49. Lex
Chapter forty-nine
“How about some glitter?”
“How about not, Bombshell,” Lee grumbles as Daisy, Liv’s little girl, falls over with laughter while Claire does her boyfriend’s makeup. We've grown quite close to the owner of Sweet Escape, adopting her into our little circle since she still feels new to the city.
We’ve all had a makeover, and Lee insisted he wanted to participate in girls’ night. That was back when he thought it was just pizza, ice cream sundaes, and The Princess Diaries . He crumbled like a house of cards when Liv’s three-year-old asked if he wanted to go next to get his makeup done.
Claire managed to get false lashes and pink lipstick on him, but apparently, he draws the line at glitter.
“Please, Lover Boy. For me?” She pouts, knowing she can get her boyfriend to do pretty much anything for her.
Daisy tumbles over to Claire and drops onto her lap, where she sits in front of Lee.
“Pyeeeease,” she says in her cute little voice.
It’s hard enough to resist those chestnut curls and big blue eyes that match her mama’s, but throw in her cute sideways smile as she asks so nicely, only a monster would say no.
Which is why Lee drops his head and huffs before agreeing.
Claire laughs as she pulls a brush and some gems from her beauty case and has Daisy help her place some jewels along Lee’s cheekbones.
There’s a knock on the front door. “That better not be anyone we know,” Lee says.
I laugh as I set my glass of wine on the side table next to the couch and make my way to the door.
It’s just after seven. Caleb is at a function for one of his clients, so I’m not expecting him until later.
He’s at the point where he’s not knocking on our door anyway, he just lets himself in with his key, the same as Lee would.
When I open the door, though, Caleb is standing there. Hands braced on the door frame, his head dropped to his chest as he seems to struggle for air.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” My hands immediately fall to his face, guiding him to look up at me.
His eyes are red and filled with unshed tears. “Honey, what? What happened?”
He crumbles against my hold, squeezing me tight. “It’s Gage.”
***
I drove us to the hospital the second Caleb uttered his brother’s name. Beth and Mason were rushing through the doors just moments ahead of us. When we were directed to the third-floor trauma ward, Caleb’s parents and grandparents were already in the waiting room.
Gage was driving down the highway when a vehicle in the opposite direction had a tyre burst, causing it to lose traction and slide into Gage’s lane.
Doctors told Caleb’s parents they suspected Gage had a few broken ribs and a proximal tibia fracture. He’s gone in for X-rays, and they’re managing his pain before deciding what treatment is required.
My legs are tucked between Caleb’s, where we sit on the hard waiting room chairs.
His head rests against my shoulder as I run my fingers through his hair.
I look across the room where Mason talks in a hushed voice to his sister, reassuring her that Gage will be alright.
Caleb told me that when Gage was younger, he was in a car accident similar to this one, and he was put in an induced coma for two days.
I can imagine it’s bringing up a lot of overwhelming feelings for his family.
It’s almost an hour later when the doctor comes through.
“The family of Henry Heart?”
“Yes, that’s us.” Matilda rushes to stand, meeting the doctor in the middle of the waiting room. Caleb’s dad, Thomas, follows just behind with a hand on his wife’s shoulders.
“Hi, I’m Dr Miller.” The older gentleman shakes both of their hands while the rest of us join behind them.
“So, Henry—”
“Gage,” Beth quickly corrects.
The doctor tilts his head, then looks down at the clipboard in his hands.
“He goes by his middle name,” Matilda says.
Dr Miller smiles. “No problem. The good news is, Gage didn’t suffer from any broken ribs.
He’s in a bit of pain, but we’ve got that under control.
He does, however, have a proximal tibia fracture.
It’s a simple, closed break. We can get away with putting him in a cast, but I do encourage crutches for at least the next three months.
He’s a big guy, so we need to get him keeping weight off that leg for as long as we can and then move into rehab for the most successful recovery. ”
“Can we go see him?” Caleb asks.
The doctor looks around at the eight of us.
There are clearly too many of us for normal hospital protocol, but when your grandmother has a whole wing named after her, you’re surely granted special allowances.
“It’s normally only two visitors at a time, but since his injuries aren’t too bad, I can let you go in and see him quickly before he’s fitted for the cast, and then he’ll be able to go home. Does he live with anyone?”
“He can stay with me.” All three siblings talk over each other.
“That’s so sweet of you all,” Hazel says.
“But you all work full-time. Caleb, you only have one bedroom and a new partner. I think Gage should stay with us.” She looks at Cyrus, Caleb’s grandfather.
“One of us is always home, and there’s enough space that he won’t feel like he’s getting in anyone’s way.
Plus, Tiny is familiar with our house. He’ll need to be looked after as well.
“That does make the most sense, Mum. If you don’t mind,” says Thomas.
“Of course, my darling.” She rubs a hand over her son’s back.
“If you’d like to follow me, I’ll show you to his room,” Dr Miller says, then takes off down the hallway.
I stay at the end of the group with Caleb, letting the rest of his family get to Gage first. I wrap my arms around Caleb’s waist as we walk, offering him support and love, since that’s all I can do for the moment.
He kisses my head, and I can feel his body clinging to the strength I offer.
When we make it to Gage’s room, everyone has gathered around his bed.
Beth is lying down with him, tucked into his side.
His face is swollen and a little scratched up.
Hopefully, the pain medication has taken the brunt of his discomfort.
The second Gage spots Caleb and me at the end of the bed, he shoots up.
“Where is she?”
“Gage, sweetheart, sit down.” Matilda places a hand on his shoulder to ease him back against the pillows.
“Where’s who?” Caleb asks. “The other driver?”
Gage grits his teeth and clenches his eyes shut as he stretches back down. “No,” he breathes. “Where’s Isabelle?”
Caleb’s spine snaps. “Why would Iz be here? ”
“She was in the car with me.” Gage sighs as he closes his eyes and clutches his ribs. The stark white of his medical band contrasts against the dark, grim tattoos that cover his skin.
“Are you still in pain, son? Shall I get the doctor?” Thomas asks, but Gage shakes his head.
When he opens his eyes again, they bore straight into Caleb. I lay my hand over Caleb’s chest and wait until his attention comes back to me.
“I’ll go see what I can find out,” I offer. Caleb says nothing, just kisses my palm before letting me pull out of his embrace.
I see Dr Miller at the end of the hallway, talking to another doctor. I call out to him before he walks off down another corridor.
“Sorry to interrupt. I believe there was another person in the car with Gage. Isabelle Asher? Do you know if she was admitted to this ward as well?”
“Not as one of my patients, I’m afraid. You’re best to go back down to reception and inquire, but unless you’re family, you won’t get too much information.”
“Thank you. I’ll see what I can find out anyway.”
He nods and takes off while I run over to the elevator bank. I’m only waiting a few minutes at reception before I can ask about Isabelle, but they have no record of her being admitted.
When I get back up to the trauma ward, everyone is coming back into the waiting area. Caleb rushes over when he sees me.
“Anything?”
I shake my head. “They don’t have her on record. I left my handbag in the car. Can you try phoning her?”
Caleb scrambles to check his pockets, his face deflates when they turn up empty. “I must have left my phone in your car.”
“I’ll try her,” says Beth, and she puts her phone on loudspeaker while it connects.
“Beth! Are you at the hospital?” Isabelle’s voice is frantic as it fills the waiting room .
“Izzy, it’s alright! We’re all here now.” Caleb steps closer to Beth, speaking into her phone. I stand beside him, rubbing a hand up and down his back.
His hand comes around my shoulder, pulling me against his chest and tucking my head under his chin. Beth covers her eyes as her face crumbles, and Mason steps into her, tucking her under his arm.
“I’m still stuck at the scene. He was taken in an ambulance. They wouldn’t tell me how bad he was, and they only just let me go back to the car to find my phone.”
“He’s getting a cast on his leg, and then he’s going back to Gram’s house. But he’s going to be fine. How are you?”
“I’m sorry, OG.”
I snuggle into Caleb’s chest. “It’s not your fault, Izzy,” he says. “Send me your pin location and Lex and I will come get you, okay?” Caleb speaks calmly into the phone.
“Can I talk to him?” Isabelle stutters out the words.
“We’ve just been kicked out of the room. I’ll have Grams ask him to call you when he gets home, okay?”
“Okay.”
“We’ll see you soon.”
Beth hangs up, turning into Mason and wrapping her arms around his middle, just as Thomas and Matilda stand beside them, engulfing them both in their arms.
Caleb looks down at me, hands framing my face as he brings his lips to mine. I hold him tight, giving him the comfort he needs.
“We’ll go help Iz sort out Gage’s car and then take her home before going back to Grams’s. Is that okay?”
I nod. “Whatever you need.”
“I can handle anything, as long as I have you.”