I follow them inside, keeping my eyes on him the whole time. His eyes are cloudy with pain, but they remain intently set on me.
“Abby,” Becks says when we step into the room. “Can you do this, or do I need to get another nurse?”
The thought of being stuck outside while anyone else helps him sends a wave of unease through me. I shake my head and pull in a lung full of air.
“I can do it,” I say, giving her a nod that I’m hoping is reassuring. I don’t know if it hits the mark, but it’s the best I’ve got right now.
Kane.He needs my help, and the best way for me to do that right now is to be a nurse and not his friend. Even thinking the word “friend” feels like a lie, but I don’t have time to deal with that right now.
The doctor’s orders echo in the small room, and I jump into action.
The next hour passes in a blur of activity. The only way I get through is by focusing on one task at a time.
When it’s all said and done, Kane has a broken arm as well as scrapes and contusions lining the entire right side of his body.
They thought he had a concussion because he lost consciousness, but after scans and many tests, he has been cleared. It was likely the level of pain he was in that caused him to pass out.
I duck into the lounge and pull my phone from my locker. My ass lands on the wooden bench, the weight of everything settling over me.
I scroll through and land on Linc’s name first, then take a deep breath and dial his number.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Linc
My hand slipsoff the wrench, and my hand collides with my forehead. “Motherfucker,” I groan, rubbing my grease-covered hand over my face.
I have been trying to loosen this one nut for ten minutes, and it doesn’t want to budge.
It’s a rare day when none of us are working at the bar until later in the day. Kane disappeared on his bike shortly after dropping Oliver off at school. Wyatt is in the house doing who knows what.
I retreated out here to the garage to work on the old bike I’ve been trying to fix for almost a year now. This is far from the first bike I’ve remodeled, but this one is proving to be quite the challenge.
My main bike was my first fixer-upper project. Kane’s dad bought it for me, and we worked on it together. It took us years to get it to a place where it was drivable.
I think he knew I needed something to focus on those last few years while we were all in high school. He wanted me to escape from my home life into this project rather than alcohol or drugs.
I’m not saying I never drank during that time, but it didn’t become something dangerous. That time with David meant far too much to me to jeopardize it in any way.
The thought of disappointing him still makes me sick to my stomach. He’s the dad life gave me when the one I was given by blood let me down at every turn.
I’ve had many opportunities in the years since then to purchase a newer bike, but I’ve never been able to go through with it.
That first bike I worked on with David will always hold a special place in my heart. No other motorcycle could fit me the way that one does.
I don’t get the chance to work with him on the bikes I buy very often anymore, but the times we do are always special.
My phone shakes against the workbench. It’s probably a spam call, but I move to stand anyway.
My eyebrows scrunch together when I see Abby’s name on the screen. I do my best to wipe the grease off on my jeans before answering the call.
“Hello,” I answer with a bit of hesitation. I want to hear her voice. Seeing her would be even better. But I have no idea why she would be calling me.
“Linc.” That’s all it takes, the heartbreak laced in the way she exhales my name. I know something’s wrong.
“Abby,” I say, trying to keep my heart from pounding out of my chest. I don’t even know what’s going on yet. I need to take a damn breath. “What’s happened?”
“Kane was in an accident on his motorcycle.” I can tell she’s fighting to hold her emotions in check, but she’s starting to lose the battle.
