AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maddox sank into a seat. “I just saw him this morning,” he muttered.
Alys and I took spots on either side of him. If this were my dad, I’d be crushed. Freaking out. If I’d gotten the call, I’d probably be screaming at every person I met, to get me on a plane to where they were, so I could be there when he got out of surgery.
But I’d always had a great relationship with my parents.
Xander showed up about fifteen minutes after we did. Considering he’d been more than an hour away, he must’ve lead footed it to get here so fast.
I shared the same update with him that we’d been given, and he nodded and took a seat as well.
“Does anyone want any soda or coffee or anything?” Alys offered a short while later.
Both Maddox and Xander shrugged her off. They’d never looked more alike than they did in this moment, both men with their hands clasped, elbows on their knees, and heads bowed.
The woman at the desk called them up after about an hour or so. She let them know surgery would be at least another two to three hours, but the doctor wanted them to know Mr. Haddar was alive. He was stable. The doctor would come talk to them as soon as he could.
Maddox and Xander thanked her in unison.
Judith showed up a short while after that, and I repeated the news. She told Xander that Dom was getting them a hotel room at the nearest place he could find, because she assumed Xander would want to stay close.
The way Xander pulled her into the chair next to him and clung to her hand was subtle but potent.
A month ago, I would’ve guessed that Alys and I would do that for each other, even though we weren’t dating. Weren’t in lo—
But apparently she and I didn’t have what I thought we did.
Dominic showed up a short while later, and sat with his partners, while Judith repeated what I’d told her.
The silence stretched on, only broken up by thunder outside and the occasional blip from someone’s phone, with a friend checking in.
A loud rumble reached my ears, and Maddox scowled. His stomach was growling.
“I’m not hungry,” he muttered.
“You have to eat. We all have to eat.” Alys sounded concerned.
Alys stood. “Fine.” She pulled me to my feet as well. “We’re going to go get food, and you’re all going to eat something.”
“Thank you.” Judith looked up with a tired smile.
Alys crouched in front of Maddox, putting herself in his eye-line. “Okay?”
“Yes, miss Alys.”
That would’ve been cute and sweet and normal under almost any other circumstance.
We headed to the cafeteria on the main floor, to find a sign out front stating they were closed due to appliance issues.
Without any words, we turned toward the hospital exit instead. There had to be something nearby. The moment Alys and I walked out the front doors, the rain drove into us. We huddled under the awning.
“Where to?” I asked.
“I saw a taco truck parked at the edge of the property when we drove in.” Alys nodded in that direction.
I didn’t need to ask if she wanted to walk that far in the rain—for as long as I’d known her, Alys had loved being out in a storm.
We made our way in the direction she indicated, the sounds of the weather stopping us—saving us?—from talking.
The little orange food truck with an awning and short menu was like a beacon of color on the dreary landscape. “Afternoon.” The man at the window greeted us with a smile. “What can I get you, and can you wait an extra ten or fifteen minutes? I shut everything down because of the weather. I’m still hoping it clears up soon so I can stay out here the rest of the night.”
