Page 81 of Falling With You

But right now, I just nodded at my little brother. I was thankful that he was here, even though he was just as scared as I was. Because I could hear it. I could see it on his face.

Somehow, Dillon got us to the emergency room while obeying all the traffic laws and without getting us into a car accident. Cameron and Brendon parked a few spaces away from us, and we all jogged towards the emergency room.

Harmony and Meadow and Violet were standing in the waiting room, all huddled together as we walked in.

The women looked up, and then tears slid down Violet’s face as she ran to Cameron’s side. My brother held her close, murmuring in her ear as Harmony went up to Brendon and wrapped her arms around his chest. They all held each other, and Dillon and I just looked at Meadow, who gave us a soft smile.

“We’re waiting. We’re waiting for news. I was with Violet when I heard, so I came.” She swallowed hard, and I reached out and gripped her shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“Yeah. I’m going to go actually head to the bar now and help Beckham out because I think he’ll be short-staffed. And I know this needs to be a family thing. But you guys just keep me in the loop, okay?”

I frowned as she walked away and then looked at Dillon.

“What was that about?” Dillon asked. I shook my head. I had seen the fear in her eyes, and I figured there was a reason she didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to be in this hospital after what had happened. And that was fine. She could have her secrets, but I wasn’t really thinking about that right then. I was just thinking about Sienna. About Sienna and the fact that we didn’t have any news.

“What can you tell us?” I asked Violet, keeping my voice calm. Collected. Because even though I wanted to hit something and I wanted to rage, I thought about Sienna at that hockey game and her pale face when I got angry. And it calmed me down. Because I didn’t want to be that angry man. I didn’t want to be the person that put fear on Sienna’s face. I didn’t want to be the one that made her remember what had happened in that alley.

And I sure as hell didn’t want to be the person that reminded her of what had just happened today.

Fuck, this was too much.

“Apparently, one of the people that she works with, one of her clients, there was something wrong with him or something. I don’t really know, but he came at her in the parking lot and just kept hitting her. They know she tried to fight back because they could see it on her hand or something. I don’t really know. But he knocked her out, and now they’re doing a concussion protocol. She has a few stitches from where she hit the pavement or something. I don’t know. I don’t know anything.” She started shaking, and Cameron held her close before sitting down in one of the chairs and pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her forehead and just whispered to her as I looked at Harmony and Brendon, who were holding each other, the two of them pale but steady.

I looked at Dillon, who was wiping tears from his face before he went and sat down next to Cameron, taking Violet’s hand in his.

We were a family. It had taken way too long to get here, to get to the point where we could rely on each other like this, like we should have done the whole time.

But we were here.

And my stomach hurt.

I just wanted to see Sienna.

“Are you the family of Miss Knight?” one of the nurses asked, and we all stood up, shaking.

“We’re her family,” Violet said. “All of us are.”

“Our parents and my brother and his family are on their way. But we’re all family here.”

The nurse looked at us and didn’t even flinch at the idea that all of us were one big family. Because we were. Blood didn’t change that. We were a family.

“Okay, then. Miss Knight is awake, and she’s doing okay. She’s a little banged up, and we’re going to keep her overnight to monitor her concussion. She has some bruising, and some stitches. But she’s going to be just fine. There’s no doubt in my mind that she is going to recover a hundred percent very soon. Now, only two people are allowed back there at a time, so you’re going to have to take turns.”

I looked over at Violet and gestured. “You and Cameron first. And then the rest of you. I’ll go last.”

Violet gave me a weird look. “Are you sure, Aiden?”

“No, you go first. I’ll be her last. Because you’re not going to be able to pry me out of there without a crowbar.” That made Violet smile, and I knew it was a real one.

I waited with the others while Violet and Cameron went first, and then Harmony and Brendon. Sienna’s parents showed up next, giving everyone hugs and kisses before going in. And then Mace and Adrienne came, the big brother of the girls looking dour and big and all tattooed and broody. They hadn’t brought their daughter, and for that I was grateful.

All of us had had to deal with a little too much recently, and none of us wanted a little girl to have to deal with that. She was staying with Adrienne’s family down in Colorado Springs, so that was good.

And then it was my and Dillon’s turn. Dillon had offered to wait even later, but I knew he wanted to see her, even for a minute.

So, we walked in, and I had to sit near the doorway, doing my best not to stress out. I hadn’t asked anybody what they’d seen, what she had said. Number one, that was for them. But mostly, I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to think about that while I was waiting.