Singing along to the lyrics, I slip my hand through my hair, holding it away from my face. Mason smiles, shaking his head at me. He always gives me crap for my love of old school rap.
He reaches over, sliding his hand along my leg and grabs my hand. Tangling his fingers with mine, he brings my palm to his mouth as he presses a light kiss before setting it back down in his lap.
“Thank you for coming with me.” He flashes me a small grin. I wish I could see his eyes behind his shaded sunglasses.
Resting my head on his shoulder, I close my eyes and let the music playing through the speakers soothe me.
A little while later, we pull into a town outside of Arbor Creek named Everton where the hospital is located. Mason’s face is stoic; his expression unreadable. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing as we walk toward the hospital entrance. Entering through the turnstile door, we approach the desk situated in the lobby.
“May I help you?” an older woman asks. It’s hard to see her over the height of the desk, but her silver-gray hair curled to perfection and her big blue eyes make her hard to miss.
“Yes, I’m looking for my brother. His girlfriend, Ellie, has been brought here.”
“Mason.” The sound of a voice behind us has us turning. A petite woman with short blond hair smiles as she races toward Mason, throwing her arms around him.
“Halle, hey. It’s great to see you.”
My eyes track his movements, and I can’t help but feel uncomfortable at how he reacts to seeing her. Folding my arms in front of my stomach, I cover myself in hopes of easing the roll in my stomach.
“It’s great to see you. I bet you’re looking for Callum. I can take you up to see him.”
“How’s he doing?” Mason asks, his eyebrows etched with worry.
“Not good. Ellie still hasn’t woken up. We’ve been trying to get him to shower or even eat something. He isn’t taking this very well. I think it will be good for him to see you.”
Halle steps away from Mason, turning to show him to Ellie’s room when she notices me standing beside them. I feel like I’ve intruded on their private moment, and I fight against the urge to look away.
As if suddenly remembering I’m standing here, Mason turns and runs his arm along my shoulder and I move to stand closer to him.
“Sorry, Brea, this is Halle. She’s a friend of mine. Halle, this is Brea.”
Halle reaches her hand out between us and I take hers in greeting. “It’s nice meeting you.” She smiles.
“Likewise.” I smile back.
Mason rubs his hand over his mouth and down the back of his neck. I know he’s unsure how his brother is going to take seeing him, but wants to be there for him all the same.
“Do you want me to go up with you? I mean, I can hang out in the waiting room, too.”
I can tell Halle is trying to piece together who I am as her eyes travel between us. I fight against the urge to tell her to get lost, that we’ll figure it out on our own. She must be a friend of Mason’s so I don’t want to be rude, but I also don’t know what their relationship is with each other.
“Of course I want you to come up with me. C’mon,” he says, holding his arm out to me. We thank the woman at the front desk for her help before heading toward the elevator.
Pushing the button for the third floor, we stand and wait. The only sound filling the silence is the beeping as the elevator passes each floor.
“Umm,” Halle hesitates. “How’s he doing?” I feel my eyebrows furrow at her question.
“He’s good. I guess as good as he can be considering,” Mason says, running his hand down the side of her arm reassuringly.
I’m not sure who she’s referring to, but I can sense her uncertainty as she bites her lower lip, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Is he,” she sighs, letting out a shaky breath. “Is he seeing anyone?”
The emotion on her face nearly breaks my heart in two. Whoever she is talking about, she obviously cares about and I immediately feel like an asshole for assuming she could have something more with Mason.
“He’s not dating anyone if that’s what you’re asking.”
I am not sure if that’s the answer she was looking for as a lone tear slips out of her eye and down her face. She doesn’t move to wipe it away. Her head turns toward me and she flashes me a sad smile just as the elevator dings announcing our arrival.
“Halle, I thought you were taking off? Mason, is that you, man?”
The two guys greet each other as we exit the elevator. Another woman with long brown hair wraps her arms around Mason’s waist.
“Hey, guys. Brea, this is Callum and my friends Wes and Kinsley. Guys, this is Brea.”
Wes nods his head in greeting as Kinsley steps forward and wraps her arm around my shoulder. “I’m a hugger.” She laughs in my ear. “I’ve never met any of Mason’s girlfriends. It’s nice meeting you.”
My eyes find Mason over her shoulder and the smirk on his face says he wouldn’t expect anything less from her.
“You, too,” I mutter, forcing a smile on my face.
“How’s she doing?” Mason asks.
“She hasn’t woken up yet. Callum won’t leave her side. It’s been a couple of days and I know it has him worried. Kinsley just had to force him to take a shower and go eat. Until today, we had been bringing him food but even then, he was hardly touching it,” Wes grumbles.
“Damn! What the fuck happened?” Mason asks the question I had been wondering myself.
“I know Callum wouldn’t want me telling you all of the details out of respect for Ellie, but I can say she was abducted by some fucker who messed with her when she was a kid. She fought him hard, but she ended up sustaining a pretty bad head wound, which has left her unconscious. They’re still searching for him.”
I cover my mouth to hide the gasp hearing Wes explain what happened to Ellie. Tears stream down Kinsley and Halle’s face, their grief and worry for their friend has my heart aching for this woman I don’t even know.
“He’ll be happy to see you. We just sent him to the cafeteria to eat. You should meet him down there.” Kinsley smiles, adjusting the strap of her cross-body bag over her shoulder.
“That sounds good. We’re gonna head that way now. I’ll talk to you guys later,” Mason says, turning toward Halle. “I’ll catch up with you sometime before I leave, okay?”
“Okay,” Hallie replies. “Just send me a text or something.”
After saying our goodbyes, Mason and I head to the elevators. Pressing the button to the main floor, we head out in search for the cafeteria.
“Damn, it’s no wonder my mom wanted me here. I’ve never talked to Callum about Ellie with us not speaking, but Mom had mentioned her to me at one point. This has to be tearing him up right now.”
Stepping across the small elevator, I give Mason a reassuring hug, resting my head against his shoulder. “He’s going to be glad you came.”
We follow the signs on the wall leading us to the cafeteria. Since my father was a doctor at the local Cleveland Hospital, I am used to being in and around places like this. Although there is one thing I’ve always stayed away from…hospital food.
Rounding the corner into the cafeteria, I hear Mason mutter “there he is” as my eyes search for Callum. The first night that I met him in Chicago, I had mistaken him for Mason beneath the dim lights at Velvet. Now, in the well-lit room, he doesn’t look like the same person I remember.
It takes me a second to collect myself when I see him. Although his hair is wet from his recent shower, the pale look on his face and the dark circles under his eyes show how worried he is and my heart breaks all over again. He picks up his tray and turns toward the table where he moves to take a seat when his eyes fall on Mason’s.
As soon as they see each other, I watch as Mason takes the three hurri
ed steps and wraps his arms around his brother. The strangled sob that comes from deep down in Callum’s throat has me clamping my hand over my mouth to cover a sob of my own. I hear Callum’s whispered words to Mason, “It’s good to see you. I wasn’t expecting you.”
He claps him on the back. I watch as Callum runs his hand along his face, trying to contain the emotion after seeing his brother.
“Yeah, well as soon as Mom told me what had happened, I knew you could use some support. I know we never talked about her nor have I had the chance to meet her, but I know she’s important to you,” Mason says, taking a step back so he’s next to me once again.
Callum’s eyes find mine and I feel guilty for interrupting their private moment.
“Hey, Brea. Thanks to both of you for coming. It’s… uh, it’s really good to see both of you.” I know what he really means is that he’s happy to see his brother, but he really wishes it wasn’t under these circumstances.
Mason claps him once again on the shoulder and says, “Of course, man.”
Callum turns to take a seat at the table and Mason holds out his arm to me, allowing me to go before him. We take a seat opposite to Callum as he moves to crush his crackers before adding them to his bowl of chili.
“How is she doing?” Mason asks. I turn my head to peer up at him, and I see the concern on his face.
“She’s okay. She hasn’t woken up yet so there are still a lot of unknowns, but the doctor is optimistic,” he sighs. “All the tests they’ve ran show signs she’s responding. Right now, it’s just a waiting game, just waiting for her to wake up.”
“That’s good to hear, man.”
“How long are you in town for?” Callum takes a bite of his chili, his eyes bouncing between me and Mason. I see the question hidden beneath the surface. They are the same ones I saw in Kinsley and Halle’s faces, too. They are surprised that Mason brought me with him and are wondering what we are to each other.
“Through the weekend. She was originally planning to head home to visit her family, but I convinced her to come along for a road trip. We’ll probably head back to Chicago on Sunday morning.”
Mason turns his head to me and gives me a side smirk. He knows it didn’t take much to convince me to come with him.
We sit and talk with Callum for a little bit longer while he eats his bowl of chili. As much as he seems glad to see Mason, you can tell he is anxious to be with Ellie. I can’t blame him.
Callum stands to take his tray over to the kitchen and comes back. “Thanks for coming today. It means a lot to have you here.”
“Of course,” Mason says, walking closer to him, giving him another brotherly hug.
“Listen, I’m not sure when I’ll be leaving this place. God, I hope it’s fucking soon because I can’t take much more of this.” Callum looks around, running his hand along his shoulder trying to ease the tension. “Before you head back though, will you get a hold of me?”
“Absolutely. I’ll be around, I’m sure I’ll stop by again at some point. I just wanted you to know I was here if you needed anything.”
“I appreciate it,” Callum says, hugging his brother once again.
With the promise of talking to each other later this week, Mason and I head out.
“How are you doing?” I ask as Mason steps in closer to me. He presses his mouth against the side of my head, and I hear his sudden inhale of breath.
“I’m really glad we came. I’ve never seen him so worried and crushed like this. He looks like he’s a second away from falling apart.”
I can only nod my head because even though I hardly know Callum, I understand what he means. He looks like a man who just had his world turned upside down.
“She’ll be okay,” I whisper, wrapping my arm around his waist, returning his embrace. “We just have to pray she’ll be okay.”
The week has gone by fast. It’s crazy how long it’s been since I’ve been back, but damn it feels good to be here.
I know my momma is happy to have me, and even though Brea’s a guest, she hasn’t let me forget while I’m here I’m still responsible for helping with chores. I’m pretty sure she just wants to put me to work so Randy isn’t out there all day.
Pulling my gloves off my hand, I use the sleeve of my t-shirt to wipe the sweat dripping from my brow as I take a drink of the water from my thermos.
“You talked to your brother today?” Randy asks.
“Yeah, I called him earlier and talked to him. I’m so glad to hear Ellie is doing better and is finally home with Callum. I know he was relieved, too. I mentioned to him Dad was in town. We’re going over to his place tomorrow for dinner.”
“Is that right?” Randy says. “That’s good to hear, son. It’s about time you all put this to rest.”
“Yeah, I’m staying out of it from here on out, but I’m just looking forward to catching up with him.”
“I think it’s probably for the best, let the two of them handle it. You and Brea doin’ anything tonight?”
“We are going to head into town to Brodie’s. I want to meet up with the gang for a few beers while I’m still in town. We’ll probably grab something to eat while we’re there.”
“Well, if you’re wanting to head out soon, we should probably call it a day. It’s about a quarter ‘til five and I’m sure you’ll want to clean up before you go.”
Ready for a shower, we make our way out of the stables and across the property up to the house. I brought Brea down earlier this week and we went for a ride on the horses. She absolutely loved it, and I have to say, it made me incredibly happy to see how well she fit in with my life here.
My phone vibrates so I pull it out, checking the screen in hopes of seeing Brea’s name, knowing she’s just a few feet inside. My mom kicked me out the door earlier this morning, telling me to leave them be while she spent some time with Brea. I loved the way Brea smiled as she put on the apron my mom gave her and started helping her in the kitchen. I’ve been thinking a lot about the future and what life after college would look like. I can’t lie, having Brea here with me sounds perfect.
I see Halle’s name on my screen and I swipe to answer the call, raising it to my ear. Holding a finger up to Randy, I let him know I’ll be inside in a minute before I answer.
“Halle, how are you?”
“You weren’t going to leave town without saying bye, were ya?”
I chuckle. I wouldn’t make it out of the county without her knowing and raising hell, I’m sure of it. “I wouldn’t dare.”
She laughs. “That’s right. You’re going out to Brodie’s tonight, right? Kinsley mentioned Wes was meeting you and Brannon there.”
“Yeah, Brea and I are going to stop there for dinner and a beer or two. You and Kins want to join us, too?”
“I was already planning on crashing your party, but I appreciate you offering. Such a gentleman,” she jokes.
“I should’ve figured as much.”
As soon as she hangs up, I slide my phone in my pocket and take the stairs up the deck. Swinging the screen door open, I smell the scent of my momma’s homemade brownies and my stomach rolls in hunger. I regret telling the guys I’d meet them for dinner, and I immediately head over to the counter where they are arranged on the plate.
“Mason Thomas Reid, get your dirty hands out of there and go wash up.”
Holding my hands up, I take a step back and flash her an innocent smile.
“You ain’t foolin’ me with your crooked grin. Get out of here. I’ll have one for you when you get done.”
“Yes, Momma,” I say, turning on my heel and heading down the narrow hallway toward my bedroom. Brea has been sleeping in Callum’s old bedroom this week. I told her it didn’t matter, but she insisted it wasn’t respectful. It’s been killing me to have her so close, yet not close enough.
Stepping around the c
orner, I peek into the bedroom and watch her hands in the air as she runs the curling iron through her long brown hair. With a light knock, she puts the iron down and steps out of the way, watching as I walk into the room.
I haven’t even looked in the mirror but by the look on her face, she likes what she sees.
“You sure law school is for you? I have to say, you make a damn fine-looking farm hand.” She grins, looking me up and down with her grin taking over nearly half of her face.
“Oh, really?” I say, walking toward her, holding my hands out as if I’m asking her for a hug.
“Oh, no, no, you don’t. I just finished getting ready. I’m not letting you get me all dirty.”
“Mm, I’ll be getting you dirty later, baby,” I joke, raising my eyebrows suggestively. I love the way her cheeks flush a beautiful rosy color, complementing the color of her shirt perfectly
Truth be told, having Brea this close all week and not getting to touch her has me going out of my damn mind. I had to sit and watch her in her boxer shorts and t-shirt last night, looking fresh faced and gorgeous. I’m not letting another night go by without having her.
Flashing her a wink, I slowly walk backward out of the doorway and into the bathroom. After I strip out of my clothes, I make quick work about getting in and out of the shower. We don’t have a lot of time before we are set to meet up with everyone.
I didn’t bring any clothes with me into the bathroom so I wrap myself with a towel. I quickly brush my teeth and use my electric razor to trim the hair on my face before exiting the bathroom.
As soon as I open the bathroom door, I wasn’t expecting to find Brea standing in the hallway. By the look on her face, she is taken a little off guard seeing me, too. I watch as her eyes roam over my bare chest, down my stomach to where the towel is knotted at my waist. The not-so-subtle way her throat moves as she swallows before tracing the path up to meet my eyes has me fighting off a huge grin of my own.
“Find what you were looking for?”
“Shut up.” She narrows her eyes at me before looking away, making sure no one is coming.
Lost Before You (Heart's Compass Book 2) Page 16