Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Elle
As soon as I stepped out into the hallway, I let the tears flow freely. I had been trying my damndest to hide them in front of Rhett, but there was no use now.
"My brother would hate to see you crying over him like this." Zack stood with his back against the wall and one leg crossed over the other.
"Yes, well, your brother isn't out here right now, and you're not going to tell him shit, so it doesn't matter."
Zack smirked. "Feisty. I see why my brother likes you so much."
"I don't know about that." Something changed between Rhett and I in that hospital room, but it wasn't clear yet if it was a good change or not.
"I do. We might not have been that close these last few years, but I recognize the look. It's the same one all Lynch men get when we find the one."
I could feel the heat in my cheeks. I didn't know what to say to that, but thankfully I was given a reprieve from answering when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Molly. "Sorry, I need to take this," I said.
"Hey," I answered almost immediately.
"Oh thank goodness you answered. I was prepared to come hunt you down if you didn't."
As usual, Molly was over the top in everything she did and said.
"I'm sorry. I was going to call you, I swear. I even stepped out into the hallway to do just that, but then I got to talking to Rhett's brother."
"How is he? Rhett not the brother. Although if the man is even half as fine as you’ve described Rhett, I wouldn't mind knowing how he's doing as well."
I stuttered out a laugh. Leave it to Molly to lighten the mood. "If the ring on his finger is any indication, he's married."
Zack glanced down at his hand and then back up at me with a raised brow. I waved him off. There would be time later to explain the craziness that was Molly.
"Damn! The good ones always are."
"You don't even know the guy!" I shook my head.
"True but I bet he's one of the good ones."
I couldn't believe where this conversation had gone to. Oh wait. Yes I could because it was Molly.
"Any... way." I dragged out the word. "Rhett's good. A lot of injuries but nothing he won't heal from."
"Thank God! I was really worried there. The way you ran out of here, I wasn't sure what to expect."
Neither was I. Getting the call from Zack had been one of the scariest things in my life.
Placing my hand over the phone, I whispered to Zack, "Can I have a minute?"
Zack nodded. "I'll just be over here if you need me." He pointed a little ways down the hall.
When I was positive he was far enough away, I turned my back and whispered into the phone, "I don't know if I can do this."
Molly's voice softened. "Do what, honey?"
"Be with a guy who puts himself in danger this often."
I've never been so scared for someone as I was this week. And that was before I knew what was happening to Rhett. Had I known he was being tortured, I would've been a million times worse.
"Don't you think you are getting ahead of yourself? What happened to just friends?" The question wasn't asked with malice. Molly sounded genuinely curious.
"Oh please." I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see me. "We both know that was always a lie."
There had been something between Rhett and I from the very beginning even if neither of us wanted to admit it.
"Then I think you need to talk to him and figure some stuff out."
I hated when Molly was right. We said our goodbyes. After putting my phone back in my pocket, I rested my head against the tiled wall. I just needed a minute.
Unfortunately I wasn't going to get it.
"She's right, you know."
I practically jumped out of my skin at Zack's statement.
"Warn a gal next time," I spun on my heel and hissed.
Zack didn't look the least bit apologetic when he shrugged his shoulder and repeated his sentence. "She's right. You need to figure your shit out and preferably before my brother gets hurt."
"I have no intention of hurting Rhett, and haven't you ever heard of privacy?"
Apparently not because there was no apology for eavesdropping.
"You might not have any intention of hurting him, but I can guarantee you will if you continue things and then later decide this life is too much for you. Better to have a clean break now."
I folded my arms across my chest because now I was just getting angry. "Excuse me if seeing him lying in a bed beat to shit has me rattled. I think I'm entitled to a 'what the fuck?' moment since this isn't something I'm used to."
"Sure you're entitled to it, but I can guarantee this won't be the last time something happens. Are you going to feel the same way the next time or even the time after that?"
A slap across the face would've hurt less than what this man was asking me.
"I thought you didn't know much about his job?"
Zack let out a humorless fake laugh. "I might not have known who my brother was working for but I know Black.
I know what his company does, and the risk is always there, so before you go back in there, you need to decide if this is something you can handle or not because I won't let my brother get hurt. "
With that, Zack walked past me and headed straight into his brother's hospital room. While I was left to decide what kind of future I wanted.
One with Rhett or one without.