“You’re going to loom over me the whole time?”
“Yep.”
I sighed and finished the paperwork, the tension in the air thickening as I tried to focus.
A few minutes later, a nurse appeared through the double doors. “Emma?”
I stood carefully. “That’s me.”
The nurse smiled, her demeanor warm. “Come on back.”
I followed her through the doors, Hawk falling into step beside me like a shadow. She glanced back at him, clearly surprised.
“You can wait in the lobby if you’d like.”
Hawk didn’t even slow down. “I’m good.”
She looked at me. I shrugged. “He’s stubborn.”
She laughed quietly and kept walking.
The exam room was small and bright. I climbed onto the edge of the bed while the nurse gently took my wrist. “That’s pretty swollen,” she said, her voice compassionate.
“No kidding,” I replied, trying to keep the sarcasm in check.
Hawk stepped closer—too close. He stood just off my shoulder, arms crossed, eyes locked on my wrist like it had personally offended him.
The nurse rotated my hand slightly. Pain shot up my arm, and I hissed.
Hawk moved instantly, his hand landing beside me on the bed, leaning closer. “Easy,” he said quietly, his voice low.
The nurse glanced between us, a knowing look in her eyes. “You her boyfriend?”
My head snapped up. “No.”
Hawk said at the exact same time, “Yes.”
I turned slowly and stared at him. He didn’t look back at me; his attention was still on my wrist.
The nurse smiled. “Well, she’s lucky someone brought her in.”
Lucky. That word sat weird in my chest.
She finished examining my wrist and nodded. “We’ll get some X-rays.”
A few minutes later, a tech appeared with a wheelchair.
I stared at it. “You’re kidding.”
“Hospital policy,” he said cheerfully.
“I can walk.”
“Still policy.”
I sighed dramatically, feeling the weight of the situation. “This is humiliating.”
Hawk’s mouth twitched slightly. “You’ll survive.”
