29. Hendrix #2
“We’d like to take you to the hospital, Mr. Sinclair,” someone says, but I’m not sure who. An oxygen mask is slipped over my face as I’m helped to my feet.
“Go with them to the hospital, Hendrix,” Max says in that way only Max Kingston can. “I’ll get your mom and let your dad know what’s happening.” He follows me to the ambulance. “I’ll even call my daughter.”
“What?”
He nods and walks away as I sit on a stretcher, thinking maybe I did hit my head.
Serena
“Serena,” Dad says as I open my front door. “I need you to get on shoes.” He looks me up and down. “And pants.”
“Hello to you too, Dad,” I grumble as I walk away from the door, ignoring him.
“It’s my day off, and I’m in my own house.
I don’t really see why pants are necessary, but in case you were wondering.
” I lift my hoodie—well actually Hendrix’s hoodie that I stole from him when I was twenty-one and too hungover to bother looking for my own clothes—and flash him the shorts I’m wearing under it. “See? Shorts.”
“Honey, Love In Bloom caught on fire today, and Delaney Beneventi was caught inside. Ryker and Hendrix were across the street when it happened, and they found her and saved her. They performed CPR until the EMTs got there, and they’ve all been rushed to Kroydon Hills Hospital.
If you want a ride, put on pants and shoes, and I’ll drive you. ”
I stand there, staring at him, not sure I heard him right.
“Say something,” he finally says.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, not processing what he just said. I shake my head thinking, I might be going into shock. “What?”
“Delaney—”
“Wait—a fire. Hendrix was in a fire?” It all clicks at once. “Oh my God. I’ve got to get to the hospital.” I spin around, looking for shoes. “Is he okay? Are all of them okay?”
Where the fuck are my shoes?
I grab someone’s Ugg slippers from the stairs and head for the door.
“Pants, Serena,” Dad growls.
“I have on motherfucking shorts,” I scream like a lunatic, clearly losing it. “Now are you going to drive me to the hospital or am I?”
Dad blinks at me for a second before blowing out a breath, grumbling under his breath as I grab my keys and purse from the table by the door.
A minute later, we’re in the back of his town car, his driver, Lou, in the front seat going entirely too slow.
“Lou—” I bark.
“I’m going as fast as I can, Serena.”
“Serena,” Dad snaps from next to me. “Calm down. You being a mess won’t help anything, honey.” He throws an arm around my shoulders, and I turn to look at him, my brain apparently choosing now to catch up to my nerves.
“Why did you come to my house?” I ask as some of the adrenaline wanes.
“Did you not want a ride to the hospital?” he asks calmly, like it’s that simple.
“Dad . . .” I say slowly. “How did you know I’d want to go to the hospital?”
If he says Mom told him, I won’t be mad. It’s not like I asked her not to say anything. I just thought I’d have time to talk to him about it myself.
But he doesn’t say that. Nope. Not my dad. Nothing with him is ever that easy.
He smiles and shakes his head instead. “Oh, honey, did you really think I didn’t know you and Hendrix Sinclair have been together since you were seniors in high school?”
“College,” I correct him before I think better of it. Oh well, I guess he knows now. “We were freshmen in college. But that’s not the point. How did you know?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that man saved your cousin’s wife’s life tonight.
And he’s on oxygen at the hospital.” My heart slams against my chest, and Dad catches his words.
“No. It’s not that bad. I spoke with Annabelle before I got to you, and it’s just precautionary because he was inside the flower shop where the fire seemed to be at its worst. He’s going to be fine.
I think he’ll be out for the next game or two, but that’s it.
Hell, he’s pissed they forced him to even go to the hospital. ”
“You knew?” I ask again. “Wait . . . you knew, and you still traded for him?”
Dad’s grin is cocky, and for a reason I’m not sure I’ll ever understand, I start laughing. But hey, I guess it’s better than a panic attack. “Did you know everything?”
“Just that you were together, and then you weren’t.
And yes, I told you before, I traded for him because it was time for him to come home and be with his family.
If you two happened to find your way back to each other, then so be it.
” We pull into the hospital parking lot, and Dad grabs my hand. “Are you angry?”
I laugh again and kiss his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”
And then I let myself out of the car and run.
“Hey, kiddo,” Declan Sinclair slows me down with his hands on my shoulders before I can rush through Hendrix’s hospital door. “Take a breath. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. How’s he?” I ask with tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.
“He’s pissed as hell that he’s here. But he’s going to be fine. They’re monitoring him for a few hours to make sure his oxygen levels stay stable, but so far, so good.” He looks past me to the door. “Annabelle’s with him now.”
“Oh.” I step back, realizing that to him, I’m just a friend, and they probably don’t understand why I would rush in there. “Can I see him?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” He squeezes my shoulders and opens the door. “Oh, and by the way, nice sweatshirt.”
I smile, knowing exactly what it looks like. Because this is one of Hendrix’s college hockey sweatshirts with Sinclair and his number stretched across the back. Shit. And I look like I don’t have pants on.
Oh well.