I let my eyes close after she left, then a throat cleared, and I opened them to see Stone in the doorway with a gift bag in one hand and a grocery sack in the other.
Chapter Thirteen
Stone
Sebastian looked fragile lying in a hospital bed, stripped of the camouflage his sleek good looks and weaponized charm provided. Here was the wounded wolf cub I’d seen the day I’d met him laid bare.
Though his cheeks were scraped and his jaw swollen, he was still so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. Pale hair lay limply across his forehead, and lashes any girl would kill for rested in the bruised half circles under his eyes.
I cleared my throat as I stepped inside the room.
His eyes opened.
“Molly said I should come up, but if you need to sleep—”
“Just resting my eyes.” He glanced down. “Where’s Morrigan?”
“I had to leave her outside with Molly. She’ll be okay for a bit.”
“Isn’t she a service animal?” He tried to rise but didn’t get far without his arms to aid him.
“Here, let me.” I pushed the button to raise his head. “They have strict rules about animals in hospitals.”
“I was hoping to see her.”
“She’d like to see you too. Sorry to disappoint either of you.” I wished she was there now.
He blinked slowly. “I thought you couldn’t leave Hades and Persephone. Where—”
“They’re fine.” I stepped closer. “Ariel sent someone from the sanctuary to take over for me on the show.”
His brow furrowed. “Because of me?”
“Indirectly.” I put the bags on the cot next to Sebastian and sat. “Ariel knew I shouldn’t be on this job more than a few days. I’m not interested in managing the hybrids’ social media feeds. When they asked for the extension, the money was too good to turn down, so of course we had to take it, but I was personally horrified by what it would mean.”
He smiled. “I was so glad you were staying.”
“Are you doing okay?” I leaned over the railing on the side of his bed. “Is there anything you need?”
“I’m okay for now. Glad to see you.”
“I had a pretty bad time for a while after they took you away,” I admitted. “There was a news helicopter overhead and the cops asked everyone questions. People were shouting orders and running around.”
And you have PTSD. “Oh no.”
“Morrigan more than earned her keep. She helped find you. Did you know that?”
He nodded. “Molly told me.”
“She led us from the golf cart to the bluffs where she stopped and barked her head off. I looked over the edge. My God. There you were.”
“I love Morrigan so much.” Sebastian bit his chapped lower lip. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You scared her.” I couldn’t help admonishing him. “She’s not a search and rescue dog. She was extremely upset by what happened. We both were. It looked like you tried to—”
“I’m sorry, Stone.” He turned his face away. “Sorry that I upset Morrigan.”
“Just Morrigan?”
He made a choked sound. “Sorry I made things so hard for you.”
“Sebastian. You can’t do that ever again,” I whispered. “You came so close.”
He didn’t know I could see the real Sebastian and not the flawless, no-fucks-to-give face he presented to everyone else. He didn’t know I had insight into his mind because I recognized the damage left by trauma since I had my own, but he must have had some sense of my feelings because instead of saying he’d been too wasted to know what he was doing, instead of making excuses, he nodded solemnly.
“I promise. I won’t do anything like that ever again.”
I had no choice but to take him at his word. “I got you some things.”
I pulled the fruit and cookies I’d gotten out of the bag and placed them on the rolling table next to the bed.
“I don’t know if you need this but—” I held out the gift bag.
“’Fraid you’ll have to open it for me.”
His arms looked like fat sausages wrapped and bandaged. On one, the dressing carried above the elbow.
“They’re both broken?” I winced. “I thought they must be.”
“My left arm needs surgery. The right is just a single fracture.”
“Okay. Here.” I pulled out the plush rainbow throw first. “It’s got sleeves and a hood, but I guess they’re not practical right now.”
“Oh my God.” He giggled. “You got me a rainbow slanket. I love it. It’s totally great. Thank you.”
“I’ll just lay it over you until you can move around and put your arms through the sleeves.” I spread the soft furry thing over him. It wasn’t long enough to cover his feet, but I’d thought of that.
“I got you some socks too.” I pulled them from the bag.
“Are those Muppets?” He must have had good drugs on board because he giggled again. “They are! Where did you even find this stuff?”
“The store.” He didn’t have to know how many stores Morrigan and I had gone to before I’d found them. He didn’t have to know the care with which I’d chosen them.
At first, I was furious after the accident, then all I could think about was how small Sebastian had looked when they’d loaded him into the ambulance. How pale and how cold his skin had seemed.
I felt guilty, even though I had nothing to do with what happened. I felt like I could have done something, said something, but didn’t.
It was crazy, this connection I felt to him. I understood him, and whatever had gone wrong, I’d failed to notice how much pain he was in.
It was like a fresh wound, seeing him like this.
A new failure.
“Serena always complained about how cold hospitals are. Let me put these on you.” He had socks on—the kind that have little gumdrop dots on the bottom. I put the ones I bought him under those and covered his feet. “She’s always cold. If you get too warm, let me know.”
“It’s the nicest I’ve felt since I got here. Something about knowing you brought these for me…”
“Your poor face.” Bruises had blossomed since I’d seen him last. There were scrapes on his cheekbones.
“It’s fine, really.”
“They giving you good painkillers?”
He nodded. “They knock me out, though. I’ve done nothing but sleep since I got here.”
“Maybe it’s better that way.”
His stomach growled loudly. We both laughed.
I saw that someone left a yogurt on his nightstand with a spoon, so I felt it to see if it was still cool.
“They just brought that before you came.”
“You want it?” I tore off the lid and picked up the spoon. “I can help.” I scooped a bit of yogurt out and brought it to his mouth.
“I did not see this coming.” He smiled wryly before taking a bite.
“Good?”
“Heavenly.” He rolled his eyes. “I haven’t eaten since Saturday.”