I reach out to touch her face, but she turns away from me. It fucking kills me. “Tripp . . . we need to talk. I need to tell you–”
“Alex,” she cuts me off. “Can we wait until tomorrow? I just need tonight to really get all my thoughts together before I say or do something that I might regret for the rest of my life. I want you here . . .” She turns around and our eyes meet. I hate the pain I see in hers, but I have a feeling that mine are reflecting the same. “But it might not be the best right now. A lot has happened over the weeks. I think we both need this right now. I’m scared. So damn scared. Please understand.”
It hurts like hell, but I respect her with everything in me, and if she needs another night I will give it to her, but one night is all I’m willing to give. “Okay,” I whisper. I pull her into my arms and hold her for what feels like forever. My heart feels like it’s beating again for the first time in eight days. Then I kiss the top of her head, like I always do. “After I get off work tomorrow. I don’t need any more time to think. I know what I want and I’m coming to find you the minute I walk out that damn door.”
Pulling away, she looks up at me as I back away from her. “I’m not working tomorrow. I’m going with Tara on her lunch date and then I’m coming back here. I’ll be ready to talk. I promise.”
I nod my head and walk away before I can lose it and tell her everything that I’m dying to say right now. I gently close her door behind me, careful not to disturb Tara anymore tonight.
It’s going to be a bitch to get through work tomorrow . . .
“YO, DUDE. WHAT THE FUCK?” The skater-looking dude with blue hair that I’ve been working on pulls his arm away and sits up. “Do you need a break or something? You’re in a zombie zone or some shit. Don’t fuck my shit up.”
I take a deep breath and pull his arm back to its original position, not giving a shit if I piss him off at this point. “Hold still,” I say stiffly.
I swear if I don’t get out of here soon, I’m going to fucking lose it. I’ve been in this damn room for the last three hours, when all I really want to do is be in whatever room Tripp is.
I get distracted when my phone vibrates across the desk. It’s the second time in the last three minutes, and with each time I get more anxious, wondering if it’s Tripp.
“You need to get that, dude?”
Flexing my jaw, I set the gun down and pull my gloves off. “Give me a minute.”
“Whatever gets your head back in the game, bro. I’m going outside for a smoke.”
My heart skips a beat when I pick up my cell to see Tripp’s name flash across the screen. This is now the third time. That doesn’t sit well with me.
With my heart racing, I answer it. “Tripp, is everything–”
“Hello,” A voice that isn’t Tripp’s interrupts me. “Is this Alex?”
Feeling as if my hearts going to beat out of my chest, I grip the desk. “What the fuck is going on? Where’s Tripp?”
The girl on the other end is silent for a few seconds, causing my anxiety to grow.
“Answer me,” I growl into the phone. “Please.”
“I’m sorry. Your friend was involved in a car accident.” My heart fucking stops as she continues. “I found her phone in the car and dialed the last person that she talked to. She’s being loaded into the ambulance as we speak. I think she may need you.”
“Fuck!” I start shaking as I reach for my keys and run out the door, still holding the phone. “Text me the name of which hospital they are taking her to.”
I shove the door open and rush past my client, not bothering to stop as he questions where the fuck I’m going.
All I can think about is losing Tripp. I can’t lose her. It’s taking everything in me right now not to break down and fucking cry. This is my worst nightmare. I need to get to her.
Not even a minute of being on the road and the message comes from Tripp’s phone telling me the name of which hospital she’s at.
Slamming down on the gas pedal, I drive as fast as I can for as long as I can, until traffic slows me down, bringing me to a complete stop.
“Fucking get out of my way!” I turn on my emergency flashers and punch the horn repeatedly, knowing damn well that it’s not going to do shit to get me there sooner.
Looking around me, I try to back out of traffic, but other cars start piling up behind me, blocking me in. This is when I really start to lose it.
“Fuck this . . .”
Opening my door, I jump out of my truck and start running, weaving my way through traffic. Cars start honking and yelling at me when they realize that I’m leaving my truck there, but I could care less. I think I even jumped over one of the cars. I can’t be sure, because everything is in a haze.
I run fifteen blocks, not stopping once to catch my breath, not even when I get to the hospital. Fuck my lungs. Fuck the pain burning in my chest. All I care about is getting to my woman.
Rushing inside, I grip the desk and yell out Tripp’s name. “Tripp Daniels!” I fight to catch my breath as the woman starts typing her name into the computer. “Hurry!” I yell, getting impatient.
“I’m sorry, sir.” The woman looks up from the computer. “Her name is not listed here. I checked twice.”
I slam my fist down, starting to lose my shit even more. “Check again.”
The woman swallows and gives me a sympathetic look. “I understand your worry, sir, but I can assure you her name is not listed.”
Cursing to myself, I run my hands up and down my sweaty face, before putting my thoughts together. I remember her saying she was going on a lunch date with Tara today. “Can you please check for Tara Daniels?”
The woman nods her head and starts typing into the computer again. “Yes, sir. Tara is here, but you have to be family to go back. What is your name?”
“Shit!” I grip my hair, knowing that this isn’t going to go well. I need to get the fuck back there. “Alex Carter,” I say stiffly.
The woman smiles and then presses a button. “She’s in room 107. It’s going to be on–”
Before she can finish I rush through the door and start running like a fucking crazy person. Someone stops walking to yell at me to slow down, but I ignore him.
I stop to take a deep breath when I reach room 107, before poking my head around the curtain to see Tara sitting up and watching TV.
Her eyes widen in surprise when she sees me. “Alex, how did you know I was here?”
I walk over to the side of her bed and grab her hand. “Fuck, you’re okay. Where’s Tripp? Is she hurt? Tell me!”
Tara gives me a confused look and squeezes my hand. “Tripp is fine. She’s at work. She got asked to cover a shift.”
Relief washes over me and I pull Tara in for the biggest hug of her life. I’m squeezing her so tightly that I’m almost afraid of hurting her, but she doesn’t seem to be in pain.
“Alex.” She runs her hand over my forehead after we pull away. “Are you feeling well? I’m so damn confused right now.”
I shake my head and grab the chair behind me, pulling it up next to the bed. “Some woman called me from Tripp’s phone and said she was in an accident, so I got here as fast as I could.”
“Shit.” Tara takes a deep breath and relaxes into her bed. “She must’ve left her phone in my car. Dax called her when we were on the way to my lunch date so I dropped her off at the bar.”
I smile. “I’m sorry. I’m not happy that you’re here, but I’m sure as fuck happy to hear that Tripp is okay.” I stand up and reach for my cell. “I’ll call Tripp at work and let her know what happened.”