Chapter 19
Ice cold panic coursed through her veins as she managed to move one foot in front of the other down the hospital corridor, her heels clacking along the tile. Her mind whirred a million miles a minute over the possibilities that awaited her. Whatever the outcome, she knew it wasn't good (couldn't possibly be) otherwise James would have told her over the phone that he was okay.
Did he get…?
Was he going to…?
Oh God.
She wouldn't think that way (she couldn't). No matter what transpired between them in the last 24 hours, he was a part of her life and right now he was hurt and needed her support.
The rest really didn't matter.
Alisha rushed around the corner and instantly spotted James and Maggie in the waiting area. She swallowed the gigantic lump in her throat and braced herself for whatever it was she was about to hear.
"James! Maggie!" she called, her voice sounding foreign as it passed her lips. "What happened? How is he?"
Both heads snapped up and peered back curiously at her. "What are you wearing?" James asked, his brows knitting together.
Alisha looked down and saw fishnet stockings, realizing that in her haste to leave the theater, she'd forgotten to change out of her Velma Kelly costume. Jesus. "It doesn't matter. Tell me, James—what happened to Jake?"
James scrubbed one hand over his face while Maggie grabbed supportively at his other one. "We got called in to help out with an old warehouse blaze. Big was ahead of us and the ceiling collapsed."
Alisha gasped and sank down into the chair across from James.
"A beam landed on his chest and—I'm so sorry, Alisha. He's my—I should've had his back," he told her, looking down at the worn carpet Beneath his boots.
She slumped over and buried her face in her hands. "Where is he now?" she whispered.
"Surgery," James muttered. "The impact from the beam punctured a lung and broke some of his ribs. The ER doc suspected internal bleeding and they took him to surgery."
"Was he burned at all?" she asked, her stomach flipping over at the thought.
James just shook his head, slowly lifting his eyes until they landed on hers. "He asked for you—before he lost consciousness—he wanted me to—"
"I finally found the cafeteria," Sarah huffed, interrupting and striding into the waiting room with three cups of coffee in her hands.
Alisha's head snapped up towards the unmistakable voice she'd heard that morning (God, that felt like a lifetime ago) before everything went to shit. If Jake had been asking for her, then what the hell was she doing here?
"Alisha?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and studying her.
"Yes," Alisha clipped, all set to launch into a heated tirade before the hussy cut her off.
"Oh my God! I'm so glad you're here. I've wanted to apologize to you all day." She handed Maggie and James the coffee and dropped down in the seat next to Alisha. "I'm Sarah Biggerman—Jake's sister."
"Jake's—" Alisha trailed off, letting her words wash over her. It was then that she finally noticed the resemblance. (the eyes were a dead giveaway) His sister. Then that meant…he hadn't…thank God. "You're his sister?" she asked, needing confirmation.
Sarah's lips quirked in true Biggerman fashion. "I am."
Alisha leaned back in the chair, her head resting against the padding. "His sister," she repeated dryly to the ceiling tiles. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. (or to hug or hit) Snapping upright again, she turned heated eyes on the gorgeous brunette. "But you made me think—"
Sarah held up her hand. "I know—hence the need to apologize. I had no idea that my brother had finally grown the fuck up and gotten himself a girlfriend. So…sorry about that. He was really pissed at me."
As relief surged through her, she wondered how she hadn't noticed the similarities between them earlier. "It's all right, Sarah. Thank you for telling me the truth."
"You want some coffee? I'll go get you some," Sarah offered.
"No thank you," Alisha shook her head.
Looking back to James, she felt her heart break. The worried expression he wore was the saddest thing she'd ever seen. That look only served to increase her own worry over Jake. "James?" She waited until he met her eyes. "I—what were you trying to tell me earlier?"
A ghost of a smile flashed over his lips. "He wanted me to tell you about this brat," he said, gesturing to Sarah.
"Shut it, Keller," she rasped, flipping him off.
Alisha couldn't handle the banter at the moment, so she pushed to her feet and walked over to the window. Pressing her forehead to the cool glass, she watched the lights of the city below and said a quiet prayer for Jake. It wasn't something she did often, but if there was ever a time for prayer, now was it.
"Hey," Maggie said softly behind her.
"Hey," Alisha murmured, blinking away the moisture that gathered on her lashes. She turned and let her friend envelop her into a tight hug.
"Doing okay?" Maggie asked softly.
Alisha's shoulders shrugged noncommittally. "I'm just worried about him."
"I know." She knew it could have just as easily been James that had gotten hurt and that thought she shoved way, way back into the recesses of her mind. "Can I get you anything?"
Alisha pulled back and shook her head. "Well, on second thought," she said, glancing down at her attire.
"I've already called Russell," Maggie said, stroking a hand over her friend's short wig. "He's on his way with some clothes for you, Velma."
Alisha snorted out a laugh as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. "I just ran out of there; as soon as James told me he'd been hurt I just—I had to be here. No matter what happened, or didn't happen," she said, casting a furtive glance over at Sarah.
Maggie nodded sympathetically and brushed her friend's tears away. "I know, sweetie."
"He's going to be okay," Alisha said adamantly, jutting out her chin. "He's too much of a stubborn ass to not be."
A smile tugged at
