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“So, then you know I need to get out of this fucking bed!”
He keeps calm as he sits up in his chair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “What I know is that there isn’t anything you can do right now other than drive the nurses and everyone around you crazy acting like a bear with a thorn in his paw, so you’re going to stay right fucking there and wait for Craig to let me know when he hears anything.”
He stares at me, letting me know that he’s not above tackling me to the bed if I so much as flinch the wrong way.
Throwing my head back on the bed behind me, I close my eyes. My heart beats wildly, thinking of my last image of Rachel. Her hair was matted with blood, her eyes closed. She looked fucking dead, so limp and fucking lifeless in the seat next to me.
“I can’t lose her,” I whisper.
“You won’t,” Zach says.
“You don’t fucking know that!” I yell, my eyes fly open, sitting up in my bed. My heart rate monitor is setting off some alarm with its erratic beating, but I don’t care. “You can’t fucking sit there and tell me she’s going to be okay when you have no fucking clue! You didn’t see her, Zach.” The fight leaves me as a tear streaks down my cheek. My voice lowers to a whisper. “You didn’t fucking see her.”
A nurse comes rushing in, but stops just inside the door when she takes us in.
“It’s okay,” Zach says to her reassuringly. “He’s just worried about his girlfriend.”
“I’ll go see if I have an update on her,” she says, backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.
The beeping from the monitor slows to a steadier beat.
I close my eyes again, willing the tears to stop. Willing everything to stop. I want to go back to when we were happy in the truck. When I finally figured out that I’m in love with Rachel.
That she’s the one.
I might not have known it then, but I sure as fuck know it now. If she makes it through this, I’m putting a ring on her finger and babies in her belly. I want it all and I only want it with Rachel.
I hear Zach move before he places a hand on my shoulder with a tight squeeze.
“You need to make sure you’re okay before you can help her. She’s going to need you, man.”
Fuck, there’s another tear. Thankfully, Zach doesn’t say anything.
“I know you’re right.” I steel myself, wiping my face before opening my eyes to meet his. Thankfully, I don’t see pity or disgust, just understanding. “But how the fuck do I do that when I don’t know how she is? When I know that when I see her again, she’s going to be so…broken.”
“You’ll be strong for her, because she’s going to need it. You can let her know you’re scared and hurting, but you have to be the rock she needs you to be. When you need a rock, you come to me. Or Travis. Or Brody. Or Dyllan. You turn to one of us because we know what it’s like to love someone so fucking much that you can’t breathe without them.”
I hold his gaze for a few breaths, letting his words sink in. I know he’s right. I might not know what her injuries are exactly, but I know there’s a lot of them and she’s going to have more recovery than I will. She’s going to need me. Need everyone.
“Shit, her business…”
“I’ve already spoken with Skylar. She’s going to get in touch with some people that have helped Rachel out during busy seasons. She’s on it.”
“Thanks, man. I really can’t thank you enough for all of this.”
“It’s what friends are for.” He gives me a smile and another squeeze on the shoulder before taking a seat again.
“And the bar? Who’s there right now?”
“Brad’s got it covered.”
“Brad? The guy we hired two months ago?” And there’s my elevated heart rate again.
“Yes, Brad. The one that we both agreed was the best choice because he has as much experience as we do, who just happens to be new in town.” Zach rolls his eyes. “Plus, we don’t have to worry about bottling the next round of beer for a couple of weeks. We’re fine.”
I rest back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling once again.
“How are you feeling?”
