He grins big and wide before hooking his thumb over his shoulder. “Do you want me to leave to sort it out?”
“Please.” I crack a smile, and even though it hurts, I don’t care because it’s been way too long since I saw Evan, and as they’re only letting me see my emergency contact or lawyer, it means that I get to tell him.
Damn… how do I tell him?
Luke refused to let me drive back to the warehouse in the state that I was in when we left the hospital and to be honest, I didn’t have the fight in me to refuse when he took the keys from me and demanded I get in the passenger side of my own car. So I let him drive us back there while many emotions ran through me at an alarming rate. Sadness. Frustration. Anger. But most of all fear.
Fear of losing Lexi.
The drive went both too fast and too slow, and now, eight hours later, none of us have slept but we have a whole load of research done. Lexi’s uncle—Aaron Deacon—being the main source.
I lean back in my chair, stretching my arms over my head as I shake it to ward off the tiredness before opening my eyes and staring at my cell. I’ve only had messages from him, telling me that he’ll call me when she’s awake.
“She’s going to pull through,” Kay says, coming to stand beside me and placing her hand on my shoulder.
I look up into her eyes, seeing the truth there. “I… I hope so. If she doesn’t…” My voice cracks on the last word and my hands clench into fists.
“She will. She’s strong—”
The blaring of my cell cuts her off and I feel all eyes swing my way. My breathing picks up, my chest rising and falling as I see Pop’s name on the screen.
I hesitate. What if… what if she hasn’t pulled through? What if it was worse than he said? What if—
“Evan.” Ty’s gruff voice has my head snapping up. “Answer the call.” His eyes search mine, and I know that he can see it there. The fear.
My hand unclenches and I reach forward, gingerly picking it up and swiping the screen to answer the call.
“Pop?”
“Evan.” There’s a rush of air as he lets out a breath. “You need to come back.”
My heart beats harder in my chest, an anchor sinking to the bottom of my stomach. “What?”
“You need to come back, son.” Oh, God, this is it. “She’s awake, she’s asking for you.”
The anchor swings back up, releasing me. “I—what?”
His deep chuckle sounds over the line. “Come to the hospital, son. Lexi made you her emergency contact.”
His words vibrate through me, slowly sinking in as I stand up, my eyes wide and swinging between everyone that is in the warehouse. I see all of the questions in their eyes that are shadowed with tiredness.
“I’m on my way.” I end the call, standing there for several seconds before I finally open my mouth and say, “She’s awake.”
They all seem to expel a breath at the same time and I can’t stop the smile that quirks up the corner of my lips.
They all care about her, she’s part of the family now and she doesn’t even know.
“You heading there now?” Luke asks.
“Yeah.” I nod my head, taking a step away from the table.
“I’ll come with.” At the questioning raised brow that I give him, he says, “I left my car there last night.”
/> Oh, yeah.
I don’t say another word as I back out of the warehouse and to my car, Luke on my heels before I spin out of there and head toward the hospital.
The drive there is silent, anticipation on my part but agitation on Luke’s. I can feel the tension in the air when his cell vibrates on his leg. He takes one look down at it before swinging his eyes to me and back down again as he hesitates.