Page 116 of The Very Naughty List

“This all looks good. It seems like you’re going to be just fine, no lasting damage.” His voice is audibly relieved.

“Fucking hell, Hailey, we were so worried about you. I’m so damn glad you’re okay.”

Reid takes my other hand as he speaks, and I squeeze his fingers softly, the worry that twisted my gut when I woke up draining away just from having them all here with me.

It’s everything I need.

It washes away everything else.

But then another burst of noise in the hallway yanks my attention away from the Cooper brothers and the little bubble we seem to be in. My parents rush into the room, speaking over each other and crowding around me as the triplets take a step back to let them in.

Pippa pauses at the foot of my bed, her eyes widening as she glances around at the triplets. She shoots me an empathetic look, and then her gaze darts toward the door where Lucas is standing.

As soon as my brother walks into the room, everything becomes immediately tense.

Lucas ispissed.

I can see the steam practically wafting from his ears, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so mad before. He glares at each of the Cooper brothers with a look that could kill as he strides up to my bed. He doesn’t say a word to any of them, clearly not wanting to have it out with them here inside the hospital.

“How are you feeling?” Lucas asks me. His voice is strained, and I can see the muscles in his jaw clench. His entire body seems tense, and I get the feeling that he’s only one ill-timed remark away from exploding at all three of his best friends—assuming that he still even considers them that.

A sick feeling grows in my stomach when I think about all the damage that Dylan’s bullshit has caused.

“I’m fine,” I tell my brother. “It wasn’t a bad accident. It could’ve been worse.”

Before I can say more, a doctor walks in, raising his brows at how crowded the room has become.

“Ms. Bennett, I’m glad to see that you’re awake. I know you gave everyone quite a scare, but I have good news for you. You’re just fine.” The doctor smiles warmly at me, but it doesn’t really help matters. I think evenhecan sense the tension in the room. “We’re going to keep you another night or two, just to err on the side of caution and make sure that you’re perfectly okay before releasing you. After that, you’ll be free to go. You’ve got a minor concussion and some bruising, but no major injuries.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” My father nods, his expression drawn.

The doctor does a few checks on my condition, then tells me that he’ll send the nurse in with some water before leaving the room.

I almost wish he would stay, just to keep the awkward tension from returning after he closes the door behind him.

But the moment he’s gone, it all comes rushing back.

“You can go now,” Lucas says coldly as he turns to the triplets.

Sebastian crosses his arms and plants his feet, lifting his chin. “You can try and make us.”

My heart sinks, a pit forming in my stomach as I see the beginnings of a standoff forming.

“Come on, Mom and Dad,” Pippa whispers as she hooks her arm around our mother’s arm and starts to pull both of our parents out of the room. “Let’s go get a few snacks to temper all of these guys’ hangry attitudes.”

My father looks back over his shoulder as if he’s wondering whether or not he should stay and try to keep the guys fromkilling each other. But Pippa is great at getting people to go along with her, and she successfully manages to remove my parents from the room.

That’s when the real fireworks begin.

“What thefuck?” Lucas rounds on the Cooper brothers as soon as we’re alone. “I’ve heard the rumors about how you’reallwith my sister. I’ve seen the pictures on social media. And before you go trying to tell me that it’s all some fake charade, you can save it. I’m sick of being lied to.”

“Calm down, Lucas,” Reid says, lifting a hand.

“You want me to calm down when I find out that my three best friends are fucking my sister? And sneaking around and lying to me about it too? How about instead of calming down, we all go outside, and I beat the shit out of each of you? I can’t believe Hailey would ever?—”

“Hey, watch what you say about her,” Sebastian growls protectively, his hands curling into fists.

I sit straight up in the bed, horrified at the thought that the triplets and my brother all seem ready to throw down.

---