I want to protest. I really do. But I’m out of fight.
He pulls me up to him, and I bury my face against the soothing cotton of his shirt, the familiar, intoxicating smell of his cologne.
I’m safe and warm in his arms.
“Hey, stay awake, baby.”
“’Kay,” I say.
But I don’t.
“I wisheveryone would stop being so dramatic.” I try not to wince at the pain in my head.
Daisy and Olivia sit by my bed in the surprisingly luxurious hospital room.
My friends are in armchairs surrounding me. Beyond this space, there’s a sitting room. I also have a floor-to-ceiling view of the Hollywood Hills.
Fuck me. Why is this all so fancy, and how much is this setting me back?I can’t afford a hospital stay, let alone onein what looks like the VIP wing taken fromLifestyles of the Sick and Famous. Sebastian checked me in when we arrived. It would be just like him to ask for the nicest room and not to think about the cost.
“Not possible, babe. You blacked out and gave yourself a concussion,” Daisy says. “It was very dramatic. And so was the way Sebastian carried you out. A few people caught it on their cell phones. Social media thinks it’strèsromantic.”
I grab the stiff pillow, cover my face, and groan into it. Then I really do wince. Becauseow.
“I’m sorry. We tried to distract everyone and make it seem like business as usual.” Olivia’s expression is sympathetic. “But it’s all over the internet.”
“We wanted to follow you to the hospital. Sebastian insisted we stay,” Daisy adds.
“Because if you left, then your men would have come also. And I can’t be held responsible for the stars of the movie not attending because I got clumsy. I can only imagine the headlines if you’d left the theater. It’s bad enough Sebastian did.”
The act of getting to the hospital is a little fuzzy. One second, Sebastian carried me to a waiting car. And the next, I woke up in this bed.
“He missed the premiere and after-party for you.” Daisy’s grin is full of mischief. “And that’s big. Because he never misses a good party. He’s been here all night. It’s surprisingly sweet.”
“He’s really worried.” Olivia tilts her head. “We had to force him to leave your room to get coffee.”
“Ryder sends his love,” Daisy says. “He had to fly to New York for a charity concert. But Ronan and Chase will come by after the press junket.”
“Crap, the junket!” I cry. I forgot all about it. Today is a huge press day, followed by a fan event. “Sebastian needs to be there.”
Daisy laughs. “Hon, he’s not going anywhere. We couldn’t even convince him to go home to shower and change, even though we told him we’d be with you.”
“We wanted to come earlier, even after the premiere,” Olivia adds. “But they have strict visiting hours, so we had to wait until now. Though Sebastian seems to have gotten around the rules.”
I shrug. “You know he can talk his way into anything.”
“Have the tests come back?” Daisy plumps my pillow.
I nod. “Apparently, I have a mild concussion.”
“I’m sorry, hon. That sucks. Though I’m not surprised. You hit your head so hard. Do they know why you blacked out in the first place?” Olivia asks.
I look down, embarrassed.
“She blacked out because she doesn’t take care of herself properly.” Sebastian’s deep voice enters the room at the same time as he does.
My heart constricts. He looks so… disheveled.
His jaw is darkly stubbled, and he’s still wearing his tuxedo shirt, sans jacket, of course, and it’s rumpled to hell. There’s something stark behind the blue of his eyes. He looks uncharacteristically serious. Vulnerable, even.
