Chapter 29
Kourtney
I pace the surgical waiting room, anxiously awaiting an update on Tiny’s surgery. The stupid bullet nicked a fucking artery. We’re lucky it isn’t worse than it is. The surgeon said it was an easy fix. Easy fix my ass. If it was so easy, what’s taking so long?
I’m irritable. I’m still shaking. I’m exhausted. And I’m really fucking hungry.
Emily paces right along with me. Our fingers have been locked together since the minute she got to the hospital. This is much more her element than mine because she actually understands what these doctors are talking about. She does her best to dumb it down for us non-medical folk, but still. The only things I heard were arteries, bleeding, and needing surgery to stop it. That’s when my mind completely blacked out.
I’ll worry when Emily worries. She seems more worried about me than anything, if I’m being honest.
Evie hasn’t left her spot in the corner since we got here. I told Emily she should probably get checked out, too, but Evie refused.
Emily checked out the gash on my forehead and did some silly tests to make sure I didn’t have a concussion. Every so often, she’ll turn and look deep into my eyes. At first it was freaking me out, but I realized she’s just making sure that I’m okay, too.
After what feels like hours, but is probably no more than two honestly, the surgeon comes out to tell us everything went perfectly. Tiny might have some feeling issues as the blood flow to his fingers was cut off for a period of time, but other than that, everything looked good.
I’m practically itching and coming out of my skin to get back to see him, and waiting for the nurse to come get us is a whole other form of torture.
“Finally!” I groan as the nurse comes into the waiting room. It’s damn near two in the morning at this point. Emily and Evie softly sleep in the corner, and the only other person who stayed was Ghost. He decided not to tell everyone what was going on quite yet until we had the chance to see Tiny.
Ghost helps me from the chair, and we follow the nurse to a room.
Tiny’s sleepy face is the first thing I see, and at the sight of his open eyes, I crumple in Ghost’s arms. “Thank fuck.”
Moving around the bed to his good side, I crawl in with him and wrap my arms around him. Tiny chuckles before pressing a kiss to my head. “You scared the shit out of me,” I whisper into his chest.
“Payback for the way I felt when I saw him hit you across the face with the gun,” he says, lightly running his good hand along the wound.
I smirk up at him. “So you do watch the cameras in my house.”
“Oh, you didn’t know?” he grins, reaching down to press a kiss to my lips.
Ghost catches Tiny’s attention, and I don’t even try to pretend not to eavesdrop. They discuss what they’re going to tell the club, how they are going to handle the Ben situation, and so on.
Exhaustion pulls me into its grip as the rumble of Tiny’s voice vibrates through his chest, effectively soothing me into a slumber.
I hang out in that limbo right between consciousness and sleep as they continue talking, and I’m acutely aware of the door closing as Ghost leaves. Tiny wraps me in both of his arms as best as he can and holds me tightly.
“I don’t know what the hell I would’ve done if I wouldn’t have gotten there in time,” he says against my hair.
I blink my eyes open and search his tortured eyes. “You made it, though. You saved me.”
“I will live every single day of my life to save you over and over again. I promise to always protect you, to love you.”
My eyes blink heavily in contentment as I snuggle further into him. “I feel like you’re reading wedding vows to me.”
“One day, I hope to read real wedding vows to you,” he confesses, his head tilted back on his pillow as he stares up at the ceiling.
“Really?”
Capturing my lips with his, he answers me with a reassuring kiss. If there’s one thing about Tiny, I never have to question how he truly feels. He continues to show me over and over again the lengths he will go for me.
This is what I’ve been looking for all along.
A man who loves me more than I love myself. A man who puts me above all others, even himself, as evidenced by the cast covering his entire arm due to the bullet he caught for me.
I love him, and he loves me, and at this point in time, that’s all I can truly ask for.