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“I will,” I assured him. “I have my appointment in a few days with my old primary.”
Miller grunted in disapproval. I could imagine his scowl as he ran his fingers through his salt-and-pepper hair. “Call them and ask them to move it up. We’ll wait.”
I stared in disbelief at my phone. “What?”
“Call them and see if you can get in today, Shortcake. Please?” Cole asked. “I’m worried about you.”
The warmth and worry in his voice had me agreeing and putting them on hold as I called the doctor’s office. As fate would have it, they had a cancellation for an appointment in an hour. I snatched it up quickly. Hell, even the receptionist sounded concerned at my pained voice and sharp gasps when it struck again.
When I switched back from the other line, I was half expecting them to be gone, but I could hear them lightly talking in the background, Miller assuring Cole that everything would be okay.
“They were able to get me in,” I said in lieu of greeting. “I’m going to pack up and head there in a few after I finish this sports drink. I might not be up to dinner tonight. Hopefully, Miles isn’t too disappointed.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Miller told me. “Just focus on taking care of yourself. Call us after.”
He said it almost like an order, and I knew if he was in the same room I’d be able to feel the alpha vibes rolling off of him.
After the past few years in the city that would usually make me bristle, but all I really wanted to do is sink into the sound of his voice and let it steady myself. If I wasn’t such a mess that thought might have freaked me out.
“Will do, talk to you later,” I promised.
I rallied, putting on some new clothes and brushing out my hair. I threw on some sunglasses as I began packing Theo’s bag and tablet, and I had to admit they made it better. Hearing Cole and Miller's voices helped center me too, and I was glad I was heading in now.
“We go?” Theo asked, clapping his hands at the sight of his tablet. He was always up for a ride if it included his favorite games.
“Mommy needs to go to the doctor for a check-up, buddy,” I told him as calmly as I could. He seemed to understand that I needed cooperation and was so good as I got him herded out the door with snacks and his tablet.
By the time I had him all strapped into the loaner the guys had given me, a wave of exhaustion rolled over me. I had just started up the car, pulling slowly out of the drive, when a sharp pain pierced my skull. If I had been standing, the force of it would have dropped me to my knees.
I slammed on the brakes, my hand immediately throwing the car in park as I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to breathe through the insane pain taking over.
“Mommy?”
I tried to open my eyes to see him, but the light made me double over in pain. There was no way I could drive, much less move right now, and fear started to set in.
“Listen to your show, buddy,” I told Theo through clenched teeth, trying not to show him exactly how much pain I was in.
Help. I needed help.
I could call Beatty or Claire and they’d be here in an instant, but that wasn’t who I wanted right now.
They said to call them if I needed anything, and I trusted them to mean that.
The pack had shown up for me consistently since I arrived, and I knew they wouldn’t let me down the first time I reached out myself.
“Call Cole,” I rasped out, thankful that they’d shown me how to hook up my phone to the loaner.
“Summer?”
“I need you,” I told him, tears streaking down my cheeks at the pain still knocking through my skull. My voice was barely audible, but he heard me.
“We’re already halfway there, Shortcake,” he promised. “I need you to keep talking to me, baby. Stay with me.”
As much as I wanted to, each word felt like a battle. “You’re coming?”
“Me and the guys are on the way. I felt it in my gut that you needed me, and a phone call wasn’t enough.”
A sob tore from my lips. “Hurts.”
