Chapter 26
Emalyn
This isn’t going how I planned.
Not in the least.
My fingers twist, wringing them out until they’re nearly turning colors.
“She came to a game.” I blurt. Great way to ease into that, Emalyn.
“You mean the photo op?” He blinks at me. “Did you talk to her then? She ran from the room.”
“Uh— no. She came to a different game.”
“Okayy.” He drags out, waiting for me to come out and explain it. I set the food to the side and scoot my chair closer to the bed. Squeezing his hand, I take a deep breath to gather courage.
“I think you should try to hear her out. She’s shared some things with me and… I know they hurt you.” My eyes flick between his.
“How the hell could I give her a second chance? She just woke up one day and decided she didn’t love me anymore. Decided I was too much.” He shakes his head. “And now? I’m worth it because I have money? A career? It’s no thanks to them.”
He winces as his voice rises. I smooth my hands over his shoulders
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this right now. Our focus should just be getting you better, okay?”
He nods. His hands gently cup my wrists before I can pull away.
“We can table it for now, Emalyn.” His eyes bore into me. “But I’m not happy about it.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. Please let him be understanding once he lets me explain. He trusts me. It’s the only reason he’s still here.
“I know.” My voice comes out quieter than a whisper. Just a ghost of a sentence. Then, I’m tilting my head toward the suitcase in the corner and letting the tension dissolve. “Now, let’s get you into some fresh clothes. The guys brought your bag over from your hotel room.”
He lets me dig through his bag to pick out a pair of plaid pajama pants and a white T-shirt.
Carrying them back to the bed, I try to act normal as I feel his eyes on me the entire time.
For a guy who’s constantly moving, constantly loud and always multitasking, having him still, quiet and focused only on me is…
overwhelming. And somehow, simultaneously empowering.
“Let’s just slide your arms out and then I’ll slip it over your head so you don’t have to move around too much.
” I murmur. His movements are slow. Careful.
We get both of his arms free with minimal movement.
I’m bent over him, edging it over his face and being mindful not to rattle him around.
He lifts his head for me to get it off the rest of the way.
His large hand falls to my hip, keeping me close. I have to catch myself with one hand on the mattress beside his pillow so I don’t fall on top of him.
“What?” I giggle when he doesn’t release me. “What are you doing?”
“I…” He trails off. Clearing his throat, he tries again. “What are the chances I could bribe you to put on a movie?”
“Slim to none.” I tap his nose affectionately.
“Considering concussion protocol includes no screens.”
It’s then that door opens. Fitz bursts through the door before he’s knocked. Ryan runs right into his back before taking in the scene.
“Oooh,” He bounces his brows. “Sorry about that. We will let you get back to… whatever this is.”
I frown at him for a moment before I realize how this must look to them— me, bent over him with his hand practically on my ass. Ronan doesn’t get embarrassed, doesn’t try to explain what’s happening or say ‘it’s not what it looks like.’ He never even looks away from me.
“Seems like Emalyn’s taking good care of you.” Fitz snorts. Ryan reaches back in to yank Fitz with him by the arm.
Ronan’s free hand flips him off.
They snicker and close the door. There’s muffled voices calling out “Thanks for the food” and “feel better, we love you” followed by a smack. Probably Tate shushing them. Their footsteps retreat and the main door closes.
When I look back to Ronan, he has a pained expression on his face.
“Are we ever going to talk about it?” He asks, so softly I almost missed it. We both know what he’s talking about. Yet, I deflect.
“You mean about how you’re a whole ass CEO and never told me?” I tilt my head. He blushes and glances away. “Why would you hide that from me?”
“I wasn’t hiding it.” He grumbles.
“You tell me about your doorman’s granddaughter's college acceptance but not about the fact that you created a scholarship foundation. I call that hiding.”
“Let’s just… focus on getting me better. Can I get nurse Emmy back now?” He tosses me a playful smirk that lightens the mood and shuts down the conversation. “I feel like I should just put it out there that I’m totally okay with role play.”
I don’t laugh along with him like I usually would. My fingers mess with the folded pajamas. My mouth opens but words get stuck in my throat. I’ve never been good at this part. Saying how I feel, what I want. The fear of being misunderstood tends to take control in these situations.
Ronan’s hand falls to my wrist, thumb drawing soft circles. It grounds me. The simple gesture calms me and allows my defenses to melt. I suck in a breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding.
“Sunshine.” He murmurs, drawing my attention from his thumb on my wrist to his face. “My intention was never to hide anything from you.”
He’s patient as he waits for me to ask the question we both know is coming.
“Then why did you?”
He rubs his bare chest and tilts his head, calmly contemplating his answer.
“I didn’t think we could talk about it without talking about that night. And… I’ve suspected you weren’t in the headspace for that.”
That night…
What could that possibly have to do with his company?
He must see the confusion on my face, but he doesn’t elaborate. Just gently pats the clothes in my lap.
We managed to get him changed the rest of the way before I slide into the bed beside him and tug the covers over us both. My head falls to Ronan’s shoulder allowing his scent to flood my senses.
The quiet between us is loud.
His fingers lace through mine, and presses a kiss to my hand before cradling it to his chest like something precious. Only once his breathing evens out, his chest rising and falling rhythmically and his hand holding mine, do I let myself think about that day.
Brushing hair from my brow with trembling hands, I lean against Ronan for support. He’s the only thing keeping me upright. Keeping me together.
Everything is a blur, like slow motion snap shots from a movie someone else is starring in.
After the call, I ran straight to the bathroom to vomit before Ronan got us a car. He drove like a bat out of hell, to get us here.
I don’t know why the hospital called me first, but I managed to keep it together long enough to call my mother. Why wasn’t she with him?
When she bursts through the doors, red eyes and blotchy cheeks, the last thing I expected her to do was turn on me.
She doesn’t ask for an update before she’s up in my face, flipping between English and Spanish.
“…all because you couldn’t give him this one thing? You messed up that skill on purpose just to spite your father, and intentionally antagonize him. Do you have any idea—“
“Mrs. Espinosa.” Ronan’s firm yet sympathetic voice cuts through her tear fueled rant. “I understand how you’re feeling right now, but Emalyn isn’t to blame here. Let’s just wait to see what the doctors say and hope for the best.”
She doesn’t argue though it takes monumental effort to hold her tongue. Nose upturned, she walks briskly to the nurse’s desk.
It feels like we’ve been sitting for days. My lower back and shoulders ache from sitting in this chair.
Ronan’s arm tightens around my shoulders as he presses something warm into my hands and guides it to my mouth. Chamomile tea.
It’s soothing, calming my stomach.
But only just.
Because a small woman wearing blue scrubs comes out of the doors where my father is in surgery. Mom rushes to her.
“Mr. Espinosa’s family?”
“Yes. I’m his wife.” Mom nods. The woman’s brows knit together as she double checks her papers.
“I’m sorry, this says he’s divorced. Emalyn Espinosa is the only person listed on the forms and the only one I can disclose any information to.”
“T-That’s me.” I step forward. Divorced?
My parents have been happily married for over twenty years.
There must be a mistake. That line of thinking is dropped quickly when the doctor turns to me and her expression turns sympathetic.
Her mouth moves but I don’t hear the words that come out.
My ears ring and the world around my blurs.
The doctor gently touches my arm, saying something.
I don’t hear her. My knees buckle, the weight too much. A firm hold around my waist is the only thing that keeps me upright, pulling me back into the chair of the waiting room.
I can’t see my hands through the blur of tears, I can only feel the gentle touch on my wrist. A blur of blond hair and blue eyes crouched in front of me.
“I’ve got you, Sunshine.”
My mother wails, a hand covering her mouth. Her face twists with devastation.
“He never would’ve been driving if it hadn’t been for you. You just had to throw away everything he worked so hard for, didn’t you?” She spits. Angry tears roll down her cheeks as she steps closer. “After everything he did for you, that’s what you do?”
The crack that sounds through the room doesn’t register as my head turns to see the shocked expression of the desk attendant.
My cheek stings and my hand comes up to cup it.
There’s too much happening at once, and my brain is unable to keep up.
The air gets thicker. Ronan’s on his feet in front me, back to me as he says something to my mom, arms out wide.
The room starts to swirl. Mom shouts in his face until a security guard comes up to her, calming her down.
Ronan’s face appears in front of mine, eyes wide.
“Emalyn. Breathe for me, Sunshine.”
Why is he telling me to breathe? Aren’t I?
What is that noise? I look around for the source.
His hands cup my face, bringing my attention back to him. Ronan demonstrates what he wants me to do by taking exaggerated breaths.
“In, hold it, and out. There you go. Again.” His voice is low and soothing, and as I slowly start to come back to myself, I realize that wheezing sound was me. “Good girl. I’ve got you.”
“I-I can’t…” I sob, dragging air into my lungs as best as I can.
He holds me against his chest. The rest of the night is a blur.
They take me to see my father, and Ronan holds my hand tightly, never letting go.
He just pets my hair and does the talking.
The thank you’s, arrangements, and ordering a car are all done by him.
When he carries me into the hotel room, knocking the door shut with his foot and striding across the floor to arrange us both under the covers, I get deja-vu.
We were just like this before my life imploded.
I could almost close my eyes and pretend the last however many hours didn’t happen. Almost.
“I can’t lose you Ronan.” I whisper against his chest. Even as we lay here, he holds me firmly to him.
“You won’t.”
“What we did…”
“Put it out of your mind, Sunshine. I won’t hold you to anything.” He murmurs against my hair. “I’ll be whatever you need.”
“Anything?”
“Everything.”
“Even just… friends?” I hiccup, pulling back to look into his eyes.
“Your friend, butler, lover, favorite hockey player…” He draws a hollow chuckle from me, “Anything. Always. It’s just that first one that matters the most to me.”
“Friends?” I sniff, my head resting against his chest, the stress of the day threatening to take me under the heavy waves of sleep. The back of his knuckles smooth down my cheek and I faintly hear the word he whispers into the dark.
“Yours.”