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The second I pulled up outside the Rixon General, Cameron grabbed the door handle. “I need to—”
“Go,” I said. “I’ll find somewhere to park.”
He gave me a small nod and climbed out, jogging across the street and disappearing inside.
My heart ached for them. First Xander, now this. I didn’t want to assume the worst, but I knew that if anything happened to Karen, the Chase men wouldn’t survive it.
I found a parking spot and cut the engine. I wanted to go to him, to see how Karen was. But I needed a minute.
I didn’t get it though. My cell phone started ringing.
“Jason?”
“How is he?”
“I- I don’t know. His dad called and everything was a blur after that. We just got to the hospital.”
“Is he there? Can I speak to him? He isn’t answering his cell.”
“N- no. I’m in the car still.”
“Hailee, what is it? What’s wrong?”
The tears I’d fought so hard to contain exploded, streaming down my cheeks like unstoppable rivers, the noise of my heavy sobs audible.
“Shit, Hailee, don’t cry. He’ll be okay. They’ll all be okay.”
“They won’t. If she doesn’t make it... I’ll lose him, Jase. I know I will.” Every fear and insecurity I’d felt over the last few weeks battered me like an unforgiving storm.
If his mom was sick again, he would quit the team—maybe even quit college—and move back to Rixon. Because that’s the kind of guy Cameron was. He made sacrifices for the people he loved. And they would need him.
His family would need him.
“You’re his family too,” Jase said, and I didn’t even realize I’d said the words aloud.
“You know what I mean. He’ll be here and I’ll be there.”
“But you’ll get through this. You will. Listen, did the two of you get a chance to talk?”
“We were talking when his dad called. Why?”
“Cameron loves you, Hailee. He needs you. I know it might not always seem like that, but we’re guys, we get shit wrong sometimes. Don’t give up on him, okay?”
Silence filled the line. I wanted to heed his words, to be a pillar of strength for Cameron and his family, but the truth was, I was scared... scared of what the future would bring for us.
“It was you, you know?” Jason’s voice grounded me.
“What was?”
“It was you and Cam that made me realize there’s more to life than football.”
I snorted. “You hated me back then.”
“I didn’t hate you, Hailee. I just...”
“Yeah, I know.”
We had a lot of history—a lot of bad history—but we weren’t those people anymore. Jason was one of the most important people in my life.
