“Sorry to interrupt.” The nurse walks into the room, skirting the bed to stop before the heart monitors on the other side. “It’s time to check the patient. And you—” She gives me a one-second glance. “—have a visitor.”
“Me?”
She nods and turns her attention to the door.
I do the same, finding my brother standing there, face solemn, legs stiff.
“Oh, God, Sebastian.” I shove from my chair and rush to him, gently engulfing him in a hug.
He tenses, taking two seconds to relax into the embrace before returning the gesture. “Hey, Pen. I’m glad to see you, too.”
“Are you okay?” I inch away to look at him. “Have you seen Sarah?”
He eyes the nurse with suspicion. “She’s recovering. It takes a lot to knock the wind out of her sails.”
I step back, understanding his hint for subtlety.
“How’s he doing?” He jerks his chin toward the bed. “Did they give him the lobotomy I hoped for?”
“Very funny,” Luca growls.
The nurse chuckles. Sebastian gives a faint smirk. But something’s not right. I see more than weary exhaustion in his features.
“How’s your leg?”
“Flesh wound. It’ll heal.”
“Then there’s something else. What’s wrong?”
He shrugs. “Nothin’. I just, ahh…” He rubs the back of his neck. “I thought with your enforcer laid flat you might want some additional support.”
I nod. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re here.”
He cringes, meeting my gaze. “Pen, I wasn’t talking about me.”
“Then what do you mean?” I lower my voice. “What’s going on?”
He pauses, the silence growing tense. My heart beats double time, drawing out the quiet. It isn’t until his nose crinkles in apology that I understand. Without words or action, I know exactly what he’s done before he says, “Mom and Dad are waiting at the entrance to the ward.”
I hold my breath against the arrhythmia.
“Jesus Christ, Decker,” Luca snarls. “Are you a fucking idiot? You can’t dump this on—”
“It’s all right.” I shoot him a forced smile. “I’m okay.”
I am.
Really.
I can handle this. I can face my parents.
I’ll walk right up to them and say hello. We’ll hug… and cry… and…
Oh, God. I can’t do this. I can’t see them without losing myself. Without releasing my thin grip on stability.
“Sir, you need to rest,” the nurse demands. “Sir, please.”
I blink out of my panic to see Luca flinging back the covers in an attempt to climb from the bed.
“Stop,” I beg. “Please. I can do this.”
It’s a lie.
I can’t do this. I don’t know how.
“I’m coming with you,” he growls.
“No. I should do this on my own.”
It’s another lie.
I need him. I’ll always need him.
But there’s no escaping this reunion. And I owe it to my parents to have it take place in relative privacy.
“Trust me.” I give him a genuine smile. “It’s time.”
His hand clutches tight to the bedsheet, the intensity in his features never wavering. “You sure?”
I nod.
“I love you,” he vows. “And I’m right here if you need me.”
The swooping roll of my insides returns. “I love you, too. With everything I am, I love you.”
Sebastian clears his throat, the sound awkward as he rubs my arm. “You don’t have to do this now. As far as Mom and Dad are concerned, they’re here because I needed to see someone about this pulled muscle in my thigh.” He winks. “They’re not expecting you. They still don’t know.”
The chance of escape brings relief. Temporary, misguided relief.
I can’t put this off forever.
“I’m doing this.” I nod to convince myself. “Take me to them.”
My pulse beats erratically in my throat, the rhythm and severity increasing as Sebastian leads me from the room and into the hall.
The ward is quiet, the early morning hour making my surroundings desolate.
“Do they know what happened last night?” I ask.
“No. Once I left the party, Keira took them to their hotel. They’re just as clueless as they’ve ever been. But your car accident is starting to hit the news. I caught sight of a sketchy video on the television an hour ago.”
My legs grow heavy with each step, the building throb in my veins becoming too much.
Then I see him—my dad.
He stands on the other side of the open ward doors, his attention focused on something out of view, the glow of the sunrise highlighting his face.
My feet stop of their own accord. I can’t move any farther.
“It’s okay,” Sebastian whispers. “It’s all going to be okay.”
It doesn’t feel that way. My body is in overdrive, my thoughts and fears colliding into a mass of hysteria.