Page 46 of The Downside of Love
But none of that matters because the man sitting by my bed, desperately holding my hand and trying to inch as close to me as possible, needs comforting. He needs reassurance that everything is going to be okay.I’m a little surprised by his concern to be honest. He looks agonized. For me.
“I’m okay, Stryder. I’m going to be okay. You don’t need to worry.”
He bites his bottom lip and nods. Clearing his throat, he asks, “Can I get you anything?”
“I could use some water, and I should probably call my mom.”
“Yeah, you should. She’s devastated she can’t be here with you. I’ll step out and give you some privacy to talk to her.” Standing, he lets go of my hand but not before leaning forward and placing a chaste kiss on my forehead, surprising me. When he lifts back up, he backs away, pulling on his neck, and scanning my body on the bed. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
I nod. “I’m okay, Stryder.”
“Okay.” With that, he stuffs his hands in his pockets and walks out of my hospital room.
Confused, I pick up my phone from the table next to me and call my mom. She answers immediately.
“Stryder, is everything okay?”
“Mom, it’s me.”
“Oh honey!” There is a joyful tearfulness to my mom’s voice. “You’re awake.”
“Yeah, just woke up.”
“How are you?”
“Okay. A little groggy, but the pain is gone, thank God.”
My mom chuckles. “I would hope so. Oh, you gave us quite the scare. I’m assuming Stryder told you what happened?”
“Yeah, my appendix ruptured.”
“Yes. At first I had no idea what was happening. I saw you in Stryder’s arms as he sprinted across the track, going straight to the parking lot. He called me immediately, telling me that you were throwing up and looked pale as a ghost. He rushed you to the hospital. The doctor said if he’d gone any slower, things could have been so much worse for you. He acted quickly and saved your life, Rory.”
I sit there, the blood draining from my face, realization hitting me hard. “He sprinted?”
“Yes, sweetie. I’ve never seen a man run so fast in my entire life. And he’s been so sweet the entire time, calling me and giving me updates, letting me know that you’re okay. I don’t know what I would have done if he wasn’t there, with your dad being out of town. He . . . he saved you, Rory. He saved our family. And I’m not being dramatic when I say that. A ruptured appendix . . . We’re lucky he was there and took action.”
“I had no clue.”
“I think he was just as freaked out as I was. There were a few times when I had to remind him to take deep breaths while you were in surgery. He cares for you, sweetie.”
Cares for me. . . really?
I know he’s appreciative of me, for allowing him to stay at my place, and I like to believe we are friends, but for him to truly care for me, especially after our conversation last night . . . that’s harder for me to comprehend.
“He can be so brash at times,” I say out loud. “So ornery and unwilling to even talk to me. I don’t understand.”
My mom lets out a long breath before saying, “From what I could tell on the phone, he doesn’t have a lot of people in his life.Youare one of few he actually cares about. He was terrified something was going to happen to you, Rory. Several times, his voice broke while speaking to me. If there is one thing I learned today, it’s that Stryder is not only a good man, but he has a beautiful heart, a heart that you hold a piece of.”
* * *
There is a light knock at the door and then Stryder appears, a bag in hand, a concerned look on his face. “Hey, is it okay if I come in?”
“Of course. Got off the phone with my mom a while ago. She told me to thank you.”
He shrugs and comes to sit on the chair next to the bed. Reaching into the bag, he takes out a water bottle and hands it to me at the same time he spots the water the nurses just brought in for me.
“Uh, looks like I was a little late. Sorry. I wanted to make sure I gave you enough time to talk to your mom.”
