Logan cited off more things Quentin’s sister said to reassure us, and I closed my eyes, focusing on taking deep breaths. Somehow, an hour went by, and a nurse walked through the double-doors, silencing all side conversations.
“Preston Charming?”
We all stood up. The nurse eyed us before smiling. “He’s out of surgery. Everything went well, no complications. He’s in recovery now and waking up. You can come see him in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” I rasped out. “Thank you.”
Her smile softened. “I’ll come back to get one of you. He’s doing great, but he’s groggy and needs some rest.”
She disappeared back behind the doors, and for the first time in hours, I could finally breathe.
24
PRESTON
Waking up felt like trying to swim through wet cement. My whole body was heavy, and my head buzzed like I’d been hit by a slapshot. The lights above me were painfully bright, and my mouth was so dry it felt like I’d been chewing on cotton.
“Hey there, Preston,” a calm voice said beside me. I turned my head, slow and unsteady, to see a nurse standing by my bed, holding a clipboard. Her expression was calm but focused. “How are you feeling?”
“Uh…” My voice came out cracked and weak. I swallowed, but it didn’t help much. “Like…I just went twelve rounds on the ice.”
The nurse smiled softly, clearly used to bad analogies from patients just waking up. “That’s pretty normal after surgery. You’ve just had an appendectomy. Your appendix was inflamed, but we removed it before it could rupture. Everything went smoothly, and you’re in recovery now.”
Surgery. The memory of the stabbing pain hit me like a puck to the chest, but now it was different—still sore but duller, more like an ache than the unbearable knife-like pain.
“How long was I out?” I asked, my voice still scratchy. Flashes of the night returned to me: the date, the fever, the car ride back, Jordan worrying…oh god. Jordan.
“The surgery took about an hour and a half, and you’ve been in recovery for about thirty minutes,” she explained, glancing at the machines next to me. “How’s your pain right now?”
I thought about it, then winced. “It’s…not great. But better than before.”
She nodded. “That’s good to hear. We’ll keep monitoring you. You’ll probably be sore for a few days, but the worst is behind you.”
I blinked at her, my thoughts slowly catching up. “Wait…how long am I going to be stuck here? I’ve got practice. And games—our next one’s this Friday. I can’t miss it.”
The nurse chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I hate to break it to you, but hockey’s going to have to wait. You’ll be staying here overnight for observation. If everything looks good, you’ll go home tomorrow, but you won’t be back on the ice for at least a couple of weeks.”
“A couple of weeks?” My stomach sank and not just from the soreness. “Coach is going to kill me.”
“Yourcoachwill understand,” she said, her tone firm but kind. “Your health comes first. Skating, practice, anything strenuous—it’s off the table until you’re fully healed.”
I let my head fall back against the pillow, groaning in a minor bout of self-pity. “Great. So I’m going to miss games,andI ruined my date.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow. “Is Jordan your date?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “Been waiting years to ask her out, and when she finally agreed, my appendix decided to be dramatic and ruin it.”
The nurse chuckled. “Not sure you ruined it. She’s beenasking about you the entire time, waiting to come back here and see you.”
“Can she? Can I see her?” My pulse spiked, the damn monitors beeping louder. I refused to feel shame.
“I’ll go get her in a few minutes. Try to rest and relax.”
Sure.Relax. I was out for two weeks at least, which would put me behind on the ice. The team had to come back stronger after the championship lost, and now, I was out. Plus, I ruined the date with Jordan, which was not ideal. I’d have to make it up to her, somehow. Instead of showing her how much she meant to me, my body betrayed me, and she had to take care of me. Not the most romantic evening.
I wanted her realizing we’d be good together, that we could have future. Not wondering if I was gonna puke on her. I pinched the bridge of my nose, wincing as the movement pained me. It was best if I lay there like a damn tree.
This was so not how I envisioned this going. I woke up with Jordan plastered against me this morning, and now I was in a hospital, waking up from surgery. What the fuck?
