”
I brush my thumb over her knuckle. It’s the only one left untouched by rocky scabs. “I’m still trying to get to the bottom of it.”
Without thinking of what I’m doing, I take her other hand in mine, too. I’m holding them both now, stretching my arm out so she doesn’t have to move a hair on her body to accommodate me. Hope flashes across her face. Brief. Like a firework.
“I promise you, Payton. I know I told you I want to hurt you. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I finally realized that what I was doing is no different than what my father did to Ivy. I swore I would never be that man, and that’s what I was coming to tell you. I was coming to tell you I’m not going to fight you anymore.”
“You were going to give me the money.”
“Yes. I put in a call to Baker to meet. Then once you are allowed, I’m taking you home, and I’ll take care of you.” I hold her hands steady, unable to bear breaking contact yet.
“You don’t need to take care of me.”
“I do. I don’t trust anyone else. I upped security. You will be safe in my place. It’s my fault you’re here, but I’ll make this right.”
“What do you mean?”
I lower my voice. “I can’t talk about it here.”
Her hand is still in mine, and I squeeze it very gently to get her attention.
“I promise, I’ll make it up to you.” I reach up and pull hair away from her eyes, hating the bruises there, wishing I could’ve been the one in front of that car instead of her. “I promise I’ll tell you everything.”
“What if I don’t want you taking care of me?” she teases, and I’m happy to hear the sound of it.
“Nonnegotiable. Your safety is my only priority,” I respond. “Listen to me, Payton. You have a concussion. Sprained wrist. Sprained ankle. You can’t walk. You can barely breathe. You can’t be alone. Heather can’t help you. So that only leaves your sister.”
Her jaw tightens at that suggestion.
Just as I’m about to open my mouth to say more, the door to the room bursts open.
Speak of the devil.
Erin runs into the room.
“Oh, Payton.” She sprints to the side of the bed, looking genuinely concerned. “Are you okay?”
“Erin,” Payton croaks.
“What happened to you? Who would do this?” Erin asks.
“They don’t know.”
“Why would anyone want to hurt you?” But then Erin turns to me, brows furrowed. “You’re the only one who would want to hurt her,” she hisses in my direction.
“I can assure you, I had nothing to do with this.” I don’t have to justify my actions to her nor my relationship with Payton, but it still pisses me the fuck off that she is doing this right now.
“I see the way you look at my sister. I saw the way you spoke to her. You want her dead.”
“Erin—” Payton groans.
“What?” She lifts a defiant brow, crossing her arms. “It’s true.”
“Please, stop.”
Erin gives a reluctant nod and takes the seat on the other side of the bed. The side furthest from me. “When can I take you home?”
Payton turns her head toward her sister and stares at her for a second. “I’ll be fine, Erin.”
“You won’t be fine. You need someone to take care of you, so you’ll come home and stay with me.”
“And Brad? Will he be there?” she asks her.
“Of course, he will be,” Erin chastises. “He lives with me.”
Brad. The boyfriend . . .
“I’m not going home with you, Erin.” There is an edge to her voice, and I want to smile at how tough she is. Even in a hospital bed, she has a spine of steel.
“That’s ridiculous. I’m your next of kin. I’m all you have. You need to come home with me. No one else.”
Payton’s eyes beg me to save her with a million unsaid words.
“She’s coming home with me,” I interject. “I’ve hired staff to take care of her.”
I’m not sure if this is what Payton wanted me to say, but this is the answer I’ve come up with, mostly because it’s nonnegotiable. I have round-the-clock security, and after this, it’ll only be tighter. There won’t be anywhere safer for Payton.
