It’s their way of saying sorry.
“No, he fixed me breakfast, and Sebastian has a hickey on the side of his neck like a teenager. I think that’s punishment enough.”
Sebastian slaps a hand to his neck and gasps. “I have a hickey! I told her … damn it!” He runs out of the kitchen and down the hall to the nearest mirror. “Aw man!” he fusses.
I pick up a pancake, fold it, and shove it in my mouth, suddenly feeling a lot better that he has to suffer with people staring at his neck wherever he goes today.
“I’m always the one getting in trouble.” Heaven rubs his jaw. “I don’t even mean to. I’m just celebrating.” He limps around the couch and plops down, pouting.
“Is anyone going with me to the hospital today?” I ask.
“All of us,” Jaxon says, deadpanning me. “Like we will let you go to the doctor alone. Come on, now.”
I swallow my coffee slowly and nod. “Thanks guys. I appreciate it.”
“Hey. Good Morning, Finley. You look lovely this morning,” Jaxon greets.
I narrow my eyes at him, knowing what he means by that little comment. When I turn around, I expect to see a sleepy Finley, but she’s ready for the day. Her hair is up, showing her long smooth neck that I want to kiss and lick. My gaze sweeps up and down her body, and it’s like I didn’t ravish her once last night with how my cock is reacting. She’s in tight black jeans and a simple off-the-shoulder purple shirt that flows and has some fucking band logo on the front that I don’t give a damn about.
Her hair glistens a brighter shade of red against the color. She has on a bit of mascara, and when I finally drag my eyes up her body and to her face, she’s blushing.
Heaven whistles, and Owen slaps him on the back of the head again, then gives me a wink and nod.
Heaven rubs the back of his head and grumbles something under his breath.
“Hey, baby.” I stretch my arm out for her to come to me, and with a bright smile she doesn’t hesitate. I lean in for a kiss, and she gives me one on my lips and cheek. Damn it, I’m a lucky guy. My hand falls to her ass, and my palm twitches to slap it again. “Breakfast?”
She plucks a piece of bacon off the plate and bites it in half. “Mhm, I’m starving.”
Jaxon coughs, and all eyes fall on him. He waves his ‘distress’ away. “Sorry, wrong way. Went down the wrong way,” he rasps.
“I worked up an appetite last night,” she whispers in my ear, and I drop the fork from my plate onto the floor.
Owen meets my line of sight, and he smirks as if he knows what she’s saying.
My phone rings, interrupting the awkward sexual tension-filled moment, and I reach into my pants pocket to see the doctor calling me.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Is this Mr. Campbell speaking?”
“This is he,” I state, wanting to really say, ‘who else would it be?’
“This is Doctor Gladstone. I need you to get here as soon as possible please. We have a few things to discuss.”
My heart drops, and I push my plate toward Finley, telling her silently she can have the rest. “This can’t be discussed over the phone, I take it?”
“I’m afraid not. I’m not permitted to.”
Yeah, bad news is only ever talked about in person.
“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I planned to come soon, anyway. I don’t like being away from Dillon.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
A dial tone greets me, and on my next exhale, I hang up the phone and stare at the screen. A minute and ten seconds. That’s how long it takes for him to ruin my good fucking mood. Well, it wasn’t a good mood, but it was better than the one I was in yesterday. I stupidly felt hope.
“We need to get going. That was the doctor. He needs to talk to me about Dillon. It isn’t good news.”
“He can’t say what it is?” Heaven asks.
“Bad news can’t be delivered over the phone,” I spew with venom on my tongue. “Come on. I don’t want to wait a second longer. I’ve waited too long. Here I am, eating fucking pancakes. God, I’m a shit fucking father.” I push my plate into the sink so hard it shatters. “I’ll never be what he deserves. I shouldn’t have ever fucking left the hospital. I should have stayed there.”
“No, you shouldn’t have. Did he say Dillon was awake?”
“No, but—”
“Then stop, Grayson. You need to take care of yourself too. This journey is just now starting. You need rest. You need a meal that’s outside of a damn vending machine. You have to take care of yourself. He needs you at your best. Sleeping in a chair, eating a damn pop-tart isn’t doing that.” Jaxon flicks the oven off and tosses the spatula in the sink with the broken plate. “I’ll have Julia take care of that. Let’s get everyone rounded up. We leave in five.”
It’s twenty minutes later, on the dot, when we arrive at the hospital, and I’m glad I didn’t eat my breakfast now that I’m here. I feel like I’m about to walk the green mile. I look to my left and see Finley, and to my right is Owen, Jaxon, and Sebastian. Heaven is behind us, dragging his limp leg, and the girls are next to Finley.
I hardly notice my legs moving quicker, but then I’m jogging to the front desk and when I get there, I’m alone. I turn around and see everyone waiting a few feet away, but Finley is still coming toward me. I
