Page 60 of Fighting for His Life

“Dude, can you not suck my sister’s face off in a hospital?” Zane’s voice booms across the room.

“Motherfucking cockblocker,” I growl making Zoey laugh - genuinely fucking laugh – and it’s the most amazing sound. My pride grows infinitely knowing I made that happen. I kiss her cheek and not so subtly adjust myself. “Just kidding,” I whisper in her ear.

“Oh god,” he rasps. “Did you just adjust your boner. Man, what part of hospital don’t you get.”

I want to tell him to tone it down, but Zoey's laugh stops me. It’s like a musical balm I didn’t know I needed. It feels like how we used to be. “Sorry, Zee. Your sister could turn me on at a funeral.”

“Well judging from the show I just got, I think the feeling is probably mutual. Right, Zo.”

Zoey turns a bright shade of red making Zane laugh.

“Don’t worry, baby. I turn him on too.” And there’s that laugh again.

A knock at the door, quiets us all, but the smiles remain. Smiles. I don’t think Zane and I have smiled in a year. I know without being there, Zoey hasn’t.

Zoey

The heavy hospital door slowly opens. Just enough for Maddox to peek his shaggy dark head inside silently asking for permission to continue.

“Come on in, Masters, before they think you’re a creep,” Jax say drawing yet another giggle from my lips.

Laughter. I’d forgotten how good it feels to simply laugh. Especially at nothing at all but the stupid antics and banter between my boys. It feels like it has smoothed a couple of the rough edges of my soul.

Jax presses a sweet kiss against my giggling lips. Something else I’d missed. I’d forgotten the way his kisses made everything disappear while his lips were on mine. It made me want to keep them there forever.

“Oh God my eyes,” Maddox teases. “I can’t unsee that shit.”

“Oh girl, no wonder you never let me set you up with anyone,” a tinkling voice rings behind Maddox.

My eyes move to see Tori standing behind him. I don’t hide my surprise very well.

“She wanted to make sure you were okay,” Maddox explains.

My heart warms at the realization. Tori tried being my friend, but I always kept things kind of shallow. I never accepted any of her offers to go out. I repeatedly rejected her suggestions to get coffee or lunch. To see her here, genuinely concerned, is very sweet and humbling.

“I’ll live for now,” I say without a hint of the sarcasm that’s been lacing that statement.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to these two incredibly hot men?” she teases.

“Tori, these are the two most important people in the world to me even though I haven’t done a very good job of showing it in the last year. Zane Valen, my stupidly obnoxious and arrogant twin brother, and Jax McCabe, my best friend and soulmate.”

“Soulmate, huh?” she considers. “Is that code for boyfriend because the way he’s looking at you seriously suggests it definitely means more than friend?”

I feel myself flush at her words. The truth is, I’m not sure if he is my boyfriend. We said it a time or two the last few hours, but it’s been a year. He has – had – a girlfriend just days ago.

“I’m her boyfriend,” Jax answers without an ounce of hesitation in that deep timbre I love so much.

Tori smirks at me. Suddenly, I wish I’d spent more time getting to know her. She must know the seriousness of why I’m lying in this hospital bed, but she is working to keep the conversation light. It’s almost as if she senses that’s exactly what I need in this moment.

“I think I understand now why you always stayed so quiet and secretive,” she postulates. “Kind of hard to keep things on the downlow when your brother and boyfriend are big time football players.”

Maddox groans behind her. “Please tell me you’re not going to go all fangirl.”

“I wouldn’t mind some fangirling right now,” Zane says with his eyes perusing Tori making it my turn to groan. “What?” he asks incredulously. “Just saying.”

“Turn off your downstairs brain, Zane,” Jax mocks.

Zane folds his arms in a pout. "Don't talk about mine when yours is still up," he says gesturing to Jax's crotch.

---