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“Hell, yeah it is.” Jace slapped him on his shoulder.
“I’m glad it helped.” A flicker of jealousy reared its ugly head. I wasn’t jealous of Zayne being single. I just missed sex with River. My gut twisted into painful knots. I’d never realized that missing River would be this fucking intense.
The flight was quick and painless. Not only had Pierce flown us down, but he also had a company Mercedes waiting for us. Zayne had explained that Pierce and Sutton owned a penthouse in Portland, and some of his men worked here. Regardless, the trip was seamless, and we were at the Knight Center before noon.
Stopping at the front desk, the sweet, elderly lady provided Brynn’s room number for us while Jace called Chance and let him know we’d arrived.
Zayne, Jace, and I remained quiet as we rode the elevator up to Brynn’s floor. The center was huge, and my chest squeezed tight as I realized the only reason it was that big was because of the overwhelming need. Cancer was a bitch. I stared at my shoes and attempted to brace myself for what was ahead, but nothing in this world could have prepared me for what shitshow came next.
The elevator doors slid open, and Zayne held the door as Jace and I entered the hallway. Hospital employees hustled and bustled at the nurse’s station as we walked by. A few heads turned, and I nearly laughed. Jace was definitely a good-looking guy, but if I had to make a bet on who the ladies were drooling over, it would be on Zayne. He was GQ magazine cover quality, for damned sure.
I spotted Chance stepping into the hall from Brynn’s room. He shoved his hands in his pockets and met us halfway. He hugged us tightly, then led the way to her room. Zayne took his post at her door.
“Any changes?” I asked while I slipped inside. My mouth gaped, and I slammed it closed. “Shit.” I turned away in an attempt to collect myself.
Jace cleared his throat, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at her.
Machines beeped and whooshed as the ventilator forced her body to breathe. The color had drained from her cheeks, and they appeared even paler against the white and green hospital gown. Blue chairs lined the wall, and we each grabbed one. As far as hospital rooms went, this one had the standard boring interior, but it was much larger.
“No. If her vitals are stable in a few days, then they’ll bring her out of the coma.” Chance folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “It all went wrong so fucking fast.”
Finally, I walked over and took her hand in mine. “Hey, sweet girl. Jace and I are here with Chance.” I kissed the back of her hand as she remained motionless. Her eyelids didn’t flutter open, and her gorgeous green eyes didn’t gaze at me. I sat in the chair closest to her. A part of me wondered if she could hear me, or if I was simply making a fool out of myself. Honestly, it didn’t matter. I had to try.
“Hey, babe.” Jace kissed her forehead and sat in the chair on the other side of her. He took her hand in his.
“Do her parents know?” I asked Chance.
“Yeah. They’re finally on the way from Europe, so there’s that.” He sighed and sat in one of the chairs against the wall, stretching his long legs in front of him. I hadn’t noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes until now. He looked like shit.
“You brushed her hair?” Jace asked Chance.
“Yeah. If she comes out of this, she’ll lose most of it with chemo. I wanted her to …” He rubbed his nose and sniffled. “To feel beautiful for a little longer.”
Shit. Chance was head-over-heels for her. Brynn deserved someone who loved her fully and completely. There’s no way that she could go wrong with Chance. He loved her the way I loved River.
“If River were here, she’d crawl in bed with her.” I smiled sadly. “They’re small so they’d both fit.”
We all stared at each other. It was fucked up not having any clue of what my life would look like a few hours from now. Fate had grabbed me by the balls and refused to let go. Fuck fate.
I glanced at Jace and shifted in the seat. “So … Jace and I used the experimental hypnosis this morning,” I said to Chance.
Shock registered on his features. “Fuck. Why?”
“He’s a glutton for punishment,” Jace added, frowning at me. “Brynn would have never allowed it.”
I stroked the back of her hand with the pad of my thumb, willing her to wake up and glare at me. Maybe if we talked about it, it would fire her up, and those green eyes would narrow in my direction.
“I had to use the ice again.” Jace kissed Brynn’s knuckles.
“Did it help? I mean the hypnosis, not the ice. That too, but we had to use that last time.” Chance leaned over and propped his elbows on his knees.
Dryness seized my throat. I wasn’t sure I wanted to discuss all the details in front of Brynn, but if she could understand what we were saying, she’d kick me if I didn’t continue.
Brynn’s heart monitor beeped in the background as the tension in the room grew. I was so fucking exhausted I wasn’t sure how I was functioning.
“Jace can tell you.” I nodded at Jace.
“I found my notes from the first time Holden went under. It was a similar experience, but this time there was a lot more detail.”
