Page 136 of See You Again
No reason to be scared, she told herself as she forced her trembling legs out of bed. Someone here to hurt her wouldn’t announce their presence, and she could see the comforting glow of the security panel, complete with panic buttons across the room.
This time, she heard the banging accompanied by what sounded like her name. She tiptoed over to the window. Using only one finger, she twitched the curtain to the side before abruptly dropping it and rushing downstairs to the door when she recognized Brady’s car from earlier.
She disarmed the system and swung open the door, fear instantly swamping her when she saw that his normally playful eyes were dead serious.
“What’s happened?” Then a horrifying realization turned her blood to ice. “Where’s James?”
Cami shook the entire way to the hospital.
“When you weren’t answering your phone, James freaked. They were threatening to give him a sedative when I left, to make him stay still so they could stitch him up.”
Cami felt sick. She’d been so hurt when he didn’t answer her texts earlier that evening, she’d opened a bottle of wine and fallen asleep. “Stitches?”
“Nothing important was nicked. He lost some blood, and he’s going to have to take it easy for a couple of weeks.”
She bit her lip, the pain keeping her in the moment. Her brain was like a tornado, trying to process all that Brady had told her. Justin had tried to kill James. James shot Justin. Justin was in surgery.
“Hey! You okay?” Brady peered at her. “You aren’t going to pass out, are you?”
Cami shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything. She didn’t want to cry, and she was almost definitely going to burst into tears if she let go of her lip.
Brady guided her through the emergency room until they reached a small, private exam room at the back. When the door opened, she barely registered Luke’s anxious face or Dahlia’s tension. All she saw was James lying on the exam bed, eyes closed, entirely too pale.
There was no holding the tears back then, and she raced forward, stopping only when she reached his side. Her hands hovered over the blanket. Wanting to touch him. Needing to touch him. Terrified she’d hurt him.
James’s eyes fluttered open, and his lips tipped in a lopsided grin. “Tig, where ya been?”
Her brow furrowed at the slurred words.
“He’s not drunk. I finally got him to take something,” Luke explained, the clear lines of strain on his face belying his joking tone.
James lifted his arm, and inspected the IV in his hand. “He wrecked justice.”
“What?” Cami leaned closer trying to make out his quiet words, and James used the opportunity to stroke her cheek. “Arm. He wrecked it.” James gestured to where a large bandage wrapped around his entire bicep. “Split Justice,” James snickered. “Maybe I’ll tell people it represents a hung jury.”
“The tattoo,” Dahlia explained.
Luke groaned. “Only you would think about the law right now.”
James’s eyelids drooped as he continued to stroke her cheek. “So soft. Missed you. Wanted to see you.” A dreamy smile turned his lips up. “I love you.”
Cami's heart, which had been pounding since she first heard that James was injured, stopped beating.
“I think that’s our cue to wait outside,” Dahlia said, ushering Luke and Brady out of the room.
“Justice.” James muttered again, struggling to open his eyes. “Cami!” The outburst took her by surprise, and she folded her hands over his hand resting closest to her, careful not to disturb the tubing.
“I’m right here,” she said, making soothing noises when what she really wanted to do was ask what he meant?
He loves me? Like love loves me? Or, we are great friends he loves me? Like he loves having sex with me loves me? Or, is it he’s as high as a kite and also told a nurse he loves them?
“Stay with me,” he mumbled. His eyes flew open again, and his fingers tensed between hers. “Need you safe. Can’t lose you again.”
Her chest ached. “I’m safe. I’m not going anywhere.” She pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
James’s eyes drifted shut, and she thought he’d fallen asleep when his brow furrowed. “No more hugging other men. Only me. Brady, dirty bastard.”
A watery giggle passed her lips even as a tear escaped the corner of her eye.