“That would be awesome.”
Guilt swarmed me. Would Lexie want me to tell him she was in the hospital? I didn’t know. Only that she’d expect me to do whatever was necessary to protect him.
“I’ll speak to you soon.”
“Okay.”
The line went dead.
It wasn’t that long ago that the only people in my life I had to call were Teague, Beau, and Daniel. Their voices hardly ever held the excitement Eric’s did . . . like I was someone worthy. Like his entire day was better because we’d talked.
I hadn’t thought I needed that sort of affirmation. Turned out I liked it.
If I could have anything at this very moment, it would be strawberry ice cream on the sofa with a woman in a cotton ball sweatshirt, a guy who made the best of any situation, and two demanding dog-treat hogs.
I’d stopped looking forward to anything. There was a certain value to living in the moment I wouldn’t give up, but the possibility of a future that was better than today was . . . something that had seemed out of reach.
Now I had a reason to do my damnedest to stay out of jail. A reason to think beyond today, beyond Teague and Beau’s happiness.
What if I could be happy too?
Or at least try to be.
I wasn’t entirely sure what that looked like, but lately I’d had a better idea. And peeling carrots would’ve never occurred to me.
Was it selfish of me to think of these things while Lexie was lying unconscious just down the hall?
If anything happened to her—I couldn’t think of that. Couldn’t understand the unsettled feeling it brought.
Sure, I’d been concerned for Teague every time he went into a burning building. And I worried for Beau being alone so far away from home. Those things had kept me up at night on more than one occasion.
But this . . . the helplessness. The desperation.
It had been festering for hours. I was used to high stress situations, but none of them compared to waiting in a hospital with bated breath for Lexie to return to me.
I was completely at the mercy of the medical staff and a higher power I was more than willing to beg to save her.
The only person to ever control me had been my father. Now I seemed to be nothing but a puppet.
“Want a cup of coffee?” One appeared in front of me.
I turned and shook my head at Daniel. “No. Thanks.”
“My contact reached his person inside the department. The other inmates say Lexie was just standing there, almost in a trance. She screamed, then passed out. No one touched her, though I’d suggest a drug test to rule out that possibility too.”
I’d seen her like that once before. She’d had a panic attack, and I’d been there for her to lean on. She hadn’t wanted me then.
Did she want me now?
I cleared my throat. “I’ll speak to the doctor.”
Father strode over and slung an arm over my shoulder. “You okay?”
I hated the show for the outside world. He was the caring father. The best friend.
I scowled.
The asshole.
Did he honestly believe Daniel and Zegas didn’t see right through his act?
When I didn’t answer quickly enough for his liking, he squeezed my shoulder hard.
“Fine.”
A stupid question didn’t deserve more than one word that wasn’t the truth.
“Good.” He slapped my back and pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket. He shook it. “I should take this. It might be happy news for you.”
At his mercy. Always.
Now Lexie was too.
I glared at his back as he walked away. He had the connections. He knew I hadn’t done what I’d been accused of. Which begged the question: Why hadn’t he made my legal problems disappear?
Chapter Nine
Lexie
My head feels like a grenade exploded inside it . . . twice.
I pried my eyes open. Immediately Lincoln filled my vision. Nothing else was recognizable.
“Am I in jail?”
His head jolted up. He pushed to his feet, relief in every deep-set line around his eyes.
“How do you feel?” He brushed my cheek with the barest touch, as if he were afraid I’d break.
“Still no hello.” My voice was scratchy like I hadn’t used it in a while.
“I’ve got a hello for you, but not until I’m sure you’re all right,” he growled.
I snickered. Pain shot through my skull. I winced and grabbed the back of my head and rubbed.
“What’s wrong?” Lincoln’s expression went super serious, even for him.
“My head . . . it doesn’t feel so hot.”
“I’ll go get the doctor.” He was halfway to the door before he finished speaking.
“No. Stay.” I’d wanted to say that to him before but hadn’t had the courage. I hurt too badly to give a damn now.
He glanced between me and the exit, an obvious war going on inside him.
I lifted my arm and realized they weren’t bound by cuffs. My outstretched hand seemed to make the decision for him.
He laced my fingers through his.
“Eric?”
I’d surmised I was in a hospital—definitely not a jail cell—but had no idea how or why I was here.
“He’s with Beau. We didn’t tell him you’re here. I didn’t know what you’d want, but I figured he’d been through enough today.” He tightened his hold.
“You did the right thing.” I took in his appearance. “Weren’t you wearing that . . . um . . . how long have I been here?”
There were no windows in the room. The lighting was dim, giving the illusion of nighttime. For all I knew it was noon.
He checked his wristwatch without letting go of my hand. “Nearly two a.m. You’ve been here six hours.”
“I don’t remember what happened.”
He furrowed his brow. “I think you had a panic attack and blacked out.”
“For six hours?” I dug through my brain, trying to think back, but it hurt too much.
“You hit your head on concrete.” He sounded angry, though I wasn’t sure if it was at the concrete, or the situation in general, or me.
I turned my head to one side, trying to relieve the pressure from pressing the back into the pillow.
“Are you uncomfortable?” The anger from a moment ago had softened into concern.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Had they given me pain meds or truth serum?
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
We stared at each other a while, the silence a nice companion. I remembered being at the kitchen, how distant and withdrawn he’d become the closer the time came for me to go to jail. But he hadn’t left me. And he was still here.
The only support who had come remotely close to that had been living an ocean away for what seemed like forever. It was odd to have backup when I’d grown so used to shouldering the burden alone.
“What would I have done without you?” Without Lincoln and Beau, Eric would be in some strange place and if I ever regained custody, it could’ve been months or years. While I was still worried about him, at least I knew he was safe and loved.
“I’ve done nothing but be scared.” There was a bitterness, yet openness, in his words.