Roman

by Sawyer Bennett

  "Okay," she says softly and disconnects.

  For just a moment, I'm at a loss as to what to do. I know logically I need to get to the hospital, but in my panic, I can't seem to reason how to go about doing it. All I can imagine is the worst, that Lexi's dying or dead, and I didn't get a chance to make this better. I didn't get a chance to let her know how I truly feel about her, not just with words, but through the actions she so desperately needed.

  Finally, my common sense seems to kick in and I vault from my couch, head in to the kitchen to swipe my keys off the counter. I barrel past the laundry room and into the garage, slapping at the button on the wall to raise the rolling door. I manage to at least take a deep breath in a piss-poor attempt to try to calm my nerves, and I tell myself to get my shit together before I get into my car.

  --

  The sliding doors to the emergency room open and I immediately spot Gray standing in a corner, both arms crossed protectively over her belly. Fuck, she better not be going into labor.

  She locks eyes with me as soon as I step inside and crosses over to me quickly. My heart slams inside my chest as I see how ravaged her face is with worry, and for the first time ever, I see myself in Gray and realize that I have everything in common with her.

  "How is she?" I ask as she stops in front of me.

  "Dad and Georgia are back there with her, but they were getting ready to take her for a CT scan of her head," she says shakily. "The other car hit Lexi's side and her head shattered the driver's-side window. She's already had some X-rays and she has a hairline fracture to her collarbone, but that's all we know right now."

  "But she's conscious?" I ask fearfully. "I mean...why are they doing a CT scan?"

  "I think just a precaution," she says with uncertainty, and perhaps a faint hint of optimism. "It could be awhile before we get results."

  "Can we go back there?" I ask, nodding toward a set of double doors that I assume go back to where Lexi could be.

  Gray shakes her head. "They only will let two people back there right now, and it should be Dad and Georgia."

  She doesn't say this to hurt me, as there's no hint of animosity in her voice that I normally hear. Rather, I take it to mean that yes, her father, Brian, should be back there, and of course, Georgia came with him and is as close to a mother as Lexi has right now.

  "Let's sit down," I suggest as I take Gray by the elbow and lead her to a pair of empty chairs against the far wall. She looks like a strong wind could blow her over, and the last thing I want is for a pregnant woman to end up on the ground.

  Gray doesn't fight me, but placidly lets me lead her to the chairs. After she's seated, I take the one next to her and heave out a violent breath of frustration and worry. Stretching my legs out, I lean back and rest my head against the wall, closing my eyes against the harsh fluorescent lights.

  What a fucking mess.

  "This is all my fault," Gray whispers, and my eyes pop back open as I turn to look at her.

  She's hunched over her in her chair, her arms again wrapped protectively around her belly. She tilts her head to look at me and her eyes are swimming with tears.

  And now in this moment, I not only feel a keen solidarity with Gray, I have a stunning wave of tenderness sweep through me. Without a hint of awkwardness, I put my hand on her shoulder and squeeze. While I have to admit, I'm thinking the same damn thing, I try to dispel those thoughts she has.

  "It's absolutely not your fault," I assure her quietly. "She's a victim of circumstances is all."

  "She wouldn't have been in that circumstance if I would have kept my fucking mouth shut tonight," she says bitterly. "I had no reason to bring up that trade report other than to get my dig in at you and make you feel uncomfortable. It was stupid and petty, and if Lexi doesn't make it, it will be completely my fault."

  She punctuates this last sentiment with a sob, and before I even can comprehend my actions, I'm sitting up and pulling her into my side. I wrap my arms around her shoulders, which are shaking with grief, and I try to reassure her. "Lexi is strong. She's a Brannon. And I know she'd want you to be strong too, okay? So get that chin up, and how about we use this time to figure our shit out so that when we can finally go back and see her, we can give her the best birthday gift ever by showing her we can be adults."

  Gray snickers, then sobs, a tiny hiccup, and she pulls away from me. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she says with a shaky voice, "We really are a couple of jackasses, aren't we?"

  "Speak for yourself," I say with a tentative smile.

  Gray laughs and I'm glad, because that was my intention. I squeeze her shoulder again and we both lean back in our chairs again, looking straight ahead at the crowd in the emergency room.

  "I was totally wrong in how I treated you," Gray says softly. I don't bother to look over at her, but rather wait for her to get this off her chest. "I mean...my first conversation stands; you needed to get yourself a little under control with your antics. But after that, it had totally become personal to me. And because I'm afraid if I'm not honest with you right now, karma will bite me hard on the ass and take it out on Lexi, I'm going to admit: much of that was just pure sisterly protectiveness that was coming out. I was judging you solely on your past actions and wasn't willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

  I smile at her admission, and then give her one of my own. "Well, I could have put an end to our feud a long time ago if I'd just have stopped being a prick for one moment and merely reassured you that I was gladly changing my ways to be with your sister. Somehow, my ego wouldn't let me give that up, and I'm thinking now if I wasn't such a world-class douche perhaps we would have come to some peaceful terms weeks ago."

  Gray is silent for a few seconds, then she asks softly, "We're having a moment, aren't we?"

  "A profound one," I agree.

  "Are we good?" she asks, and I turn my head to find her looking at me with apology in her eyes.

  "We are if you let me tell you I'm sorry, and accept I really mean it," I tell her bluntly. "Your sister is more important to me than anything in this world, and if it's important to her that I get along with her sister, I absolutely will go above and beyond to make that happen."

  Gray's eyes soften and she smiles. "I'm sorry too. Let's start over for Lexi's sake, okay?"

  "Deal," I say, then turn my head back to stare at the crowd as I ask, "That means I'm not getting traded, right?"

  "You're totally not getting traded," she affirms. "Besides, I've got a vested interest now in making sure my sister is happy, so you're stuck with this team, unfortunately."

  Chuckling, I say dryly, "Yes...so unfortunate."

  Both of us immediately bolt upright in our chairs as the double doors open and Brian and Georgia walk through. They sweep the waiting room, and by the time they see us, Gray and I are out of our chairs, walking to them quickly.

  "CT scan is clear," Brian says with a smile as his eyes flick back and forth between us. "They're going to keep her a day, maybe two, because she's a little out of it from the head injury. They want to carefully observe her. It will be a little bit before an in-patient room is ready though."

  "Can we go back to see her?" I ask Brian.

  "I don't know," he says gravely, looking hard at me and then at his daughter. "Can the two of you be trusted to go back there and see Lexi together?"

  "Absolutely," Gray answers as she nudges her shoulder against me. "We've made amends."

  "Permanent amends," I clarify. "We're good."

  Brian smiles as he puts an arm around Georgia and pulls her in close. "Then by all means, head on back and keep her company. Georgia and I are going to the cafeteria for some coffee."

  Gray and I watch Brian and Georgia head down an intersecting hallway, presumably to the cafeteria. I smile as they walk with their arms around each other's waists, and Gray groans beside me when Georgia's hand drops to Brian's ass to give it a slight squeeze.

  "No daughter ever wants to see that," she mutters, then turns
toward the double doors.

  We make our way past a nurses' station, and a nurse directs us to a curtained room that's open and we can see Lexi lying in bed with her eyes closed. Even from across the room I can see a huge, purple bruise on the left side of her forehead and a section of skin sutured with black stitches. She has on a blue shoulder sling on the same side, presumable to hold her shoulder in place.

  Sensing Gray's hesitation, I again take her by the elbow and lead her toward Lexi's bed.

  When we enter the room, Gray breaks off from me and walks to one side of her bed before I walk to the other. I have no hesitation once I get there, immediately taking one of Lexi's small hands in my own.

  Her eyes flutter open and she looks at me bleary-eyed at first, but then with some recognition. "Hey," she says slowly, and she sounds a little drugged. "I figured you'd come even though I told you not to contact me."

  "Well, you can't say that anymore," I tell her with a smile and a squeeze to her hand. I nod my head across the bed to Gray. "Your sister and I are best friends now."

  Lexi's head turns slowly to the right and her eyes lock on Gray's, which immediately fill with tears. She leans over and lays her hand across the top of Lexi's chest. "Hey, Sis," she says tremulously. "You scared the shit out of Roman and me."

  "Carefully orchestrated plan to get you two to see reason," Lexi mumbles, her eyes looking heavy and fatigued. "I had to pay that drunk driver a lot of money to hit me."

  Gray lets out a hysterical bark of relieved laughter and grabs hold of Lexi's other hand. "Well, your nefarious plan worked. We've talked things out and we're good."

  "Really?" Lexi asks, and despite her being a little groggy, I can see the hope clearly reflecting in her eyes.

  "Really," I answer for both Gray and me as I bend over the bed and place a gentle kiss on the uninjured side of her head. "So hurry up and get better so we can all go out on a double date or something."

  Lexi chuckles and Gray and I share a relieved look over the bed.

  "Okay," Lexi says, her eyelids dropping. "But let me get a little sleep first. I'm afraid this birthday celebration has me worn out."

  I start to panic as her face goes lax as she falls asleep, but a nurse fortuitously walks in.

  "Shouldn't we be keeping her awake or something?" I ask her as she goes to check the IV bag at the end of Lexi's bed over on Gray's side.

  The nurse smiles at me briefly. "She's fine. She's just sleepy from the pain medication the doctor ordered. Her CT scan was clear. We should be able to transfer her to a room within about an hour if you want to go get something to eat. She'll be sleeping, I'm sure."

  "I'm not leaving," I tell the nurse firmly, letting go of Lexi's hand so I can reach behind me to pull a chair up to the side of her bed.

  "Me neither," Gray says just as adamantly, also doing the same.

  The nurse shrugs her shoulders and walks out, leaving us to watch over our girl.

  Chapter 28

  Lexi

  "I'm thinking about making a run down to the cafeteria," Georgia says as she pushes up out of one of the guest chairs in my hospital room. She arches her back, which I'm sure is stiff, since she's been sitting there since showing up with my dad and Gray at 6 A.M. I smile as I see my dad's eyes watching her every move.

  I'm not sure exactly what is going on between them, but it's clear they have deep feelings for each other. My dad seems like a different person in Georgia's presence.

  Alive, youthful, and oh so very happy. I can't judge his happiness level before her coming into his life, but I know right now he's a satisfied man.

  It's quite possibly the best thing that has happened since I've come into the Brannons' lives.

  Or maybe the best thing is that I have a new family, as evidenced by the fact that my dad and sister have been here since the crack of dawn. They were not happy when the nurses ran them out last night, or so I was told. I was pretty zonked and have vague memories of them in my room, along with Roman and Georgia hovering over me as well. I woke up a few times during the night and Roman was sleeping in a chair near my bed. The nurses couldn't make him leave, but then he must have at some point in the early morning hours because he was gone when the others arrived.

  "I'll join you," my dad says as he stands up and takes Georgia's hand. He brings it to his mouth and gives it a soft kiss, causing Georgia to blush and stammer as she calls him a charmer.

  Gray and I share a silent laugh with each other as we watch those two crazy lovebirds flutter around.

  So freaking cute.

  Dad bends over my bed and kisses my forehead gently. "Be back soon. Want anything?"

  "I'm good," I tell him with a smile. Georgia pats the top of my foot, which is covered with a sheet and lightweight blanket, and one of the few places I don't actually hurt. That accident knocked me silly to say the least, but I'm just glad no one was seriously hurt. Sadly, it was a twenty-year-old kid who hit me and he was freaked out. I vaguely remember him at my window, which I'd shattered with the side of my head, screaming at me if I was okay. I sort of feel bad for him, as he was terrified, and when the police officer arrived, he had to practically drag him away from me.

  Once Dad and Georgia leave the room, Gray leans toward my bed from her chair on the other side of where my dad and Georgia were sitting and whispers, "Are they the cutest or what?"

  "Totally the cutest," I agree.

  "You know, I never thought much about my dad not having someone while I was growing up. It was just him and me, and he was the best father a girl could have. I never felt anything was lacking, but I was really shortsighted not to think that something may have been lacking for him."

  "You were a child," I point out.

  Gray rolls her eyes at me. "I grew into an adult, and still didn't think twice about it."

  I refrain from shrugging, as my shoulder won't tolerate it, but instead offer, "Maybe he didn't need someone before. Maybe he was completely happy with just you. I mean...he's a man who has his priorities, and I don't think there's anything wrong with his being focused on you."

  I get another eye roll and Gray says, "That's true, but I think once I left the nest, he could have spent some time trying to find someone."

  "Or maybe Georgia was the one he was meant to be with," I suggest.

  "You're very philosophical," she says with a laugh. "I could learn from you."

  Blinking at her in surprise, I shake my head--carefully of course, because it hurts. "I've got nothing to teach. I'm just a ukulele-playing barista."

  Gray's expression turns serious. "And yet, I think you may be the smartest one of all of us. Or, the converse is that I may be the more foolish. I'm really sorry about the crap I put you through with Roman."

  "It's okay--"

  "No, it's not," she says gently, cutting me off. "I have no excuse to offer that's valid. I let my emotions control my actions and I should have known better. But just know, a lot of my behavior was indeed personal, and thus could be said to be selfish."

  "I don't think you're--"

  "The point being," she says, again running right over me, "is that I'm sorry and I believe the issue has been fixed between Roman and me. You won't be seeing our petty sides anymore. Doesn't mean that we won't have agreements on the business end of things, but that will remain business and not personal. I promise."

  I stare at her a moment, feeling my heart swell with delight that Gray is saying these words to me, not because she has to, but because she really wants to. So I say the only thing that is appropriate. "Thank you, Gray. That means a lot."

  "Well, you mean a lot to me," she says as she stands up from her chair, then nods across my bed toward the open doorway. I turn my head on my pillow and look, my heart skipping a few beats when I see Roman standing there with my ukulele case in his hand.

  He's so gorgeous that even though I'm banged up and lying in a hospital bed, my entire body still tingles at the sight of him. I wonder if it will always be that way, or will I get used
to his magnificence over time?

  Roman's eyes do a slow, critical sweep of me and his lips are pressed flat together as if he doesn't like what he sees. This I recognize as equal parts anger that I'm lying in a hospital bed and fear that it could have been so much worse.

  "And that's my cue to leave," Gray says as she leans over my bed and kisses my cheek. "I'll check in on you later."

  "Okay," I say with a soft smile.

  Gray straightens and heads around my bed. Roman steps to the side to let her pass, and I watch as she punches him lightly on the shoulder. "What's up, jerk?"

  His eyes spark with challenge, but his tone is gently teasing when he says, "Not much, nag."

  I grin to myself as I realize that yeah, they've worked things out.

  "Later," Gray says, and then she's gone.

  Roman sets the ukulele case on the floor and walks up to the side of my bed. Nodding toward the instrument, I tell him, "Don't think I'm going to be playing that for a while because of my shoulder."

  He ignores me, instead bending down and touching his lips to mine gently. When he pulls back, he puts his fingers featherlight against my cheekbone underneath the throbbing bruise and asks, "How much pain are you in?"

  "Not much," I lie, and he doesn't need to know that I refused my medication this morning. While I'm not generally averse to such things, I knew that I wanted to be clear when I saw my family this morning, but more important, I wanted to be clear when Roman came in. Last night was such a blur to me, but I know he was worried and fretful when he was here. I wanted to make sure he was reassured that I'm going to be okay.

  Roman pulls away from me and sits down in the chair that my dad had vacated earlier. He scoots it close to the bed and takes my hand. His eyes are so somber when he says, "You scared the shit out of me."

  "It was just bad luck," I tell him softly.

  "No," he says, shaking his head. "I mean you scared the shit out of me when you left your birthday party last night. Told Gray and me not to contact you until we got our shit worked out."

  "Well, I meant--"

  "I thought I lost you," he says quietly, and I snap my mouth shut because his words sound so pained. "I went home, and was just...I don't know...feeling so out of control. I didn't know how to fix things."