“Bleeding, incoherence, nausea or double vision, balance issues and confusion. She will need to be watched closely and checked on often.”
Grady gave one stiff nod. “That won’t be a problem.”
It won’t? He could barely look at me but he was taking responsibility for my physical well-being for the next twenty-four hours? It didn’t make any sense. “Grady that’s not necessary,” I started but he cut me off.
“It’s done,” he practically growled in my direction even as he still only glanced in my general direction, his gaze never actually met mine. “When will Margot be discharged?”
The doctor looked concerned but he hid it well with a nod and a professional smile. “It will take a few hours but no more than three or four until she’s fully discharged with instructions for care.”
Grady nodded and stood in the corner beside the window with his arms folded, a blank expression on his face that bordered on angry. As soon as the doctor exited the room, Grady was practically on his heels. “I’ll be back soon.”
He didn’t look back, didn’t ask me how I was feeling or even spare one glance for me and I’m pretty sure that I’ve ruined things between us completely.
There’s nothing that can be done in the moment so I wait for something, for anything to happen. For the next four hours I sat in bed and waited. And waited.
And waited.
Chapter 24
Grady
Damn stubborn woman, Margot was. I should have known she would find a reason to screw up the modicum of peace we had going between us. We were doing fine, more than fine. Hell, better than fine. Between the sex and the way she was letting me be there for her, I should have known that it was all temporary. Margot was who she was and though she would kill me for saying so, she was apparently too old to change.
So why in the hell was I inside her house and packing bags of clothing and toiletries and other creature comforts to make her happy while she was on concussion watch? Because I was clearly a glutton for punishment. But she was the mother of my children and she needed someone to look after her, to make sure she was all right which would mean that my babies were all right, so I took the bags to my house and set her up in the second guest room. I made sure her clothes were hung up, the toiletries were set up in the bathroom and I put the small fridge in the garage in her room and filled it with sparkling water and ginger ale. Margot would have everything she needed to stay at my place until she was feeling better, whatever in the hell that meant.
When I was satisfied the guest room was good enough, I returned to the hospital tired and angry and in no mood to stick with social niceties. The nurses smiled as they gave me verbal and written instructions on how to care for Margot for the next twenty-four hours and I tried to smile back but it felt more like a grimace.
Mama was in Margot’s room and they were laughing and smiling when I pushed inside the hospital room and my presence stopped them cold. “Ready to go?”
Margot nodded and looked around the room. “Um, yes. I think so.”
I held up a bag and dropped it on the foot of her bed. “I brought you a change of clothes.”
“Thanks,” she said, surprised that an asshole like me would do anything kind for her.
“Yep.” I waited in the hall until Mama’s hand squeezed my shoulder.
“Take it easy on her Grady. She’s emotional and confused and she needs you more than you realize.”
“She doesn’t need me for a damn thing Mama and that’s fine. Those babies will need me and that’s my focus.” And as soon as they arrived safely in this word, Margot and I could maintain an even greater, even cooler distance.
“You’re wrong,” she sighed. “I just hope you two figure it out before there’s too much between you to bridge the gap.” She shook her head and went back inside Margot’s hospital room and I stayed where I was.
Inside the car Mama chatted up Margot the whole ride home, laughing it up as if she hadn’t nearly died and taken my babies with her. I could feel the weight of Margot’s gaze on me, curious and almost pleading for me to glance at her, to give her another minute of my attention.
I refused to give in. All I had to offer was what she needed in the moment, someone to watch her overnight.
Nothing more.
“Where are we going,” Margot asked in an almost stammering voice.
“To my place. For now.” I pulled into the driveway and helped Margot inside and up the stairs to the guest room. I was a good man and I didn’t need to keep trying to prove it to her, so I was done trying. Margot would never believe it and that was on her, not me.