Page 153 of A Major Puck Up

“What did they say when you spoke to them?” Ford interjects, stepping closer, though he still keeps his distance from me.

I don’t even care at this point. Nothing matters but her. I just need to know how she is. What we’re dealing with here.

Paul is the one to speak up this time. “She was unconscious. They’re running tests to see if there’s brain damage.”

A stab of pain sends me doubling over, making it impossible to breathe.

“Breathe.” Suddenly, Lake is at my side, rubbing circles against my back as she talks me through the panic.

“Why is he freaking out?” Kyla asks, though her voice sounds distant.

I pull myself upright even as the world around me fades in and out.

“Now’s not the time, Mom.” I think it’s Daniel who says that, though the voice is distorted, like it’s being piped through a tube.

My vision blurs. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be sick.

A bottle of water appears in front of me, and Ford, I think, says, “Drink this.”

My hands shake so badly I can’t unscrew the cap. He yanks it back, opens it, and hands it to me again. As I take it, water sloshes over my hand and onto the floor.

Lake’s hand settles over mine, and her blue eyes bore into me from under the ball cap she has pulled low. “She’s going to be okay,” she says, her tone soft, soothing. “You need to breathe and take a sip of water. She’s going to need you when she wakes up. She’s going to want you beside her, holding her hand. Okay?”

I suck in another unsteady breath and nod.

Ford hisses in a breath. “You knew?”

Lake gives her head a slight shake. “Not now.”

Ford rests a hand on her shoulder and steps up beside her.

She turns, her mouth turned down and her eyes swimming with sadness. “She loves him. She needs him.”

“Knew what?” Kyla hisses. She steps out of Daniel’s embrace and pushes toward me. “What is she talking about?” She throws a thumb in Lake’s direction, refusing to look at her.

“Now’s not the time, Mom,” Daniel says, grasping her arm gently.

Ford eyes him, his chest heaving. “You knew too?”

Red-faced, Kyla squeezes her fists at her sides and shouts, “Knew what?”

The group goes silent. Daniel and Lake blink at me. Ford is still glaring.

Eyes closed, I take in one breath, then another, and when I open them again, the world comes mostly into focus. “That I’m dating your daughter,” I croak out. “She’s my girlfriend.”

“Like hell she is,” Kyla screeches. “You’re old enough to be her father.”

I straighten and look at Millie’s mother, then her father. “I love your daughter. She’s the love of my life. So please, I can’t do this right now. I need to know that she’s okay. Then you can tell me what an awful choice I am for her. I’ll never be good enough for her, but I love her anyway. And—” The words catch in my throat, and tears spring to my eyes. “And I can’t lose her.” When the weight of those words hit me, I double over again, hands on my knees, and give into the sobs that rack my body.

I can’t fucking lose her. I just got her back.

“Of course,” Ford mutters. “We’ll talk about this later. We need to focus on Millie right now.”

“Let me see if I can get an update,” Lake offers. She squeezes my shoulder and heads for the front desk, tugging on her ball cap, probably hoping to stay incognito.

“I’m not surprised the two of you don’t have a problem with this,” Kyla scoffs.

“Enough, Mom,” Paul grits out. His tone is serious enough to have me straightening again. “Enough. Millie is lying somewhere in this hospital, fucking broken, and according to Lake, she loves him. She’d want him here.”

---