Page 97 of Never and Always
My hands gripped his flannel shirt, then a sob ripped free.
“There you go.”
I pressed my face to his neck and cried. He held on, not once letting me go.
My sobs had finally died away when I heard the ambulance sirens. The vehicle screamed into the entrance. I vaguely noted that a crowd had gathered at the hotel entrance. Tessa and Ro were there, trying to encourage people back inside.
With Everett’s help, I rose on shaky legs. I watched a male and female paramedic check Chance over. I pressed my curled fist against my chest.Please be okay.
They loaded him onto a stretcher and then into the back of the ambulance.
“I should go with him?—”
“No, babe. They can only take one person with them, and you aren’t steady enough. I’ll take you to the hospital.”
I looked up into his hazel eyes. They were steady, fully focused on me. “You’re always there for me.”
He wrapped his arm around me. “Always, big city. Now, I want you to wait here with Caden while I bring my truck around.”
There wasa steady beep of a machine.
I sat in the uncomfortable chair beside the hospital bed, my hand holding my brother’s limp one. He lay there, unmoving. The doctors and nurses had stitched and bandaged his wounds.They’d cleaned him up. Now he looked pale and small. And young.
I swallowed. “Chance…I wish it hadn’t come to this.” I squeezed his fingers. “You need to be okay. You need to wake up.”
The police had come. That had all been a bit of a blur. But the very efficient Officer Sanchez had asked questions and taken notes in her notebook. I’d told her everything. The time for hiding any of this had long passed.
She’d promised they’d look for Hugo Corvo.
Everett appeared in the doorway, two takeout coffee cups in his hands. “Drink this.” He pushed one into my hand. “I won’t say it’s good, nor does it have oat milk in it, but it’s hot.”
With a faint smile, I took it. When I sipped, I winced. It was a long way from good.
“Three stab wounds,” I said dully. “Multiple contusions.” I swallowed the growing lump in my throat. “And a head wound and concussion. Everett, what if he doesn’t wake up?”
His hand curled around my shoulder. “The doctors said it’s too early to know anything. He needs to rest and heal.” He took my coffee and set both cups on the table beside the bed. Then he tugged me out of the chair and into his arms.
I wrapped my arms around him, pressed my cheek to his chest, and absorbed his warmth. I realized now how cold I’d been.
“I don’t know if I should tell Mom and Gram.”
“Let’s leave that until tomorrow. He’s stable for now. There’s nothing else they could do tonight except worry.”
I nodded.
“Let’s get these hands washed.” He gripped mine in his. Mine were still stained with Chance’s blood. “Then we’ll sit with him for a bit longer.” He tipped my face up. “But once visiting hours are over, we’re going back to the hotel.”
I shook my head. “No, I?—”
“You’ve been here for hours, Piper. And there’s nothing else you can do for him. The best thing is to eat and stay rested. So you aren’t dragging when he does wake up.”
If he woke up. I chewed on my lip.
Everett lowered his head and gave me a quick kiss.
My heart gave a quick rap against my ribs. Having him here, supporting me, I was getting far too used to it. I’d been shocked to feel glad when we’d returned to Windward. Happy to be back at the hotel. Thrilled to be back in my bed with Everett beside me.
I swallowed. I knew what that meant. That when I left, and all this was gone, it would hurt like hell.
