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“Yeah, athletes tend to have a higher pain threshold. He’ll need surgery to fix the tear. The team physicians are in there now with him. He’ll have surgery tomorrow.”
I blinked. “So soon?”
She nodded. “Yes, it was his choice. He wants to be up and about as soon as possible.” Her harsh voice told me that she wasn’t a fan of this directive from Austin.
She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Take him home. Spoil him rotten after the surgery. He’ll get his splint off in a few weeks and the sling will be off in four. But it’s going to be months to a full and healthy recovery.”
I was about to explain that I was not his girlfriend and was not responsible for assisting Austin with his rehabilitation, but I didn’t because she got paged over the intercom.
While the doc was in there with him, I paced the hallway and texted my sisters for an update on Alec, to see if they’d found him. They hadn’t, which only increased my worry. And my pacing. I couldn’t stand still. Or sit still. I ran my hands over and over through my hair. I braided my hair, then let it run loose, untangling the braids.
After thirty minutes, a text came through from Lyria. Alec was at The Meetup, the family’s bar.
I was done waiting. I’d either pick up Austin later or his doctors could drive him home.
I knocked on the door, but when no one responded, I slowly peeked in. All sets of eyes were on me. All men. One with curly hair and tanned skin. The other older with a full head of gray hair. The last guy, the only one not in a white coat, sporting jeans and a T-shirt, looked like he could be one of Austin’s friends or baseball buddies. His face was clean-shaven, his almost-black hair pushed back, showing his widow’s peak.
I gave them all a grimacing smile. “Hey. I don’t want to bother you, but I’m leaving. They’ve found Alec.”
Austin’s eyes met mine, and the hard lines of his jaw softened.
Well, crap. His left arm was in some sort of sling, and his right hand was in a splint. The only good thing was he was out of the hospital gown and fully dressed so that meant I didn’t need to help him. Again.
“Sydney, come inside,” Austin ordered, flicking his attention back to the men in front of him.
I huffed out loud, making Austin’s buddy with the widow’s peak let out a low chuckle.
I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me. “I have family business to attend to, so I have to leave, but just call me when you need me to bring you home. Unless”—my gaze traveled around the room, and I sported a friendly smile—“someone else wants to bring him home.”
“We’ll bring him home,” the older guy said.
“Thanks.” I waved and about-faced, but the sternness in Austin’s eyes stilled me.
“Nope. I’m done here. I’m going home with Syd.”
There were murmurs among the men, the volume growing into an argument until they all spoke at once and above each other. Austin dropped his chin to his chest, visibly frustrated. Talks of his treatment. His care. The widow’s-peak guy babbled about damage control.
“Noah, I don’t wanna hear it right now,” Austin grumbled.
So, widow’s-peak guy was Noah, his agent.
Big Balls,I thought with a smile.
Then, Austin looked at the doctor with the gray hair.Dr. Klein.“Ben, I’ll be here in the a.m. for surgery.” He hopped off the hospital bed and went to reach for his jacket with his pinkie, but he couldn’t quite manage it.
I picked it up for him.
“Where are you going?” Ben asked.
“With Sydney.” He tipped his chin to the door, and I opened it, letting him walk in front of me.
My jaw clenched. Right now, I didn’t want to take him home. I needed to get to Alec, but knowing Austin, I knew he’d push and push until I realized it would be faster to take him home and drop him off than to argue with him.
“Austin!” they all called out to him as we headed toward the elevators.
“Ignore them, Syd. Let’s go.”
My shoulders tensed at the thought of having to outrun the doctor and his crew but still, I joined him in the elevator before the doors shut, leaving us alone.
