Delayed Call

by Toni Aleo

  Brie: They’re for sure waking him in the morning.

  Brie: What if he doesn’t wake up?

  Brie: I tried calling you. I guess you’re sleeping.

  Brie: Okay. Yeah, I guess, call me in the morning.

  Each message hurt him a bit, and he didn’t understand why they did. He was doing everything to get there. He couldn’t do it all, but fucking hell, he wanted to.

  For her.

  Ignoring everything that was swirling inside of him, he made it to Rodney’s room after verifying with the nurse where he was. Thankfully, he had his NateWay ID so he could get in as a caregiver, or they would have made him go home. Or he would have had to call Brie, which he didn’t want to do. He was glad he hadn’t when he reached Rodney’s room. Curled up in the chair beside her brother, Brie held Rodney’s hand as she slept with her head on the bed. She was wearing sweats and a tee that he recognized as the one he had left at her apartment a few nights ago.

  His heart couldn’t take it, and soon he crossed the room, picking her up into his arms with ease and then sitting down with her in his lap as she woke, her eyes widening. “Vaughn.”

  “Hey, baby.”

  “You’re here?”

  “I am. Shh, go back to sleep.”

  As she gazed into his eyes, her own filling with tears, she shook her head. “How?”

  “I told Elli I had to be here.”

  “You did?”

  He nodded, a grin pulling at the side of his mouth. “Yeah, for my resident who had a heart problem.”

  Her eyes widened even more. “You told her about NateWay?”

  “I did, I knew I had to be here.”

  “I can’t believe you came.”

  He smiled. “Why? Didn’t I say I was here for you?”

  “But the game—”

  “I’ll make it. I have to leave tomorrow morning, but I’m here until then. Right here—with you.”

  Her lips started to quiver as her eyes filled with more tears. “Do you understand how much this means to me right now?”

  Leaning his head to hers, he shrugged. “Well, since I’m so amazing and all, I’m sure a lot.”

  A sob escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth before wrapping her other arm around him and nuzzling her head into his neck. “You’re such an asshole.”

  “I know.”

  “But it’s endearing.”

  “I think you’re the only one who would say that.”

  He held her tightly as she cried, a little laugh coming from her. He smiled as he moved his nose along her hair, his eyes falling shut. “It’s okay, Soledad. Don’t cry, I’m here.”

  “I needed you,” she whispered. “So bad.”

  “I know, I’m here.”

  Her body shook with her cries as he placed kisses along her temple. She pulled back to look at him, her wide blue eyes full of tears as they continued to rush down her beautiful face. He reached up, wiping them away with his thumbs as he held her gaze. Her eyes were so full of an emotion that scared him more than he cared to admit, and he discovered that his friends weren’t just giving him shit. She might love him, and it scared him that she was about to utter the words that would probably stun him stupid.

  Vaughn wanted to beg her not to say the words. That everything was perfect as it was. They were happy. There was no reason to put those three words out there because then, then it meant that someone could get hurt. He wasn’t sure he could say them back, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care. His heart skipped beats regularly just by staring into her blue depths. But love… Fuck, it was so uncertain. And something as precious as love could shatter in an instant, and he didn’t want that.

  He just wanted them.

  He didn’t want to be the fools who rushed in. He had been there before, and now he wanted them to take their time. He wanted to enjoy them; he wanted this to work so fucking bad. It worried him as he started into her eyes, holding her sweet face, that the moment she said them, she would expect him to. And when he couldn’t, she’d leave. Then he would be heartbroken. Again.

  Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her mouth before whispering, “Go to sleep.”

  She held his gaze. “You won’t leave?”

  He shook his head, knowing what she meant. “I’m not going anywhere till you wake up.”

  Her jaw clenched as she held back her sob, and he placed a kiss to her nose once more. When he pulled back, running his thumb along her lips, he knew more than ever that he was in infinitely more trouble than he could ever comprehend. This girl had him. Entirely.

  “Vaughn,” she whispered, and everything stopped as her eyes searched his.

  Please don’t say it. Please.

  “I’m so fucking scared.”

  Relief flooded him as he leaned his head on hers. “I am too, babe.”

  While he knew she was talking about Rodney, and he was worried for that too, he was mainly talking about them. Because she scared him to the point that he wanted to run. He didn’t even want to chance it. He should just end it. Keep his heart intact as well as his pride because she would ruin him, completely. He knew that. But as he held her, the soft smell of her perfume intoxicating him as his lips trailed along her temple while she fell asleep, he knew he wouldn’t go anywhere.

  He couldn’t.

  As Brie sat there, one hand in Vaughn’s, her other in Rodney’s, her heart was in her throat while she waited. It had been three hours since they had stopped the medication keeping Rodney asleep, and everyone was extremely optimistic. But she wouldn’t be okay until she heard his voice and saw his eyes. Chewing her lip, she felt her heart pounding as she watched her baby brother. The steady rhythm of his heart with its new pacemaker filled the room as her breathing was in rhythm with Vaughn’s.

  She prayed so damn hard to God and to her mother that this was the fix. Apparently, there had been a malfunction with the original pacemaker that had been installed. The defective equipment meant they couldn’t get a good read, and then it failed. But what could have killed him didn’t. Because of that, Dr. Miller really felt the new pacemaker was the key, and that things would be great. They just needed him to wake. She needed him to wake. Keeping her eye on the clock between staring at him, she begged time to pause. She didn’t want Vaughn to leave yet, but they were almost out of time.

  She wanted him to see Rodney. She wanted Rodney to wake with both of them there. A team. They were a fucking team, and her heart couldn’t take it. She couldn’t believe that he had told Elli about NateWay or that he had flown in just to sleep in a chair with her, holding her through the early morning hours. She felt so safe in his arms. So protected, and she wouldn’t have been half as calm as she was if it weren’t for him.

  “I should have brought some vodka. This is stressful.”

  A grin pulled at her lips as she glanced back at him. She was still sitting in his lap, which was a little ridiculous, but he wouldn’t let her move. His arm was around her waist, his hand in hers, and it was right. They were right. “It’s a little early.”

  He scoffed. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

  Leaning her head to his, she closed her eyes. “When do you need to leave?”

  “That doesn’t matter. Just relax.”

  “It does.”

  “It doesn’t. I’m here until I can’t be, so shut it.”

  Her lips quirked. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

  “I said, shut up, woman,” he said before tipping her chin up and capturing her mouth with this own. Closing her eyes, she clung to him as their lips moved together in a caress she craved. When they parted, he nuzzled his nose with hers. “I don’t want to leave.”

  She ran her finger along his bottom lip. “But the legendary Vaughn Johansson doesn’t miss a game.”

  His eyes turned playful as he shook his head. “This is true. I gotta play up to my name.”

  “Yes, can’t let the many whores down.”

  He smiled wryly. “I’m only worried about my main one
,” he said with a wink, and she smacked him playfully as he nibbled on her neck. “You won’t hate me?”

  “You just called me your main whore. I already hate you,” she teased, and he laughed against her neck.

  “Shut it.”

  She shook her head. “Not at all. You came when I really needed you. As long as this guy wakes up, I’m good. Well, until something else happens.”

  A small laugh came from their lips as they turned to look back to Rodney. He was still sleeping, his chest rising and falling normally, which made her feel so much better. Leaning against Vaughn, she sucked in a deep breath as he cuddled her close. Soon, he was asleep. She knew he needed the sleep, so did she, but she couldn’t. She had to watch Rodney. Another hour passed, and when her butt started to vibrate with an alarm, Vaughn shook awake, digging into his pocket and pulling his phone out.

  “Fuck,” he groaned, leaning his head into the back of her head as he switched off the alarm. “I gotta go.”

  Her heart sank. “Oh.”

  “B?” She whipped her head up, and Rodney’s eyes were fluttering open as he squeezed her hand. “B?”

  She stood up quickly, almost falling on top of him as she cried, “Rodney, I’m here. Hey, buddy. Hi! Ah!”

  Coming around the bed, Vaughn took Rodney’s other hand. “Hey, bud, how’re you feeling?”

  Rodney blinked a few more times and then looked at both of them. “Tired. Am I alive?”

  Brie cried out as she nodded. “You are.”

  “Is my ticker okay?”

  “It is.”

  Looking between them, he nodded. “Okay, I’m going back to sleep.”

  But Brie had already hit the nurse’s button, and soon the room was full of doctors and nurses. Standing beside Rodney, she held his hand and tried to stay out of the way as the doctors moved around him, checking him out, and the nurses poked and prodded him. When she felt a hand on her ass, she turned back to see Vaughn wave awkwardly.

  “I gotta go,” he said, pointing to the door.

  Kissing the back of Rodney’s hand, she said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Rodney was pissed he was being messed with but nodded as she set his hand down and went to Vaughn, wrapping her arms around his middle tightly. With her face in his chest, she said, “I can’t express how much it means to me that you were here.”

  Kissing the top of her head, he held her close. “I didn’t want to be anywhere else.” As she looked up, he cupped her face in his hands, kissing her nose, and everything was going crazy inside of her. “Call me later, when things calm down?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “And I doubt you’ll be joining us on the road?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Okay, so I’ll see you in a few days?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. FaceTime me? I probably won’t leave the hospital until he does.”

  “Yeah, of course,” he said, pressing his nose to hers. “Miss me dreadfully?”

  She smiled as her heart sang for him.

  I love you. I love you so much it rattles my soul. I want to spend the rest of my days with you and never leave you. Ever. I don’t care about anything else that we haven’t figured out because I love you, Vaughn. I love you so much.

  But she knew she couldn’t say that.

  “Of course, as long as you do the same.”

  “Always,” he said with a wink before kissing her mouth once more. Pulling away, he asked, “Is there anything else I can do?”

  “You’ve done it all,” she answered, her gaze holding his. “I can’t ask for more.”

  “You could.”

  “But I won’t.”

  Smiling, his lips met hers once more as he lifted her off the ground, kissing her with everything he had. She took it. She craved it. When he placed her on her feet, he kissed her nose once more before letting her go. “Call me.”

  “I will.”

  “Okay. Bye, babe.”

  “Bye, JoHo.”

  As she watched him pat Rodney’s leg, saying good-bye, her heart went wild in her chest. She loved that man. More than she had realized she did, and she didn’t know how it happened. But she didn’t care because there was no other option than loving Vaughn Johansson. That didn’t even scare her. She was ready. She was, but she knew he wasn’t.

  And that hurt.

  It hurt to be so invested, but unsure if he was. Did he at least have a little of his heart in them? She wanted to believe that. She knew he was holding back, and she didn’t know what to do. She understood that he didn’t want to rush it. She got it, she did, but if it was right and they were right, who the fuck cared how it happened as long as it did?

  “B?”

  Shaking her head free of it all, because what else could she do, she went to Rodney, taking his hand in hers and beaming down at him. He looked up at her, and his eyes were brighter. She saw her Rodney in there as he said, “I missed you.”

  Her heart soared. “I missed you, bub. How’re you feeling?”

  “Like a thing you poke needles in.” She laughed along with some of the nurses. “My chest hurts.”

  “They cut in there.”

  “Oh. Am I okay?”

  “They think so. I hope so.”

  “Do I have to stay here?”

  She nodded. “Probably for a couple days.”

  His shoulders fell as he looked away. “But everyone will miss me.”

  “I’m sure they’ll come visit, and it will go by fast.”

  He looked back to her. “Will you stay?”

  She smiled. “Yeah, I’m not going anywhere.”

  His face broke into a grin as he squeezed her hand. “I love you, B.”

  “I love you, bub, so much,” she said, her voice breaking as she leaned into him, kissing his cheek. “Don’t ever do this to me again, you got it?”

  He chuckled but grimaced, from the pain probably, as he nodded. “Promise.”

  They shared a long, love-filled gaze as everyone worked around them. Soon the room was cleared out, and Brie was in her seat, her legs up on his bed as he flipped through the channels on the TV, waiting for someone to bring him his meal. She was starving too, but she would wait until he was settled. As she watched him fool with the remote, she couldn’t help but cry. She had thought she was going to lose him. She had felt so lost, so helpless, but Vaughn had been there for her.

  And that blew her away.

  “This TV is dumb.”

  “I’ll have Dawn bring your computer tomorrow when she comes.”

  “Yes, and my phone.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Swallowing hard as he leaned back, she smiled as he stroked his thumb along the back of her hand. He loved her as much as she loved him. She had thought Rodney was the only person she would ever love after losing her mom, but she had been so wrong. Clearing her throat, she squeezed his hand, and he looked over at her as she sat up. “I wanna tell you something.”

  “Okay.”

  “You know how Vaughn was here?”

  He nodded. “Yeah.”

  “He came to make sure you were okay…and also because we’re dating.”

  Rodney’s face scrunched up. “You are?”

  Dread filled her stomach as she said, “Yeah.”

  “Huh, he was right.”

  Her brows shot up. “What?”

  Rodney smirked over at her. “He told me he liked you a lot and wanted to date you. I told him he was crazy, that you would probably kill him if he asked you out. But he told me that you liked him just fine.”

  Her lips parted a bit as she shook her head, completely blown away. “Did he now?”

  “Yeah, he asked if I was okay with it. And I said, yeah, as long as he didn’t get killed in the process.”

  She snorted with laughter, and her heart swelled. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” He looked over at her, and they shared a smile. “I want you to be happy, B, and he’s nice.”

  “He is. Really nice.”


  Rodney grinned over at her. “So you’re happy?”

  “I am,” she answered, emotion clogging her throat. “Very happy.”

  Squeezing her hand, he shared a smile with her that touched her soul before he said, “That’s all I want.” As if he hadn’t just wracked her soul, he turned back to the TV. “Can we see if Dawn can come today?”

  As she stammered with laughter, she nodded. “Yeah, I’ll call.”

  But first, she had to text Vaughn.

  Brie: Are you on the plane?

  Vaughn: Almost, about to board.

  Brie: I have something to ask you.

  Vaughn: Yes, I do want to do you in the butt.

  Snorting with laughter, she rolled her eyes, but before she could type something, he wrote her once more.

  Vaughn: Kidding, not really, but am I in trouble?

  Brie: No, but did you ask Rodney if you could date me?

  Vaughn: LOL, he told on me!

  Brie: He did.

  Brie: So you did?

  Vaughn: Yeah, had to make sure he was okay with it.

  Brie: When?

  Vaughn: At NateWay. I took the pizza up to the main house, and then I asked him.

  Her heart swelled as her eyes clouded with tears.

  Brie: Wow.

  Vaughn: Yeah, I’m sort of amazing.

  Brie: Sorta.

  Brie: Thank you.

  Vaughn: Of course. Call you when I land?

  Brie: Please.

  When he sent her a kissy face emoji, she laid her phone down and exhaled hard.

  She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it in that she loved him.

  And she wasn’t sure what it would mean when she let the truth out.

  Vaughn usually didn’t mind long road trips, and the one the Assassins were on that week wasn’t even that long. It was only ten days, but it felt like an eternity as he came to the end of it.

  He missed Tricksie.

  He was worried about Rodney.

  He missed his bed.

  But, above all, he missed Brie. So fucking much.

  FaceTiming with that woman was not enough. He wanted to feel her lips, touch her body, and hold her. God, he missed holding her. He was ready to be home. They had thought she might be able to join them back out on the road, but the hospital still hadn’t released Rodney. He had had a few more seizures, and then they discovered that his glucose was dangerously high. After being cussed out by his girlfriend because she felt they should have known that from the beginning, the doctors finally had Rodney’s body working right, and he would be going home the following day.