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I swallow, avoiding her gaze.
“They’re your best friends. They care for you, honey.”
When I don’t respond, she places a kiss on my cheek.
“I’ll give you time to talk to them.”
When she’s gone, I glance at the large Band-Aid. A fucking ICD. Just great.
Minutes later, the door opens, and Nick and Cole walk into the room. Cole has a deep frown and lips pressed into a thin line. This tells me he’s in what Alisha likes to call his grumpy state of mind. Then my eyes travel to Nick, who sweeps his fingers through his hair, a gesture he does repeatedly when he’s nervous. I brush my hand over the white bedsheets as their eyes travel over me, inspecting every detail.
“Good to see your ugly face, Fox,” Cole says.
I force a smile as both men take a seat next to the bed.
“Damn it,” Cole groans, wriggling his colossal frame to find a comfortable spot on the small chair. “They should spend money on buying better furniture. My ass is numb from sitting on these uncomfortable things.”
Nick’s brown eyes are unreadable as he stares at me and asks, “How are you?”
Their intense gazes cause my heart to skip a beat as they await my answer. Wanting this next part over and done with, I blurt out the truth in one go. “I’ve got Brugada Syndrome. It’s a condition that can cause heart rhythm disorder.”
Cole’s brows shoot up. “What? How is that possible? You were healthy as a horse this morning.”
My right hand roams through my hair as I stare at my sheets.Here it goes.“I have an inherited heart condition. My dad had it too.” I let out a sigh. “I said my dad died from a heart attack. But he actually died from sudden cardiac arrest in bed due to this condition.”
A knot forms in my stomach as the frown lines on Cole’s face deepen. I know he witnessed his father die from a heart attack and it’s still a sensitive topic.
Both friends remain quiet as I continue, “They did an autopsy and found that a rare heart condition called Brugada Syndrome caused his sudden death, and because it’s genetic, they tested me.”
Nick’s thumb drags along his bottom lip as his mind whirls. His eyes flick to mine and I know what he’s going to say.
“Are you saying you knew you had this condition?”
My silence says enough.
Cole’s jaw tightens. “Why on earth didn’t you tell us, you shithead?”
“Because my symptoms were minor, and I didn’t want you guys to worry or treat me differently.”
Fury sparks in Nick’s eyes. “Bad choice, buddy,” he says before pointing to the Band-Aid. “So what did they do?”
I explain what happened and how Doc treated it.
“So that could happen again?” Nick inquires, brow raised in concern.
I nod.
Cole plants his elbows on his knees, forehead creasing as he stares at the ground while Nick lets out another sigh and rubs his temples with both hands.
“Jesus,” Cole mutters. “When we tell the girls...”
My attention shoots to Cole like an arrow. “Don’t tell them,” I plead in one breath.
Cole blasts out of his chair like a rocket. “Are you fucking shitting me?”
His gaze drills into me, and I clench my teeth in response. “No, I’m not. Come on, guys, please.”
“Don’t you fucking dare ‘come on’ me, Brian,” Cole shouts before turning and marching toward the door. His blue eyes flare like fire as he turns to face me. “You damn near died, Fox, and now you’re asking us to lie to our families?” He shakes his head in disbelief. “I need fresh air.”
