Chapter Thirty-One
Jordan
I gasp as I sit up in the bed, but restraining hands hold me back down.
“Where is she?” I shout as bright lights are shined into my eyes.
“Calm down, Mr. Chen. She’s right beside you,” the doctor says, but I can’t see from being blinded by the lights.
“They moved Jay in here a few hours ago,” a soft voice says, and I realize it’s my dad’s.
“Is she okay?” I ask as tears fall down my cheeks. “Tell me she’s okay.”
“She’s fine. She’s asleep right now. She had a bad bump on the head, and they’re waking her every few hours. She’s got a broken wrist, but it’s a clean break, and they’ve already bandaged her up.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, and I feel his hand in mine.
“Would you like to know about your injuries now, Mr. Chen?” the doctor says, and I hear my dad laugh. I nod, and she continues. “You had a through-and-through on your left shoulder. You’re very lucky. A few more inches lower and it would have punctured a lung. We had to go in to remove some of the fragments, but you should make a full recovery. With some physical therapy, you’ll be back to normal in a few weeks.”
“Thank you,” I say and close my eyes. “Did you treat my Jay, too?”
“Yes.” There’s a smile in her voice. “I treated Miss Rose’s injuries as well.”
“Then you saved me twice.”
“From what the nurses tell me, you would have burned the hospital to the ground if I didn’t.”
I open my eyes and look at her in confusion.
“Even in your drugged state you demanded that she be treated by a woman and brought in here for safekeeping. I can’t say that I liked the bossing around, but your dad is a sweetheart, so we accommodated your wishes.”
“I should apologize?” I ask it as a question, because I don’t really want to. But since she took care of my love, I could muster one up.
“Just get some rest. You’re on some heavy pain meds for the next twenty-four hours. Enjoy the ride.”
She speaks to my father and then looks over Jay’s chart before leaving the room. A nurse comes in after her and goes to Jay’s bed to speak to her in a low voice.
I watch as Jay stirs and then moans my name. It makes every protective instinct in me reach for her, and I look to my pop with pleading eyes.
“I’ll take care of it, son,” he says, and nods.
He walks over to the nurse and speaks to her. She looks at me and then back to Jay and nods. Walking around the bed, she clicks the wheels and then slides her bed over right next to mine. She lowers the arms that separate us, and I reach out, holding her hand in mine.
“Jay. Wake up, little bird,” I whisper, and I feel her tense before her eyes open and she sees me.
She bursts into tears, and I pull her close to me as gently as I can.
“Shhh. Don’t cry. I’m here. We’re safe, baby. It’s over.”
“I thought I’d lost you,” she sobs, and I try to calm her down.
“I’m right here. You’re in my arms, and I’m never letting you go again.”
“What happened?” she asks and leans back a little to look at me.
“Spencer is dead,” Paige says from the doorway, and she walks in with Ryan on her heels. “The doctor said you were awake, so I wanted to come in and check on you.”
Summer walks in behind them, and she looks much better than the two of us. Summer goes to her sister’s side and leans down, kissing her on the cheek.
“Are you okay?” Jay asks her, and she nods.
“Yeah. Just a bit traumatized, but physically I’m good. They checked me over and released me within a few hours.” She glances at me. “Thank you for saving my big sister, and for saving my life, too.”
I nod, knowing there was no other choice. I had to save Jay or my life would have ended with hers.
“Do we have to call the cops or something?” Jay asks, breaking the sad moment, and Ryan smiles at her.
“We’re all good.”
I nod, knowing some of Ryan’s background. He’s got connections that go deeper than even I know, so I’m sure whatever took place at the cabin has all been wiped clean.
“The team wanted to come in and hang out, but we knew you guys might need some time. We’ll be back in a couple of hours. I’ll bring food.” Paige winks at Jay and then squeezes my arm.
“I think food sounds good. I’ll go with you,” Pop says and stands next to Paige. I see Ryan pull her back away from him a little and narrow his eyes on my old man. I can’t stop the smile that pulls at my mouth.
“You can sit in the back with me,” Summer says, and puts her arm in the crook of his.
“She better be careful. He’s a charmer,” Jay says, and we say our goodbyes and she snuggles closer to me.
She’s careful not to touch my bandages and to keep her wrist elevated as she wraps her body around me.
“I was so scared,” I admit. “I was terrified of losing you.”
“Me too.”
“Don’t ever do that to me again.” I look down at her and wait for her eyes to meet mine. “Don’t you ever run from me again.”
“Never,” she says, and I see the promise in her eyes. “I was wrong not to go to you, but they had my sister, and I just panicked.”
I place a finger over her lips. “I know. I won’t ever allow another situation like this to happen again. You’ll be in my arms and under my protection for the rest of your life.”
“Promise?” she asks as she pulls my hand away and leans toward me.
“Promise,” I agree, and place my lips on hers.
The kiss is soft and warm and filled with promises of forever. I want to deepen it, to roll her onto her back and make love to her. To show Jay just how much I ached for her and how much she means to me. To make us alive and real as we connect. But we can’t. Not here, and not yet.
But very, very soon.