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I turned to my left, toward the edge of the bed, and saw Lachlan sitting there. He still wore his white athletic shirt and black jogger pants, but his feet were in moccasin slippers, and he had pulled on a black, zip-up hoodie. The room had darkened, but beside the bed, the soft glow of a lamp cast shadows on the strong planes of his face. Golden eyes blinked over to mine briefly before returning to his hands.
He had my IV line between his fingers and pushed a syringe of clear liquid into the port. It burned, and I sucked in a breath through my teeth.
While I had slept, he had set up a pseudo-hospital arrangement with an IV stand, a low table littered with simple medical supplies, and pillows all around me, including under my arm. There were more pillows than I would have expected at a bachelor’s house.
Unless he wasn’t a bachelor. I had never asked.
Dr. Cade let my arm settle against the plump pillow, and his hands folded in his lap. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I’m glad you did,I thought with shaky relief. That had been a close call. I didn’t needthatkind of embarrassment heaped onto the teetering tower I had already built today.
But then he tapped my wrist with a forefinger. “Who’s Jason?”
Unconsciously, my fingers curled into fists. “What?”
“Who,” he repeated, tilting his gaze to mine, “is Jason?”
Well, Hell. “Why?” I asked, panic scrabbling at my mind, threatening to break free.
“He won’t stop texting you.”
I blew out a breath, relieved. And then it froze in my lungs.Wait, why is Jason texting me? If it’s dark here, then it’s super late in Norway.I sat up quickly, and then regretted it. My head spun.
Lachlan produced my phone from his pocket, giving me a pointed eyebrow raise. “Don’t get too worked up. Your blood pressure is the shittiest thing I’ve seen outside a hospital in a long time.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, my heart rate kicking up a notch. Jason’s messages were like a nasty drug. I wanted them sometimes—needed them, even. Any contact from him was like a hit. But then I immediately felt the negative effects. Thenausea. The headache. The pounding heart. The sheer panic.
Jason: Your mom said you disappeared with someone today? I don’t mean to be rude, but I worry about Calla out there with you sometimes. Is everything ok?
Jason: I just want to remind you about our agreement—if you’re seeing someone, per the custody agreement, I have a right to know who will be in Calla’s life. Especially if you’re taking overnight trips with this person.
Jason: Laurel, I’ve been really patient, but you disappeared, and your mother doesn’t know who you’re with. If you’re not safe, I feel like the only responsible thing to do would be to contact the authorities.
Jason: If I don’t hear from you in an hour, I’m contacting the police.
Heart hammering, I looked at the time stamp. Forty-three minutes ago. Fingers shaking, I texted him quickly.
Laurel: I’m fine. I’m with a friend. It’s none of your business and Calla is safe with my mom. Stop texting me.
Three dots appeared immediately, as if he had been waiting for my response.
Jason: Call me so we can talk about this.
I sucked in a breath with a labored pull, like my airways were the size of a paper straw.
Suddenly, the phone disappeared from my hands. Lachlan didn’t even glance at the screen before tossing it onto the bed next to me. “I don’t think that person is a very calming influence.”
“No,” I agreed, still trying to pull in air.
“Relax,” he said. He took a deep breath in, mimicking what he wanted me to do. “Breathe.”
I did, sucking in a breath through my nose.
“Be calm. This is a neutral zone,” he said, still mirroring the deep breathing he wanted me to do. “Whatever you think is so dire, I can promise you, it can wait until you’re feeling better. Is Calla okay?”
“She’s fine. It’s not really about her,” I said, and the tempo of my runaway heart calmed to a harsh thump that banged in my ribs.
“Okay, then. It can wait. Most people don’t fall apart when they get a strep infection,” he said, and his hands settled comfortingly on my shoulders. “Unless they were already fighting health problems. You don’t look like you sleep well. Or eat well. Or breathe fresh air all that often.”
