"Yeah," Mason says, taking another deep breath. "I'm good."
"Are you okay?" Luc says concerned, coming up behind me. He rests his hand on the middle of my back. I’m acutely aware of all of them as they crowd around me.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I tell him.
"Do you mind if Alec has a look?" Luc asks and I shake my head.
Alec steps up and I lift my shirt so he can unravel the bandage. He sucks in a sharp breath when it’s removed. The guys crowd around.
"Oh, Sweetheart." Dominic sighs, his eyes stuck on the purple-black bruising that covers a large part of my stomach.
He comes up behind me and puts his hands on my shoulders. I don’t meet anyone’s eyes, focusing entirely on Alec, who kneels in front of me.
"This might hurt a little," he warns me. “I’m going to press certain areas to see if any of them are broken.” I nod quickly, preparing myself.
Mason looks away, so does Maverick. Luc slips his hand into mine.
I try to swallow my groan when Alec presses on a section of my stomach but it's manageable. So is the second.
The third gentle poke has my stomach rolling and I whimper softly as pain blinds me.
"Stop," Mason demands and I blink away tears.
"It's okay, Mase," I reassure him with a shaky voice.
Alec rises, his serious look replaced with guilt.
"There. Where you just pressed." I tell him.
He nods, his eyes flick to the twins then back to me. "You're right. Without a scan, I can see you have at least one broken rib and several bruised. You'll have to take it easy for the next few weeks but it won't fully heal for approximately a month or so."
I nod, expecting this.
"You should also ice it a few times a day, it will help with the pain," Alec tells me.
I don’t bother telling them it’s not my first broken rib. I’d rather not open that can of worms.
"Mase, get her an ice pack from the freezer," Dominic orders, seeing that Mason needs a distraction, the pain back in his eyes.
Alec lowers his voice. "There can be a few complications with broken ribs if you don't go to the hospital," he warns me.
"Trust me, dude, I tried that," Luc jumps in.
"I wasgoingto say," Alec narrows his eyes on Luc before turning back to me, "I know what to look for so you should be okay. Just let me know if there is any pressure or fullness in your chest or pain that extends to your arm or further than your chest."
I nod again and Alec relaxes. Mason comes back in with an ice pack and a tea towel.
Dominic directs me to the couch. I slowly sit down and Mase hands me the wrapped ice pack.
"Thank you, Mase," I say softly and he sits down beside me. Maverick sits down on the other side of me. Dominic and Alec sit on the second couch.
Luc pouts in front of me. I chuckle. "Come here, Luci."
He sits down at my feet and lays his head back against my knees. His blond hair is cut reasonably short but the top is a little longer. It's surfer wavy and incredibly inviting.
I fiddle with my fingers, fighting hard for a few moments while the guys talk about school before giving in to my urge.
I run my hands through his hair and he groans. Content fills those bright moss green eyes as he leans his head back against the couch, tilting up to look at me. He smiles almost lazily, closing his eyes. I laugh softly.
