I thanked her and made my way to the elevator. Tyler’s room was on the left at the beginning of the hall. The door was ajar. I stopped, unable to bring myself to go in. I guess I was still on the fence about whether or not I should. I wanted to make sure he was okay, but I could just call Willow to get that information. And I could also tell her to let him know I have Snickers and he’s fine.
So, why had I come?
I stepped closer. I could hear voices now. Tyler’s and his sister’s. He sounded upset, and she was telling him to calm down, that she promised she would go check on “him” as soon as she left the hospital.
I opened the door and walked inside, slowly making my way into the room. The curtain was pulled partially around the bed, the foot the only visible part. There were two leg-shaped lumps beneath the blankets. Willow sat in a chair on the other side. She had pulled it up to the bed and had one hand on what I assumed was Tyler’s ankle.
When she saw me, she stood. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a wispy bun and she was dressed much like I was. Her eyes were red and swollen. “Hey. I didn’t know if you were coming.” Her eyes dropped to the muddy paw tracks on the front of my jeans. “Did something happen?”
“I stopped to check on Snickers.”
“Ailee?” The lumps beneath the blanket moved, and Willow frowned and rushed to the head of the bed where I couldn’t see her anymore.
“What are you doing, Tyler? Get back in bed!”
“I want to see her.”
I stepped closer, until I stood at the edge of the curtain and could just see behind it. My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking, and some sick part of me was almost glad this had happened so I had an excuse to see him again.
Tyler was sitting up, holding his head with one hand. The other was white knuckling the sheets. He was wearing a hospital gown. It exposed his strong back and the top of his fine ass. There was a purple bruise over his left kidney.
His sister stood in front of him, hands on his shoulders, trying to force him to lay back down. When she saw me there, she said, “See? She’s right here. Now, lay down!”
He twisted around, and I gasped when I saw his face. It was so swollen and discolored I barely recognized him. One eye was nearly swollen shut. His upper lip was cut. He had stitches above his left eye and on his cheekbone. He didn’t say anything. Just ran his eyes over me, much like I did to him.
I came to the foot of the bed, and he laid back, jaw clenched and one arm around his ribcage. Willow helped him get his legs back on the bed. He was wearing socks, those slip-proof ones hospitals give you.
“I have Snickers,” I told him. “He’s in the car.”
“Is he okay?” Tyler asked. “I, uh…I didn’t leave him. It was Tony. One of the alters. He’s normally really good about taking care of him, but…I don’t know, something happened. He was upset. And as you can see, he took it out on me.” He waved a hand over his body. “Or rather, whoever the hell it was he’d decided to challenge to a fight. I really wish he’d stick to punching bags.”
I nodded, unsure what else to do.
“Ailee? Is he okay?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. He’s fine. A little cold and hungry. He’s wrapped up in my coat on the backseat with some French fries.” I held up a hand. “I know it’s not good for him. I’ll get him some dog food. Just let me know what kind.”
Tyler stared at me long and hard. “Willow, would you leave us alone for a few minutes?”
“Sure,” she told him after a pause. “I’ll go get some coffee.”
She gave me a small smile as she left. “Thanks for stopping for him.”
“You’re welcome.”
And then I was alone with the man who had changed me forever.
CHAPTER19
Tyler
She’s here.
I never thought I would see her again, but she was really here. It’d been three months since she told me she couldn’t handle being with me. Three fucking months of feeling like I’d been kicked in the chest. I’d never been happier to see anyone in my entire fucking life. And at the same time, I felt a wave of pure anger.
If I had only known thatactuallybeing kicked in the chest would get her to come see me, I would’ve done it myself weeks ago.
A tear slid down her cheek.
