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I straightened with a silly smile as I reached for the button on his slacks.
My cell rang, pulling me out of my hormone-induced fog, and I gathered my clutch from the console. I located my cell and glanced at the screen and frowned. It was Cami. She knew I was out with Sebastian, which meant it was important.
“I’m sorry. I have to take this.” I awkwardly climbed back into my seat, my attention still on Sebastian as he fixed his hard cock behind his slacks before he made sure I was buckled in.
“Do your thing.” Sebastian shifted into drive and drove out of the parking lot.
“Hey, is everything okay?” I asked Cami.
“Babe, you didn’t see your missed calls yet?” Cami sniffled, and her nose sounded stuffy.
Shit. She’d been crying. “What missed calls?”
“Your parents and me. Ella, your dad is in the ICU. Get there as fast as you can.”
My stomach dropped to my toes, my vison tunneling, everything so far away. I could hear Cami’s quiet sobs, tinny and distant in my ear, and Sebastian’s worried questions, muffled and muted, but it seemed as if it was happening to someone else. My breath caught in my throat and cold, hard panic rose as the tingling started in my fingertips. No. This can’t be happening. “Cami, is he … is he?” I couldn’t force the words out of my mouth.
“I don’t know. Just ask Sebastian to bring you to St. Vincent.”
“Okay. I’m on my way.”
My heart galloped against my chest, threatening to break free.
“Ella, what’s wrong?”
“My dad.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked them away, embarrassed at my show of emotion in front of Sebastian. “He’s in intensive care at St. Vincent Hospital. Can you please take me there?”
“Of course.” Sebastian signaled to change lanes and merge on the highway.
“I should tell you something.” I focused on the wipers as they cleared the relentless drops from the windshield. If only it were that easy and could whisk away the pain.
Once he merged into traffic onto highway 26, he took my hand. “I’m listening, Ella, but take your time.”
“He’s sick. He has a rare cancer, and I’m covering his medical bills for a new trial. It’s his only hope and …” My shoulders shook as I broke down. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want our date to end like this. I wasn’t going to tell you about him unless we continued to see each other. It’s a lot to deal with. I’m a lot to deal with when we think we’re losing him.” I grabbed a tissue from my clutch and dabbed my cheeks, hoping like hell I didn’t look like more of a hot fucking mess.
“Don’t apologize, Ella. That’s too much to carry alone for anyone.”
“Cami knows, but she’s family. I don’t talk to anyone else about it.”
“Hold on for a minute. We’re about forty-five minutes away. Let me see if I can speed things up.”
He pressed a button on the steering wheel, and a phone ringing filled the car speakers.
“Sup, Bass?”
“Hey, Zayne. I need a favor. Are you still working in Portland this weekend?”
“Yeah, Giselle and I are here for a few weeks. What can I do for you?”
“I need a police escort to St. Vincent’s. Can you get me one?”
“Are you okay?” Zayne’s voice was heavy with concern for Sebastian.
“I’m good. It’s for …” He paused and glanced at me. “A special friend of mine.”
“Let me see what I can do. What car are you driving tonight?”
Sebastian rattled off the make and model of the vehicle along with the license plate.
