“Better hope you’re decent because I’m coming in,” I warn, giving her a few moments before I twist the handle and enter. She’s sprawled out on the floor right in front of her bed. She must’ve scraped her forearm on the nightstand when she fell because she’s bleeding, but it doesn’t look terrible. “Fuck, are you okay? Did you fall on your hip? Does it hurt?”
I kneel in front of her, grabbing her uninjured forearm and bringing my other hand up to her back to try to help her up. She’s drenched in sweat and burning up. The heat is practically radiating off her skin.
“Xander, goddamnit, I amfine,” she grits out as she stands up.
“You’re not fine,” I counter, tone firm. “You’ve got a fever and you just fell.”
“I tripped coming back from the bathroom. It’s not a big deal.”
“Even if that’s the case, you’re still burning up. I specifically remember the doctor saying something about that.”
Aunt Colette huffs out a disgruntled sigh as she sits on the edge of the bed, her blue eyes that match mine narrow as she glares at me. “Knock it off!” Brushing her hair out of her face, she drags in deep breaths. It’s clear she’s struggling. “I’m a grown woman, and when I say I’m fine, I mean I’m fucking fine. Now, get out of my room before I beat your ass.”
Taking a step back, I cross my arms over my chest, leveling her with my most serious, I-mean-business look. “No.”
“No?” She balks at that.
“Yeah, no. I’m not leaving. Either you get up and come with me to the emergency room now or I’m calling the ambulance, and you’ll have to pay that bill. The choice is yours. Either way, you’re going in.”
My aunt’s face twists up in annoyance as I watch her weigh her options in her head. Finally, she groans before standing up. “You’re such a little shit and a pain in my fucking ass. What the hell was I thinking asking you to come here anyway?”
“You were thinking that you needed help, and I’d have to agree. Now, move it, lady.”
“You keep talking, and I’ll hit you upside your pretty little head.”
“Yeah, if you don’t stroke out from the fever first.”
She throws me a scowl over her shoulder, and if I wasn’t so worried about her right now, I’d probably laugh. She’s insufferable. As soon as we get into the hallway, my gaze snags on Henry, who’s standing in the doorway to my room, eyes watching me questioningly.
“She’s got a fever and she’s not feeling well. I’m taking her to the emergency room,” I tell him. “You can stay here or come with.”
He nods. “I’ll come.”
10
XANDER DAWSON
For how sick my aunt is, it took us an awful long time to be seen at the ER. We’ve been here for a couple of hours now, and she’s finally back in a room, hooked up to IV antibiotics. The doctor used a whole lot of big words and terms I don’t know the meaning of, and won’t be pretending to, but the word I do understand:infection.
Apparently, it’s a risk with all types of surgery, and she’s just one of the unlucky ones who gets to experience it. After they got her hooked up with the antibiotics and something for the fever, she fell asleep. Probably exhausted after the fall, and I’m sure she’s going to have one hell of a bruise later.
Henry’s behind me on the couch by the window, while I’m sitting in a folding chair in front of her bed. I know he’s getting antsy and wanting to leave for the dinner he planned to take me to, but I don’t really feel comfortable leaving town—even if only to Cheyenne—while she’s sick in the hospital. Not to mention, I’m going to have to head home and do the evening chores soon. The animals need to eat, and I have to bring the horses in from the pasture.
Going out to dinner is the least of my concerns, but when I tell him that, he’s going to be pissed. I know he doesn’t mean to come off like a dick, but when he comes up with plans in his head, he has a really hard time straying from them. He doesn’t do well with change or things not going his way.
A phone rings behind me, startling me. I glance over my shoulder as Henry pulls it out of his pocket. He meets my gaze before standing. “I have to take this. It’s work.”
I nod but say nothing as he steps out into the hall. Glancing at my aunt, she’s peacefully asleep. Pressing the back of my hand to her forehead, it feels like the fever’s gone. With a relieved breath, I pull out my own phone, opening up social media. After scrolling for a few moments, my finger takes me to the one account I shouldn’t be looking at, but I can’t seem to help myself.
Cope’s.
There’re a couple of stories posted. A few from the gym, and then a few that were posted after. It looks like he’s at some diner, like maybe he went out to lunch after he worked out. One’s a selfie with him and Shooter, and the other is of his plate of food. I snort to myself at how basic the pictures are. I’m tempted to text him. We haven’t spoken much since he dropped me off the night he tried to kiss me. It was awkward, the drive home. When we parked at his place, he apologizedagain. I’m not sure if the silence is him giving me space, or him freaking out. Maybe both.
He is busy, though, too. The finals event he told me about in Vegas is less than a month away, so he’s been preparing every day. I’m not entirely sure what goes into training for something like that, but I know he’s at the gym a lot more than usual. So, between that, the almost-kiss, and Henry being in town, we just haven’t really crossed paths, but I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I didn’t want to.
Several minutes pass before Henry steps back into the room. He’s tucking his phone into the pocket inside his suit jacket,green eyes lifting to meet mine. “You about ready to get out of here? It sounds like she’s going to stay for at least the night, so we don’t need to be here. If we leave now, we can still make it to the restaurant.”
Releasing a sigh, I sit up straighter, preparing for the fight that’s bound to come.
