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“You don’t have anything to apologize for. I’m so happy you called me.”
I nod, not knowing what else to say as he finishes cleaning up my hands, glancing up at me every few seconds to make sure I’m still okay.
A couple of moments later, he’s wrapping my hands in white bandages and saying, “Stay awake on the way to the hospital. I’m serious.”
I nod, swallowing the worry in my throat. He buckles me in, then throws the first aid kit back in the vehicle and gets in the driver’s side. If it weren’t for the heavy reality of the situation, I would laugh at the way he blasts the radio and turns the A/C all the way up in an attempt to keep me awake.
He’s so worried that even though the music makes my head throb that much more, I don’t say anything. I’m lucky he came as quickly as he did. I’m too scared to think of what could have happened to me had he not rushed to get to me.
* * *
“You should beable to go home soon, but I do want someone to stay with you tonight through tomorrow to watch for any of the symptoms I mentioned, alright? Are you able to stay with her?”
One of the emergency room doctors at the hospital—a curvy woman with gorgeous flaming-orange hair and a warm smile—places a hand on my wrist and looks between Cooper and me.
Cooper flicks his eyes to me before staring back at the doctor. “It won’t be me, but there will be someone with her tonight.”
My brows furrow. “Do you have plans or something?”
He laughs, shaking his head. “No, love. But I think—”
“Braxton?” a deep voice shouts outside of the room. “Don’t touch me. Just tell me where the fuck she is. Braxton?”
The doctor’s lips pull tight in what looks like an attempt to hold her laugh. “That’s for you, I assume?”
My heart goes into overdrive.He’s here.“Yeah. That’s for me. Can we open the door?”
“I’ll leave it open on my way out. Remember, come back in if you start to feel any symptoms.”
“I will.”
“Alright. Have a great night, guys.”
“Thank you,” I say, cautiously touching the bandage on my head.
My stare follows her out of the door and lands on the man rushing toward me, his body draped in hockey gear and pushing through a crowd of hospital staff. My jaw drops as I look at him, at the worry in his eyes and the way his lips part on my name.
My doctor mutters something toward the group, and they separate instantly, making room for Maddox to walk through.
I try to speak, but my words die the moment he reaches us and grabs me where I sit on the exam table, lifting me into his arms and spinning us away from Cooper. He presses my back to the wall, careful of my head, and buries his face in my neck, releasing shuddered breaths on my skin. I wrap my arms around his neck, not liking how his gear keeps us from being closer.
“You’re okay, baby. You’re okay.Fuck,” he breathes, his arms wrapped around me nice and tight.
“I’ll be outside,” Cooper says softly before the door shuts, and it’s just Maddox and me.
“How are you here?” I ask, closing my eyes, careful not to put pressure on my palms as I tighten my grip around his neck.
“That doesn’t matter. Fuck, how are you feeling? What happened?”
“It does matter. You’re supposed to be playing a game right now,” I persist.
He pulls me away from the wall and sets me on the edge of the bed. I go to protest at the distance left between us when he quickly eliminates it, stepping between my legs and cupping my face in his hands. His eyes scour my face, the skin damp beneath them, panic pulling at his features when he smooths his thumb up my cheek and touches my hair around the stitch in my scalp. I blink at him, waiting and waiting for words that don’t come.
“Maddox,” I whisper.
“Tell me who did this to you, baby.”
His words seem calm, but they’re vibrating with a thick sense of danger that has me fighting back a shiver.
