We watch the movie and start another one. By this point, I’ve gathered all the blankets and pillows I could find, and we’ve made a fluffy fortress on top of the couch with our fierce guard dog keeping watch. Danger sits, curled up on my stomach, as I’m dozing, and he lets out a yip when my phone goes off, right in his ear.
“Fuck, what time is it?” I hear Andi’s drowsy voice from the other end of the couch.
I squint at my phone until the time comes into focus.
“A little after midnight. It’s Mason.” I have a missed call and a text from him, which is strange since it’s so late.
“Call him back,” Andi says, flopping back on the couch.
I uncover myself and instantly shiver at the loss of warmth from the blankets and Danger lying on top of me.
“Pepper, thank goodness,” Mason says.
“May? What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to let you know that Ben had an accident on the job, and we’re at the hospital,” he says, and I cover my mouth. “Don’t freak out. It’s only his leg. They’re running tests right now to see if it’s broken or a sprain.”
I jump up, still muttering into the phone, “Oh, right. Oh my gosh. Yeah, okay.”
Andi shifts, and I bend down to let her know I’ll be back.
“What’s going on?” she asks, cracking one eye open.
“Ben got hurt. I need to go to the hospital.”
“Want me to ride with you?” she asks, sitting up with a worried look on her face.
“No, it’s late. Mason, my cousin, is there.”
Andi nods.
I motion to my room. “Feel free to sleep in there.”
I throw on some jeans and a shirt that isn’t rumpled before darting into Ben’s room and grabbing him a change of clothes. I’m sure he’ll want to feel fresh after his stay in the hospital.
Once I’m sure I have everything he might need, I practically run to my car and head to the hospital.
I think back over the night as I’m driving, feeling bad that I was so focused on me when Ben went out to put his life in danger as a firefighter. I turn the music down in my car, the sounds irritating me as I think. I’m thankful that it’s only his leg, but then my mind drifts to the what-ifs before I can stop it.
What if it weren’t just his leg? What if I’d lost him tonight?
My heart clenches, and I press the gas a little faster, feeling better once I pull into the hospital parking lot.
Mason stands as I enter the waiting room. Taking in my wild-eyed look, he frowns.
“Pepper? What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I came to bring Ben some clothes,” I say, feeling dumb, holding up my purse, where clothes are busting out.
“Y’all are together, aren’t you?” he asks suddenly.
I suck in a breath. Everything is so strange to me. I don’t know what Ben would want me to say, but after lying to my parents, I’m not going down that road again.
“Yeah, I think so,” I tell him.
He narrows his eyes for a moment, looking at me thoughtfully. “I thought his weird hug with you that night I brought him home was a little suspicious.”
I think back to the night he got drunk and kissed me on the head while Mason watched.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s new.” I nervously wrap my hand around the strap of my purse, squeezing. I don’t know why I feel like I want his approval, but I want Mason to be happy with my choices.
“Ben’s a good guy,” he says, and my heart warms.
“Can I see him?” I glance around as if I might see him leaning out of a room, waving at me.
“Yeah, come on,” Mason says, walking up to the front desk and getting me a visitor pass.
“Hey, stranger,” I say, smiling as I step into Ben’s room.
His injured leg is on top of the covers, bandaged up, but there’s no cast, so I feel optimistic.
“Pepper?” His eyes widen in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Mason called me. I couldn’t just sit at home.” I step forward and gesture to his bed, and he pats it, indicating I should sit down. “How’s your leg?”
“It’s just a bad ankle sprain.”
“What happened?”
“Tripped and fell, going down some stairs, but I’m all right. We got everyone out, and that’s all that matters.”
What if it had fallen on his head instead of his leg? I shudder at the thought.
“I’m glad it wasn’t worse,” I say softly, and our eyes meet.
“Me too.” He stares a beat longer before letting his head drift back against the pillow. “Mark was there.”
“What?” I say with a gasp. “He was where?”
“In the building. I found him. That’s where he’d called me from.”
“Oh my God, is he okay? Where is he?”
“He was unconscious. I haven’t seen him since, but I’ve asked for information. Mason is supposed to let me know as soon as he hears.”
“Unconscious? What happened?”
“I’m not entirely sure. The door was blocked. And there was another guy locked in the bathroom with him, who just left. I think someone did it to him. I think they tried to scare or kill him.” Ben reaches up to rub his eyes, a look of utter exhaustion on his face.
“Ben, I’m so sorry. I’m so happy you’re okay though.”
I lean forward, awkwardly wrapping my arms around him, and he reaches to smooth his hand down my back.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” he says.
I shake my head. “Don’t be. It’s not important.”
“It’s important to me. I … we had sex, and then I left without being able to talk about it. To talk about us. I don’t want you to think I’m not into you. It wasn’t just sex for me.”
“It wasn’t for me either, Ben. I know you had to go. I don’t hold that against you.” My words are muffled in his chest as he continues to stroke my back. The touch sends goose bumps down my body. “So, what are the plans? Do
