Page 33 of For the Record
“I, um …” Coy swallowed past the lump choking her, needing to get out of there pronto. She lifted Jasmine easily, but instead of placing her on her lap, Coy smoothly laid her down on the bed. “I’m so sorry, but I … I can’t do this tonight. You two have fun, though.” A ghost of a smile reached Coy’s lips, and she reached out to cup Jasmine’s cheek before slowly climbing off the bed. Then she gave Naz a little push toward the bed.
“You’re not joining us?”
“Nah, I’m … I need to go check on something.” Coy shook her head, not feeling the scene at all. How was her father always right? All she could think about was Sawyer, and how Jasmine didn’t smell or feel quite like her. It was stupid to think she could forget about a woman like that through meaningless sex. Her gaze landed on the far wall, and she noisily cleared her throat. “Use my room, though. Have fun.” Grabbing her earbuds and phone off the nightstand, Coy left them to it. As soon as she was in the hallway, she sagged against the wall, suddenly weak in the knees. “Fuck,” she whispered, scrubbing a hand over her face. She peered bleary eyed at her phone, still mostly drunk, and the early morning digits on her screen made her realize just how much time she’d wasted. She couldn’t exactly rush to the hospital at two thirty in the morning.
Coy padded barefoot to Sloane’s bedroom, knocking softly before inching the door ajar. A gust of cold air from the fan hit her bare skin, and she shivered, creeping across the carpet for the hoodie draped over the armchair. It fit perfectly, and Coy silently thanked her sister for wearing her hoodies a size too big.
“Who’s that?” Sloane’s muffled voice broke the repetitive whirring of the ceiling fan.
“Me. Can I sleep in here tonight?” Coy asked, already pulling back the bedcovers.
“Mm-hmm. Date not good?” Rolling over, Sloane’s sleepy visage came face-to-face with Coy’s. Her sister grimaced. “You stink like cigars.”
Coy chuckled, tucking the covers in around them. “You know a guys’ night isn’t complete without them.”
“Says Naz.”
“Says Naz,” Coy agreed, burrowing under the warmth of the duvet. The preferred temperature in their bedrooms was not something they had in common. Sloane slept like she was in the arctic, regardless of the season. Coy liked to think she fell more in the “normal” spectrum; she used a fan when it was hot and a heater when it was cold. Life didn’t need to be complicated.
“So, what’s up? You never turn down Jasmine.”
Coy sighed, shifting onto her back. She watched the shadows on the ceiling from a nearby streetlamp before admitting, “Sawyer has, like, taken over my damn mind or something. I can’t concentrate on anything else.”
“J.D. told me what happened at the shop. Were you scared?”
Coy nodded. “For her. I was terrified. Sawyer is always so strong-willed, you know? She’s fierce, and cold, and when she collapsed, I …” She stopped, her throat thickening as she struggled with the words. Fresh tears stung her eyes, taking Coy back to that afternoon and how scared Sawyer had looked. She shrugged, helpless. There were no words, none that would make sense to Sloane. Coy’s sister wouldn’t understand why she was hung up on Sawyer of all people.
“I bet you’re feeling pretty guilty right about now. You’ve never caused a heart attack after kissing a girl before.” Coy frowned, and Sloane rushed to add, “Not that it was your fault. Purely coincidental, I’m sure.”
Coy would be lying if she said shehadn’tthought of that. Truthfully, Sawyer going into cardiac arrest moments after their kiss had plagued Coy’s thoughts all night. She couldn’t helpbut wonder what would have happened if Coy had not pushed Sawyer away? Had Coy’s rejection tipped Sawyer’s stress levels over the edge?
“Shit, sorry, Coy. Lame joke.”
“Sawyer kissedme,” Coy affirmed, sounding downright indignant, but seriously, since when had Sloane become so callous in her thoughts? “But yeah, you fucking suck right now. The single life must be making you bitter.” With a huff, she rolled over in the bed, facing away from Sloane.
Within five minutes, her twin had fallen back to sleep, but slumber refused to come to Coy. She was upset, confused, and could hear Jasmine’s muffled mewls coming from down the hall. After an hour, she slipped out of bed again and grabbed her keys. Walking to the hospital would be more favorable than enduring another damn second in the apartment.
Chapter 17
Sawyer
She clenched and unclenchedher jaw, scowling as she watched the nurse strap the blood pressure cuff to her arm. “If it’s high, you might consider the fact I was woken up every hour on the hour through the night.”
“Maman,” Bree chided from her seat beside Sawyer’s bed.
“What? It’s true. I haven’t felt this sleep-deprived since you were in diapers.” Her usual insomnia was a hell of a lot better than what she was enduring now.
The nurse only chuckled, not at all fazed by Sawyer’s hostility. She’d just begun her shift, so there was still plenty of time to get under her skin. “I’m Diane, by the way. It’ll be me and Marissa popping in to check on you today.”
“Thanks for the heads up. I suppose all my sleeping will have to wait until I’m home again.”
“Okay, stay still. Try not to talk for a minute, and I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” Diane raised an eyebrow, shooting Sawyer a pointed look as she adjusted the cuff. Sawyer glanced away, knowing she was extra miserable but unable to stop hating everyone. She’d been in a foul mood since she’d woken in the intensive care unit two days ago. She was exhausted and sore all over. Her chest was so bruised, it looked like someone had taken a bat to her. Bree informed her McCoy had administered CPR, but the last thing Sawyer remembered before waking in the hospital was the comforting warmth as McCoy held her in her muscular arms.
McCoy, who had not visited in the entire time Sawyer had been laid up. Not that Sawyer had expected or even wanted her to. They’d both established the kiss had been a mistake and if anyone could respect standing by a decision, it was Sawyer. McCoy’s decisiveness was impressive, responsible.
Then why is the radio silence so goddamn deafening?
Except for two missed calls when Sawyer had first landed in the hospital, she’d heard nothing else from McCoy. At the very least, didn’t the fact that she’dsavedSawyer’s life deserve a text?