I squeeze my eyes shut and blow out a breath. “He’s in surgery, Finn.”
He grits his teeth. “Surgery for what? The lady at that desk wouldn’t tell me a fucking thing.”
“He sustained breaks. One of them was what they consider an open fracture.”
“I’m not a doctor,” he retorts. “What does that mean?”
“When his bone broke, it tore through his skin. The only way to fix it was for him to get surgery right away. He has another break, too, that they’re putting a plate and screws in to repair while he’s under anesthesia. They said it could take up to a couple of hours until they're finished. More if there are complications or they find more damage that needs attention.”
“Did you see him?” Finn asks, voice way lower than when he was dealing with the woman at the help desk.
I give him a pitiful shake of my head. “None of us have.”
“I’m going to find the bastards that hit him,” he mutters under his breath, face turning so he can look down the hall. He takes a step back like he needs to retreat from reality.
“Finn,” I call out softly.
“And then I’m going to break every goddamn bone intheirbody.”
“You can’t do that,” I tell him, reaching for his arm to calm him.
“See how fucking pleasant it is for them. I’m going to wreck them, Violet,” he promises without a lick of shame. A scowl twists his lips. “Fuckingruinthem.”
“Finn.”
He walks over to the coffee vending machine and smacks his palm into the side of it. The rumble of his assault echoes down the hall. I close in on him, not entirely sure what to do or say to get him to calm down but knowing he needs to before that lady really does call security.
His eyes are wild when he spins on me. “Prick isn’t going to know what’s coming for him.”
“Attacking someone over this isn’t what’s needed.”
“The hell it isn’t.”
I roll my eyes, annoyance running through me. Agitation like no other fills me. How dare he come to the hospital to act like this. It isn’t the time or place, nor has he been the one sittinghere, patiently waiting to hear how the heck Colson is doing or if his surgery was a success.
“Is this why you came? To get off on your own ego? Do you thinkanyof us need you having a tantrum while we’re shitting our pants with anxiety?” I bite down so hard I’m afraid my teeth might splinter and then say, “You know what? Go home.”
I turn to walk away, leaving him next to the coffee machine with my own restlessness rising in me like a forgotten bathtub so dangerously close to spilling over. That’s me.Near the edge and ready to roll over it and drip, drip, drip to the floor in a wave of defeat.
A tear slips past my eyelashes as I curve around the wall. I swipe it away, making it twenty feet until Finn calls out. He grips my bicep and spins me around a second later.
“Goddamnit, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to…Ididmean what I said about finding the person, but I get that it isn’t the time or place to get into that. I just…” He looks away, then back down at me. There’s this uncanny similarity between him and Colson in this moment that my heart slows to an underwhelming pace, slowly pitter-pattering against my ribcage.
“I don’t know how to handle this,” he admits, all that hardness he usually exudes nowhere to be found. “I find out that I have a brother, one who I’ve physically put my hands on more than once. I try to make it right, be in his corner, but it’s fucking useless because he’ll never forgive me. Had I known…” His jaw clenches, rippling from the weight of his bite.
“If I knew who he was to me, it would’ve never happened. As heavy as my past with Colson is, it’s like in the snap of a finger it doesn’t matter anymore. The only thing that matters is that he’s okay. I keep thinking about how Ijustfound out I have this brother,and that goddamn quick, he could’ve been taken from me. And I…I would’ve lost my shot at getting to know him.Like…reallygetting to know him. Not that surface level bullshit. Fuck, I sound like a pussy.”
“I’m sure what you’re feeling is normal for someone in your shoes,” I murmur. “And I’m sure he’d be happy to know you’re here for him now.”
“Yeah fucking right. He’s going to be pissed when he sees me.”
“Does that mean you’re staying?”
He nods solemnly. “Until I see he’s alright.”
I take a step closer and wrap my arms around his torso. If Colson saw us, he’d flip, but Finn could use the comfort. Hell, I could, too.
Finn wraps one arm around my waist, barely hugging me back. I take it for what it’s worth, figuring he isn’t used to this kind of affection. If he were, he wouldn’t be so rough around the edges.
