Right as Raine (Aster Valley #1) - Lucy Lennox Page 0,107

Mikey. Just as a precaution, though.”

I blew out a breath and tried to relax now that I knew no one was in a life-or-death situation. But arriving there was still stressful. Was there anyone on earth who didn’t get nervous in hospitals? Medical professionals, presumably. But the rest of us, especially those of us who had careers based on staying injury-free, had visceral reactions to the sights and sounds. I was certainly not immune. But never had I expected my next trip to a hospital to be for someone else—for Mikey.

Gent led me to his room and held the door for me.

Mikey was tiny in the bed. One side of his face was covered in bruises and scratches, and a purple cast covered his left arm and part of his hand.

His eyes moved to me when I let out an unexpected sound of relief. He was here. He was alive. He was talking.

“Tiller?” He sounded like he didn’t believe it was really me. I advanced on him, trying to figure out how to grab him up and hold him tight without hurting him.

As I came closer, he realized it really was me. The sound he let out was almost feral, like a cry of pain and relief all mixed into one. He reached out his arms for me and burst into tears. Winter, who’d been holding his good hand, moved out of the way as I leaned in to wrap my arms around Mikey.

“Shh, I’m here. You’re okay, you’re okay,” I repeated against his ear. His entire body shook against me, and he winced when he tried to move. I carefully let him go and moved my hands to cup his face, smoothing tears away with my thumbs the same way Mopellei had done for me earlier. “I love you.”

Mikey’s eyes widened comically in surprise. “Wh-what?”

The band finally loosened from around my chest. I had everything I needed right here. “I love you so much. I’m in love with you.”

His gaze slid to the television on the wall, where I could see he had the game playing. “But…”

I gently angled him back to meet my eyes. “No buts. I don’t care about the game… or your father. He can send me to the moon for all I care. I’ll finish out the remainder of my contract and then reassess. With you.”

He cried into my neck while Winter and Gent moved toward the door. I waved them back. “Stay,” I said. “I want you to stay so I can thank you.”

Winter smiled. “Your parents went down to grab some coffee. Why don’t I go find them?”

My mom’s voice carried from the doorway. “No need, dear. We’re back.” Mom and Dad bustled into the room with trays full of coffee cups.

Dad went around to the other side of the bed and reached out to squeeze Mikey’s leg. “I thought you said you didn’t need Tiller here? Said you’d be fine without him. I distinctly remember hearing you telling Winter to make sure Tiller stayed in Buffalo for the game. And now here you are acting like he’s important or something.”

I could tell he was teasing Mikey, and seeing my dad smile down at Mikey with affection made me want to cry like a baby. At no point had I thought my father would second-guess my decision to leave the game. My dad may have loved football, but he loved his family more.

Mikey scoffed and moved his arm as if to point. “Moose, he’s important. Okay? I’ve been in love with your son for a long time. And you know that. I told you—” He winced and put his arm back down.

My heart went nuts at his confession, and I couldn’t hold back a grin. When Mikey caught it, he smiled through the pain and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, you big dummy. I love you. Don’t act so surprised.”

“But I am. And I can be surprised and happy at the same time,” I said.

His eyes turned soft. Maybe it was the pain meds, but I chose to believe it was love. “I love you,” he said again.

I leaned over and kissed him carefully before pulling back and meeting his eyes. “I love you, too. And I don’t like being apart.”

He shook his head and then smiled. “Me neither. But I have a plan.”

I had one, too, and I couldn’t wait to tell him all about it.

24

Mikey

I must have drifted off because when I woke up, the hospital room was much darker. Only a small