Page 40 of Loving Lizzy

“I think you’ve done enough,” Michael gritted out.

Kassie’s confused gaze met his.

“She’s probably sick now because you invited everyone over. God knows what the kids carried home from school and you all coming in the house like you own it,” the poison refused to stop coming from his mouth. Even he didn’t believe his ears.

Kassie’s mouth parted slightly in surprise. Leo stiffened while Chase rounded the bed.

“We’re taking a walk,” Chase grabbed him by his collar and all but shoved him from the room. Saint and Leo followed a distance behind them.

When they exited the hospital doors, Michael tore from Chase’s grip.

“What the fuck, man? Lizzy’s sick, and you think because you and your friends show up and take over, I ought to sit back and watch? If Kassie lay in that bed, going through this, I doubt you’d let anyone near her. You’d handle everything because her life was at risk. You wouldn’t allow anyone else to care for her,” Michael spewed the bile from his gut. He wanted to punch something, anything.

“Believe it or not, I’ve stood in your shoes. Leo and the team cared for Kassie, watched over her, and she refused to even see me. I relied on Joe and Maddie to care for her. I know you’re angry, and I felt the exact same way. You know you can pick up something viral from anywhere. Don’t blame the women, they only want to help Lizzy.” Chase advanced toward Michael, making him take a step back.

No, it didn’t feel exactly like anger, it resembled pure rage. He walked toward the grassy knoll and let out a howl of frustration. He bent and held his knees as the pain crippled him.

Chase’s hand went on one shoulder, and he glanced up as Saint clasped his other side. Leo stood in front of him with his arms crossed and his feet spread apart.

“Hit me. Go ahead and do it. I’m sorry for taking it out on Kassie and the other women. I deserve it for acting like an ungrateful ass,” Michael grunted out. His chest moved up and down heavily as if he labored for breath.

Leo’s voice came out quiet as he stared down at him, “We aren’t here to hit you, brother. We’re helping you to stand.”

Michael lost it.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Lizzy cast another glance in Michael’s direction. He’d seemed much calmer since he left with the guys. Kassie assured her the men took him out for a bit of air. When he returned to the room, he sent her a smile and took his place on the other side of the bed. She scanned him for a black eye or broken bones. She didn’t know what to expect after his outburst and how rapidly the men escorted him down the hall.

Kassie gathered her things. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” She leaned over and kissed Lizzy’s cheek.

Michael stood and met Kassie at the end of the bed. He bent down and wrapped his arms around her, and Lizzy heard him whisper an apology as Kassie embraced him. She saw Kassie’s head shake as she whispered in his ear. He nodded every now and again while he held her tightly. When they broke apart, Chase’s arm went around Kassie’s waist as she beamed a smile in Michael’s direction. She shot Lizzy a smile before exiting with Chase, leaving Lizzy alone with Michael.

“Sorry about my outburst earlier,” he told her quietly. “I let my frustration get the best of me and I didn’t mean a word of it.”

“I hope not! Those women are my friends. They sanitize their hands when they come into our home or wash before even coming near me. I heard Catherine say she showered and changed before coming to help after she picked the kids up from school,” Apparently, she carried some anger too. “They’ve done nothing but bend over backwards and you acted like a bonehead.”

“I did.”

“You got that right.” She crossed her arms, ready to berate him again and stopped short on hearing his agreement.

Michael put the bed rail down and placed his head in her lap. “I’m a bonehead. When you feel up to it, I promised to take Kassie to Ty’s for her favorite dessert.”

“Don’t you mean Bryanna’s?” She ran her hands through his thick hair.

“No, Chase surprised Kassie with a brownie dessert Ty made for her birthday. Kassie’s not a fan of cake. When Chase went missing, whenever I saw her feeling particularly low, I brought her the brownie. It became a way for me to tell her everything will work out. I owe her one.”

“Make sure it’s a big piece,” she admonished him.

“Are you feeling better?” He turned to scan her face.

“A bit. I don’t feel nauseated, the headache comes and goes,” she told him. A soft knock on the door drew their attention as the older generation walked in. Maddie walked to Lizzy’s side while Carol sat a vase of flowers on the bedside table. Victoria handed Lizzy a bag with a beautiful velvet robe in pink. Joe and Jake followed shortly, bringing coffee for Michael from the café down the street.

“We thought you needed a cup of good java,” Joe handed him the cup while the women fussed over Lizzy.

“We aren’t staying, we took the girls to the aquarium this afternoon and Kassie took them all home. We thought we might check on you before heading back to the mountain,” Maddie told her while she fixed the sheet.

“Ivan is on his way, and we’ll have dinner here before returning,” Victoria informed the group. “Do you want to join us?”

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