Page 412 of Seasons of Love
I put my hand on the back of his neck and made him look at me. “I wasn’t asking, Mal. I’m coming with you.”
He stared at me, still looking confused, but I didn’t miss how his shoulders lost a little of the tension they were holding.
The hospital was busy, as expected. We went straight to the reception desk, which fortunately didn’t have a line of people in front of it.
“Hi, I’m here for Griffin Prescott. I’m his husband, Mallory Prescott.”
The girl behind the desk looked at her computer.
“Oh yes, he’s in one of the rooms on the second floor.” Then she looked at me. “I’m afraid we only allow spouses or next of kin.”
Mal looked at me.
“That’s okay. I’ll wait here,” I said.
“No, he can come in,” Mal said.
The receptionist let out an annoyed sigh, but Mal interrupted her before she could say anything.
“He’s our boyfriend and next of kin. Griff will be really upset if he can’t see Jake.”
The girl opened her mouth and closed it again, opting instead to point toward the hallway that led to the elevator. “Room fifteen.”
My brain struggled to catch up with what Mal had said and then totally gave up the fight when he took my hand and pulled me away from the reception desk.
When we were alone in the elevator, he took my other hand and brought them both up to his chest.
“Don’t ask me to explain what I just did, Jake. I can’t. All I know is that I need you right now.” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes before opening them again. There was so much vulnerability and fear in his gaze.
I smiled and shook my head. “I can’t understand it either, Mal. But I’m here. I’m here for you both.”
He kissed my cheek. As soon as the doors to the elevator opened, we were out like lightning looking for room fifteen. Considering the size of the hospital, it didn’t take long.
Griff looked so small, lying on the bed with his eyes closed. He wasn’t connected to any machines, which I took as a good thing.
Mal took the side of the bed Griff’s head was turned to, and I took the other side.
He ran his hand over Griff’s hair and kissed his forehead.
“I’m home, baby,” he said gently. I felt like an intruder, and the coldness that seeped through my bones after we’d had sex months ago came back to me. Except this time, it was worse. Because now I knew them.
The room was silent, and all I could hear were the noises of machines, people talking, and activity outside.
Mal reached out his hand. I looked at it, unsure of what he wanted but held my hand out. He took it and then placed both our hands over Griff’s.
In the silence of the room, both my heart and Mal’s gesture were louder than a firework display.
But fireworks were nothing compared to looking at Griff’s beautiful face as he woke up, saw both Mal and me, and smiled as if everything was finally right.
11
GRIFF
My head felt like it had an army of tiny people trapped inside, trying to escape by chiseling away at my skull.
There was a warm weight on my hands. It was grounding, reassuring, and it meant I was no longer at the beach, trapped between the rocks.
That memory made my head hurt more, so I pushed it away and forced my eyes to open so I could see for myself that I really wasn't at the beach anymore.
