Chapter 22
twenty-two
“I’m such an idiot.” My teeth chattered from the cold. I leaned deeper into the leather seat of Liam’s truck. “And a klutz. Who breaks their wrist on a completely calm and boring kayak float? Me.”
Thankfully, his truck did have heated seats. That, combined with Olivia's dry clothes and blanket, had been a welcome surprise. While Tripp warmed up the truck, Ava had helped me out of the wet clothes. She was careful to keep my wrist elevated and make sure no one else caught a peek at me while I changed.
“Don’t blame yourself,” Tripp's voice was strained, his teeth clenched against the cold. “This isn’t your fault. We should’ve picked another weekend and done more practice. The fog didn’t help anything.” He was still wearing the same clothes, soaked to the bone from the river’s unforgiving water.
I didn’t respond. I turned and kept my gaze fixed on the world passing us by outside the truck. Thankfully, we weren’t too far from Vanderbilt. He dropped us off at the emergency entrance and promised to meet us inside once we parked.
Inside the ER, Ava dug through my crossbody bag to find my ID and insurance card. Since the swollen wrist was my dominant hand, she also filled out all of the paperwork. I cradled my wrist in my arm and tried to ignore the throbbing pain. Every heartbeat sent a shock of pain from my elbow to the tip of my finger. I tried my best to hold as still as humanly possible.
“Date of your last menstrual cycle? Oh, wait. It was last Tuesday, right?” It was embarrassing how well she knew me. “You’re definitely not pregnant, am I right?”
“Hah. Nope.”
Before she could move on to the next section, a tall brunette woman dressed in scrubs called my name. We’d barely finished checking in, and the waiting room was packed. Based on what the intake nurse had said, it should’ve been at least an hour before we got to see the triage nurse. I glanced up in confusion as the woman approached us. When she got close enough, I read her name badge: Dr. Kelsey James. Since when did doctors retrieve patients from the waiting room?
“Sadie?” she asked and peered down at my wrist. She gently took it into her hands and applied a tiny bit of pressure. Another wave of pain shot down my arm. I gasped. “I’m Dr. James. Tripp called me, panicking and demanding that I come to see you at once.”
“Sister?” Ava guessed. Dr. James nodded.
“Let’s get you back and get some X-rays, okay?”
“Do I need to finish checking in?”
“No, bring the paperwork with you and finish in the back.”
“I’m okay to wait like everyone else.”
“When my baby brother calls and begs me to help the girl he’s been obsessing over for weeks, I pull all the strings I can. Besides, it’s been surprisingly quiet today. Now, let’s get back there before Tripp shows up and ruins all the fun.”
“Too late,” Tripp said. He rushed through the security entrance, barely pausing long enough to empty his pockets. His shoes squeaked across the linoleum floors. “Thanks, Kels.”
“Bummer. I was going to tell her all your embarrassing stories. Believe me, there are plenty.”
I stood between them both, stunned. He’d told his sister about me? Enough for her to say he was obsessing over me? I tried to process this information but couldn’t. Ava nudged me forward when they started toward the doors. I followed close behind, still unable to speak. Tripp filled his sister in on as many details as he could.
“The swelling went down a little. She dunked it in the river while we kayaked back. I think that helped. But it’s tender to the touch and bruising.”
“Smart move. The cold water likely helped control the swelling. We’ll put you in room 115, but first, I’ll take you down to imaging. Do you want to go with her?” she asked Ava.
“I will,” Tripp answered before Ava could. “That way, you can finish the paperwork.”
“Right, of course.” Ava gave me a knowing glance before disappearing into the room. I rolled my eyes and focused on the pain in my wrist. It had been intensifying since we’d left the river. The cold water had helped, but now it pulsed with pain. As much as I hated hurting, it was easier to focus on the pain than it was to obsess over the fact that he’d been obsessing over me. Pain, I understood. But I didn’t have the emotional or mental capacity to think about what Tripp had told his sister.
The X-ray confirmed I had indeed fractured my wrist. Thankfully, it was a small hairline fracture that should heal without surgery. I hadn’t even been considering the possibility of surgery. All I’d need was a splint and to rest it for three to four weeks. I shouldn’t need too much rehab time. Dr. James prescribed a strong painkiller and showed me how to take care of the splint. Tripp took notes on his phone and promised to share them with both Ava and me. He hovered while they put the splint on as if he were supervising the doctors. He stayed glued to my side the entire time.
“My nurse will call to make a follow-up appointment.”
“Great, thank you,” I said, my words slurring as the pain medication kicked in. I was going to sleep well when we got home…maybe even before then.
I was acutely aware of Tripp holding me up and helping me into the truck. He drove us home, helped me up the stairs, and carefully placed me in the bed. Then, I don’t remember much. My sleep was hard and dreamless. It was nearly dark when I awoke. Groggy, I sat up. The pain in my wrist had returned, but it was a dull ache that I had a feeling would linger for a few days. As much as I appreciated the numbness from the strong pain medication, I wasn’t a fan of how heavy my eyes were hours later.
“You’re awake,” a deep voice said from my reading chair. Tripp.
“How long have you been here?” My throat was dry. He stood and handed me a water bottle along with another pill.
“Long enough to know you have the most adorable little snore.”
I laughed weakly. I did snore, but it was anything but adorable. “You must find freight trains adorable, then.” I tossed the medicine into my mouth and took a gulp of water.
“Only ones packed inside hazel-eyed, petite women. How’s the wrist?”
“A little sore, but better than it was. You don’t have to stay. As soon as this medicine kicks in, I’m probably going to pass out again.”
“I know. I want to.”
Maybe it was the pain medication, or maybe it was the pure rawness of his voice, but I had an overwhelming need to go to him. It started deep inside me as a whisper but grew stronger every second I waited to act on it. I sat up and immediately regretted the quick movement. My head spun. I laid back down. Tripp was up and beside me before my head hit the pillow.
“Easy.”
“Sit with me?” I asked. The bed shifted under his weight. He sat perched on the edge of the bed, but he was still too far away. “Lie with me?”
He hesitated long enough for me to wonder if I’d gone too far. I was about to take back the invitation when he settled back onto the bed and beside me. He slipped one arm under my shoulders, and I curled toward him and rested my arm across his stomach. He gently ran his fingertips over my arm between the splint and my shirt sleeve. Neither of us spoke. His chest rose and fell with the rhythm of his steady breath. I nestled deeper into the crook of his arm. He’d changed out of the river clothes. He smelled of fresh linen, but a hint of the river and outdoors still clung to his skin. I breathed in deeply to memorize the scent.
“So, you told your sister about me?” I asked.
“All of them, yeah.”
“What did you tell them?” I both wanted to know and didn’t want to know. My eyes were already heavy with sleep.
“I think you know the answer to that.” He pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head. As his lips lingered, his breath made my hair dance. I tilted my head back and met his gaze. The intensity in his eyes told me all I needed to know. It was as if they were peering straight into my soul. I drank him in, taking every drop I could get.
“So, I’m not imagining all of this?” I asked.
“No.” This time, his lips found my forehead. He kissed a trail of tiny kisses along my hairline but stopped before he reached my cheek. He pulled back and stroked his fingers down my cheek and over my lips. Desperate to touch him, I lifted my hand and ignored the tug of pain in my wrist. He gently pushed my arm back down. His fingers stroked my arm just as he’d done before. He placed one last kiss on my forehead. “Get some sleep, Sadie.”
“I’m not tired,” I mumbled, barely able to keep my eyes open. My eyelids fluttered. I forced them open and pleaded with him. “Don’t leave, okay?”
“Never.”
I settled back into the crook of his arm and let the heaviness take over. I couldn’t have stayed awake and analyzed this entire moment if I wanted to. That was a worry for tomorrow. Tonight, I’d enjoy the comfort of him beside me.