Page 46 of Everything I Crave

Now, I need to fix the whole thing. Willow. The Bar. Pops. I feel the stress coming on again.

Breathe in, breathe out.

We arrive at the hospital’s parking lot in just a little over four hours. I’m surprised that we made it without being pulled over, I pushed the limits on speeding to get here.

Liam texted me to let me know that Pops is in surgery and should be out soon, but I still want to be here for Mom. She’s probably worried sick.

I pull the truck into a spot near the emergency department.

Willow fell asleep about two hours ago, so I gently shake her shoulder to wake her up.

She stirs, and looks at me, so innocent and sweet before she realizes that she’s with me in the car. The look I get is one of disdain.

“Hey darling, we’re here.”

“I’ll stay here,” she says looking over my shoulder before curling back up on the seat.

“What?” I ask confused. She just came four hours with me to be here and now she’s staying in the truck?

“Listen, we’re arguing, we’re not even together as far as I know we had one date and I’m just your roommate. I don’t want to meet your parents under these circumstances.” She shrugs her shoulders, but her eyes keep wandering past me to what’s behind me.

“So, you’re what? Hiding in the truck until we go back to Lupine Valley?” I push her to come inside with me.

Tears spring to her eyes. “I can’t go in there, Gunnar. I can’t be in a hospital. Not after-”

Fuck, now I’m an even bigger asshole. Her own father died in a hospital after a drunk driver hit her parents on the highway. How could I forget that? Everyone in Lupine Valley knows how much that tore the Harper family apart. Even moving to Lupine Valley just a few years ago, I’ve still heard the stories about the accident, and the aftermath that got left behind.

“I’m sorry. I should have thought about that. Here are the keys. Feel free to go somewhere if you want, you don’t have to sit here. Just text me so I know where you are.” I hand her the keys and kiss her forehead. “I’m sorry, for how I acted by the way. I know you don’t want to talk yet, but I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

She doesn’t answer at first, so I place my hand on the door to open it.

“Thank you. Text me when you have an update, please?” she finally replies and I nod before leaving the truck.

I had four hours to think about what an asshole I was in between worrying about Pops. But now that I know he’s in surgery, I can’t help but think about how I’m going to make this up to Willow.

I have a feeling that begging on my knees might be involved.

Chapter Seventeen

Willow

When I got in the truck to come with Gunnar, I didn’t think about having to actually go inside a hospital. I guess I probably should have given more thought to that, but Gunnar looked so upset I didn’t want him driving alone. Even if he was being a jerk.

On top of knowing that I would just sit at home and obsess over the argument. But now I’m worried about having to go into the hospital, especially with his Dad’s condition being unknown.

I’m not ready for that. Not yet.

I pull out my phone to see one of those alerts I set for my name letting me know a tabloid article was published today with Jake’s face as the cover photo. I don’t have it in me for this right now.

After turning off my phone, I toss it to the bottom of my bag. I don’t need the negativity from that article while trying to navigate my feelings about going in a hospital again for the first time. Even if it’s to support Gunnar, I don’t know if I can.

I crawl into the backseat of the truck and prop our bags up on one end so I can use that as a pillow. I pull mybook, notebook and pen out of my bag and settle in. Who knows how long I’ll be here, and I’m too afraid to drive his truck anywhere. This thing is huge, I’d definitely take out a mailbox or two.

I’m so entranced in the book I’m reading, a thriller that has me about to jump out of my skin, I miss the footsteps coming up to the truck. Clearly I’d be the first one to get murdered in the thriller.

When the door opens I jump about ten feet in the air, hitting my head on the door.

Just as I’m settling back down, and attempting to get my heart rate down, a woman sits in the driver’s seat and starts to rummage around in the center console, probably looking for keys.

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