AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 42 – Tag-A-Long
Vander
My cell buzzed on the bedside table.
I stretched to get it, trying not to disturb my barnacle. I kissed the top of her messy head. During the day she pushed and pulled, seesawing between sweet and fiery. At night she turned into a barnacle and couldn’t get close enough.
She wasn’t like this when we used to sleep together when we were younger. She liked to spread out and usually had an arm or a leg spilling off the bed. I wondered if it would change in a few months when she gained more confidence in us.
The time on my cell read seven oh-eight. My whole body went on alert and Ruby startled.
“What is it?” She whispered worriedly.
I opened the message. Fuck. I glanced at Ruby quickly. I could think of no way to soften this, so I’d help her by taking charge.
I shot off a text, then turned to Ruby and took hold of her jaw. “That was Gus. Yiayia fell. She’s fully conscious and talking. They are taking her to the hospital to get her checked out.”
Ruby’s eyes glazed over. “What?”
I gave her jaw a gentle squeeze. “Ruby, eyes on me.”
She sharpened her gaze on mine and I saw the fear behind them. “That was Gus. Yiayia fell. She is conscious and talking. They are taking her to the hospital to get her checked out. I’m going to wake Jace and tell him to get dressed. You start getting ready. I’ll be right back. Okay?”
Her face had taken on a look of horror.
“Don’t go there, Ruby-mine. Let’s just put all suppositions on the back burner until we see what we’re dealing with. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
She nodded and moved to get out of the bed. Then turned quickly and hugged me tightly, her body trembling.
I splayed my hand over her back. “It’ll be okay, koukla mou.”
Yiayia arrived by ambulance, and the hospital staff immediately whisked her off into a room.
Amber and Gus arrived shortly after Yiayia, and Amber raised hell until one of the nurses brought her back to her. Some of these fucking people followed their rules in the absence of common sense at times. Amber came out and collected Ruby to take her back as well.
Gus, both boys, and I hung out in the waiting room. After an hour and a half, the two boys sat slumped against the chairs. There was no help for it. Neither Gus nor I were willing to leave, not until we got news of Yiayia’s condition.
I checked the time.
“One of us has got to get them some breakfast soon.”
Gus and I stood staring at one another. Two men who understood the depths of their failures. Gus wanted to be there for Amber just as much as I needed to be there for Ruby.
“Boys,” a soft voice called softly from behind me.
Jace and Alex sat straight up, then went flying out of their chairs into the arms of the cool blond standing behind us.
Gus looked at the floor for a moment before looking up at Minty who stood with an arm around each of them.
Minty met Gus’s eyes and smiled at him sweetly. “It’s good to see you, Angus. Truly.”
He nodded, then cleared his throat gruffly. “Did Amber call you?”
She shook her head, her long, blond ponytail swinging behind her. “Ruby called. She asked me to come and get the boys for the day. Is that alright with you?”
“Of course,” he murmured.
I wasn’t sure what went on between them, but I was uncomfortably aware of it.
