Chapter 14 #2
“But she’s okay? Can I see her?” Sarah questioned, stepping forward with her hands in a prayer position.
“We’re monitoring her, but she’s fine and awake, so you can see her. Not all of you, though. Just immediate family for now, please. Oakley needs rest.”
Sarah looked between Jasper and me. “That would be us three,” she told the doctor.
“Follow me.”
Oakley was sitting up in a bed when we reached her room. She pulled the thin blanket up to her chin, her face filling with colour.
“Are you okay?” I asked, sitting next to her, and pressing my lips to her forehead. The coiling in my chest started to unravel as I felt her warm skin against my mouth.
She’s okay.
“Um, mortified, and I have a wicked headache and nausea, but I’m all right.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s not like you fainted in front of a whole courtroom,” Jasper said, nudging her leg.
She laughed and then winced. “Thank you for that.”
He was a dick, but she was laughing.
“Do you want water, sweetheart?” Sarah asked her.
“No, thanks.”
“Well, are you warm enough?”
“Mum, I’m fine. I promise.”
She nodded. “Okay. Don’t worry about court. Linda is on it.”
“Fuck court,” Jasper added. “What do you need, sis?”
“Nothing. Honestly.”
She shot me a look that made me chuckle. Someone wasn’t loving all the fuss.
“Mum, Jasper, do you mind if I have some time with Cole?” Oakley asked when I didn’t come to her rescue.
I shook my head at her, smirking.
She shrugged at me, apparently not ashamed of sending her mum and brother away.
“Of course,” Sarah said. “We’ll go get a coffee and check in with the others.”
Jasper snorted. “I wonder what they want to do.”
“Bye!” Oakley said, shooing him.
As soon as they left, I turned to her and raised my brows. “Subtle.”
“You know I don’t like them fussing.”
“I do know that.” I reached over, stroking her jaw. “How do you still look this good after a panic attack and concussion?”
She shrugged. “You’re biased. And it was a mild concussion.”
“Heavily biased, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. You scared me to death,” I said, pressing my mouth against hers.
When her hand pushed into my hair, and her tongue slid against mine, I pulled back and laughed. “We’re in a hospital. No getting carried away.”
“Boring. I’m sorry I scared you.”
“I need to take better care of you,” I said, playing with her fingers.
“You already do. I just passed out.”
“The doctor said you were dehydrated.”
“How’s that your fault? I should be taking care of myself. It’s just, with everything going on, I wasn’t exactly hungry or thirsty this morning.” She held her hand up, showing me the IV. “Now I’m being hydrated though this… which is dramatic since I’m awake and can drink.”
“At the risk of fussing, do you want water?”
“I’ve had some. I’m good.”
“Do you want to continue with the trial? You know you don’t have to, right? We don’t have to talk about that now, actually. Forget I said anything. We’ll talk when you’re better.”
She shook her head and winced again. “Damn. Headache. I want to continue. I just need to learn how to deal with seeing him again. I didn’t cover that in therapy.
I didn’t think I’d ever be facing him again.
He was just… there. But there is no freaking way I’m not walking back into that room, especially now. ”
“Okay. I thought that’d be the case,” I said, running my hand through her hair. “Do you think speaking to your therapist will help? Maybe she can do a zoom session with you.”
She rubbed at her head. “I might reach out to her.”
“Your head’s bothering you.”
“I’ve had pain meds. I’m fine.”
“You have a concussion.”
“A mild concussion, Cole. I can’t remember doing it. It’s just a headache and slight nausea, so stop worrying.”
“It’s the boyfriend’s job to worry.”
Biting her lip, she grabbed my T-shirt and pulled me closer.
I’d said boyfriend.
“Wrong. It’s the boyfriend’s job to do the kissing.”
I laughed loudly. “Well, I do want to keep my work performance to a high standard.”
“There is nothing wrong with your performance,” she said, her lips grazing mine.
Running my hand down her neck, I let my tongue explore, sliding against hers until I couldn’t breathe. The kiss started slow and deep, but somewhere between her moans and her hand slipping up my T-shirt, I lost what little control I had left.
Holding her cheeks, I deepened the kiss.
And that was when I heard a fake gag.
Great.
“All right, that’s enough,” Jasper said.
Oakley fell back, grinning sheepishly, her forehead pressed against my shoulder.
“Looks like you’re doing better,” Sarah said.
Chuckling, I kissed the top of her head, not at all embarrassed to have been caught.
Sarah and Jasper took a seat on the end of the bed.
“Get your caffeine fix?” Oakley asked, lifting a brow.
“I’m much calmer now,” Sarah said, taking her hand. “I spoke to the nurse, and they’re going to bring you some toast and a hot chocolate. Get that blood sugar up again.”
“This is bullshit,” Jasper said. “She’s in hospital because of this. We should just book our flights back to Australia and get her the hell out of here.”
“Not now,” I told him.
“Then, when? Next time she rides in an ambulance and has a fucking needle in her hand?”
“You might as well have this conversation when I’m not around. Doesn’t look like you need my input,” Oakley said.
Sarah patted her hand but addressed Jasper. “You can’t spend your life running, Jasper. That’s the reason she decided to be here. Oakley wants to do this,” Sarah said.
“I’ve just made everything ten times worse, haven’t I?” Oakley said, ducking her head.
“Made what worse?” I asked.
“The trial.”
“What? No, darling, everything’s going to be fine,” Sarah told her. “You have done no such thing.”
“I have. They’ll say I did it for attention, to manipulate the jury, and anything else they can think of. Me freaking out and ending up in the hospital is just going to back that up. Everyone is going to think I’m this dramatic little girl who makes stuff up, and Dad—”
“Enough, Oakley!” Jasper shouted, making us all jump. “They can say what they like, but the jury will believe you.”
His voice was sharp, and his body so tense, he could snap in half. He looked like he should be in the hospital bed, not her.
“Yeah,” she said, pretending she bought what he was saying. She’d agreed too quickly to convince me. “I’m not going to lose this. They’re not walking away.”
“Damn straight,” I said. “They’re going down, and you’re going to watch.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll never have to find that out.”
Again.
Because I’ll flip my house and use the money to follow you to Australia if you can’t stay here.