“Hi,”she croaks.
My head shoots up at the sound of Erin’s voice. It’s raspy and laced with sleep. Relief slams into me so fast I have to grip the edge of the chair to keep myself upright. I push out of my seat, close the space between us, and press my lips to hers.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I murmur against her lips.
She’s awake.
“The doctor told me to get him when you were up. I’ll be right back,” I say, kissing her forehead quickly. I pull away and rush out the door.
The doctor’s head lifts from what he’s looking at near the nurses station when he hears me call out. He stops what he’s doing, and we head back into the room together.
“I’m glad to see you awake Miss Callahan.” He flanks the side of her bed. “How are you feeling?”
“I want an endless supply of tacos.”
I laugh and the doctor chuckles.
She can have all the tacos she wants.
Hell, I’ll buy her a damn truck.
“I’m a little stiff, but other than that I’m okay,” she answers.
“I’m glad to hear that. There’s a great place down the street. They deliver here regularly.”
“Can you help me sit up?” she asks. “I don’t want to lie down.”
“Should she be moving so quickly?” I ask the doctor, my eyes bouncing between him and Erin. He reaches for the remote for her bed, and she winces as she shifts. My stomach twists knowing that I can’t take that pain and make it mine.
“Thank you,” she says. “I hope this one wasn’t too much of a nuisance.”
“Your boyfriend was a delight. Your brother,” he pauses, “kept us entertained,” he adds dryly.
I snort because I’m fairly certain that when Rudy asked the nurse for more blankets a third time, someone seriously considered sedating him—if not for ethics and oaths getting in the way.
“But he was just scared, so I’m giving him a pass. You have a lot of people here that care about you. I’ll give you some time to catch up. I’ll be back to check on you in a few hours.”
I close the door and then sit right next to my girl, taking her hand in mine. The moment I open my mouth, two words come out of hers I’m not expecting.
“I’m sorry.”
I frown in response.
“I’m sure seeing me hurt must have been triggering for you. I’m sorry if I sent you back to a place you didn’t want to be.”
This. Girl.
She’s lying in a hospital bed, worried about my trauma. A fierce ache stirs in me—not pain, but a protective instinct that refuses to let her carry that weight.
“Are you okay?” Her voice is quiet.
“I am now that you’re awake. You scared the hell out of me. What were you thinking?”
