rest of the day in bed. I ignored all emails until that evening when I had to work, happy that Eli accepted my compromise. We agreed that I’d watch him the following day, getting some ideas on how to edit his show.
It wasn’t a great show. It was about cars and music, and three guys were just chatting about the topics. They were clearly close friends and got along, but it wasn’t interesting to me. Many of my client's work wasn’t my cup of tea, but I made the best product that I could.
When I arrived, I sat down in the studio and got my laptop ready to take notes. They greeted me, offering me a beer as I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I was here to work, not drink like I was a friend of theirs. That never worked out well.
In the break, we got to talking. They asked me if I had a girlfriend, and I admitted that I was getting married the following year. When they asked who I was engaged to, I decided to be honest and tell them it was a guy. They were the types to drink beer and watch sports, but that didn’t mean they were homophobic.
I was happy to find that they weren’t. In fact, they were quite happy for me, asking about the wedding and more about Hayden. I didn’t identify him by name since I was a private person by nature but talked about other things before they told me they were forever bachelors.
We got back to the show, and Eli broke down what he was looking for. I noted everything, telling him I’d do some editing to his liking. I saw that it was close to dinner, sending a message to Hayden to see if he wanted me to bring something home. He’d be home from work soon.
I waited for a response as I drove home, worried when there was nothing. I pulled over, ready to call someone at the apartments when my phone rang. I saw that it was Mari, answering quickly. “I was just about to call you.”
“I just heard from Becca that Hayden was in an accident.” Memories of the one that killed Ava’s real family flashed through my mind as I sucked in my breath. “He was just rear-ended. Nothing too serious, but they took him to the hospital for scans just to be safe.”
“Shit. The hospital around the corner from the apartment?” I asked, ready to go.
“Yep. Becca’s there already. She’s keeping me posted.” I ended the call and drove to the hospital with an eye in the mirror to make sure there were no cops behind me. I wasn’t driving the speed limit.
I parked in the lot, rushing into the ER to look for a familiar face. I saw Becca pacing, picking her out by her pink hair. “Becca.” She turned her head sharply, running over to me for a hug.
“The fucking idiot hit Hayden and pushed him right into a pole. The car is gone. Hay is going through these scans, and I’m stressed.”
“Fuck. He’s okay?” I asked as she pulled back with red eyes.
“Yes. I think so. They made me wait out here.” I wrapped an arm around her to take her to the seats.
“It’s going to be okay,” I promised her, hoping that I was right.
Jackson and Amy showed up as a doctor walked out. “Family of Hayden Calling?”
“Here,” I called out as we all gathered in a group.
“He doesn’t have any broken bones, but his neck twisted pretty well. He might have a concussion, so we want to keep him here overnight for observation.” The man read off a tablet before looking up at us.
“Can someone stay with him?” I asked as Becca squeezed my arm.
“He will be checked into a room with a chair. It isn’t comfortable, but it’s a place to sit.” I nodded, and he smiled at me. “You’re family?”
“I’m his husband,” I lied as the Doctor nodded.
“Wait here. I’ll let you know when he’s in the room,” He walked away, and I pulled Becca to me for a hug.
“I’m sorry. Did you want to stay?” I asked as she laughed weakly.
“I need to help Mari with the baby, so no. Just keep me posted because I won’t be sleeping.” She assured me.
“Yeah, man. Tell him we’re thinking about him.” Jackson clapped me on the back as Amy sniffled beside him.
“Wait with me until I go back?” I asked as Becca nodded against