Page 44 of When You Became Mine

There was no way in hell I was letting Piper out of my sight.

The last time I had, our lives had been turned upside down and we’d lost Jack.

And fuck me if I was going to lose her too.

I’d had a few tense words with one of the doctors, but he knew Piper and Hampton, knew who I was, and had ordered the nurses to let me follow.

That was nearly two days ago and here I still sat, beside her bed, making sure that everything that was being done to make Piper healthy again was working.

So, yeah, I’d take that eighty-nine percent. And I’d sit my tired ass right here until it was back up to where it was supposed to be. And then, when it was, it would be me who would take her out of this hospital.

Her perfect lips were nearly pink again. And I swore to myself, when she was better, and I took her home, I was going to taste them. It was time for me to stop being a fucking pussy.

“Lawson.”

The voice startled me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Mrs. Kelley coming in, her face red and blotchy as though she’d been crying recently. Alarm bells went off in my head and I jumped to my feet.

“What is it?” I asked, unable to keep the worry from my voice.

She shook her head and attempted a smile. It was a feeble attempt, but it set me at ease enough to settle back into my chair. “No updates, honey. Why don’t you go on home and get some rest?”

It was about the millionth time someone had suggested it. I’d bitten Hampton’s head off when he’d said it to me this morning, but I managed to rein it in and told Piper’s worried mother, “I’m not leaving.”

She smiled again, this time genuinely, and settled onto the edge of the bed.

She patted my shoulder. “You sound just like Hampton did that day Piper fell into the pool.”

I frowned. “You mean the day he almost drowned her?”

She laughed. “Yes, that day. Jesus, you kids kept me on my toes.” She dropped her hand from my shoulder and reached up to smooth Piper’s hair away from her face. Piper stirred, and I pushed up in my chair, watching her carefully. Her eyelids fluttered, as if she were dreaming, and then she stilled again. I sat back again, not able to relax.

“Piper thought it was Hampton who pulled her out that day.” Her gaze traveled back to me and she took my face in, her eyes not quite as blue as Piper’s, but beautiful nonetheless. They were full of love and warmth, not just for her daughter, but for me and my siblings as well. They were the same compassionate eyes I saw every time I looked at Piper. They were also the same eyes that had never let any of us get away with anything, because Mrs. Kelley seemed to always know everything. Even as adults, that didn’t seem to have changed. “Why didn’t you ever tell her that it was you?”

I shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction of our conversation. I didn’t want to talk about that day, about the way the fear had gripped me, an icy hand that had squeezed my heart. I didn’t want to remember how I had struggled to pull her out of the water, my young muscles weak and pathetic. But most of all, I didn’t want to remember how Piper had gazed at Hampton when she’d finally come to, clinging to him as though he were her knight in shining armor. I’d been so jealous in that moment, the first time I’d ever really experienced it, that I’d been an ass and stormed off instead of insisting on going to the hospital with them like I should have done.

I lifted a shoulder, trying to seem nonchalant about it all, and murmured, “It didn’t matter who saved her. What mattered was that she was okay.”

Her eyes shimmered, unshed tears threatening to escape, and pressed her lips together. “Life’s never been the same since we lost Jack.” She reached out and patted my shoulder again. “Thank you for always taking care of my baby.”

I wanted to deny it, but the words would be lies, and she would know it.

I pressed my lips together and nodded, looking away from her and up at the monitor.

Ninety percent.

“Mom?” Piper’s gravelly voice choked out, barely more than a whisper.

Our heads snapped to her small figure in the bed and I leaped to my feet, coming to stand directly next to her head.

Weakly, she turned, but kept her eyes closed. “Hampton?” The relief that had just been coursing through my veins morphed into disappointment.

Hampton. Of course.

Her fingers twitched as she raised an arm in my direction. “Hampton,” she croaked again.

“No, honey, that’s—” Mrs. Kelley started, but pressed her lips together when I shook my head.

“I’ll get the nurse.” I mumbled, “And Hampton.”

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