Page 51 of Hurry Up And Wait

His eyes flicked to mine and raised slightly as he watched me. I wanted to look away, but something about the way he was staring at me made it impossible to tear my gaze away.

“Yeah, whatever. She’s right here.”

He held out the phone to me. For a second, I just stared at it. Why was I getting a call on his phone? Unless it was Riley…I snatched it from his hand and let out the smallest breath as relief filled me. “Hello?”

“Isla.” The deep voice was definitely not that of my sister.

“Kavanaugh,” I answered, relief flooding me. I knew he was going out of town on a job, so I didn’t think talking to him was even an option. Now that I heard his voice, some of the tension fled my body.

“Are you okay?”

“Totally,” I sighed, trying to downplay just how awful I felt.

“Why do I not believe you?”

“Well, I would imagine it’s because I was blown up,” I teased. “But you can relax. I still have all ten fingers and toes.”

I heard his heavy sigh through the phone, and for some reason, that comforted me. “Fuck, Isla. I’m so sorry. I wish I was there.”

I swallowed down the need that was about to slip out. I wanted him here so badly, but I wasn’t one of those women who cried and asked for her boyfriend to come home. And technically, he wasn’t my boyfriend. I wasn’t sure what we were other than old friends. Still, I wasn’t about to beg him to come home when he just left on a job.

“If you were here, all you’d hear is me grumbling about how much I want to leave the hospital.”

“And I’d gladly listen to every word.”

I smiled, but then realized that IKE was still standing over me, listening to my conversation like it was a matter of national security.Do you mind?I mouthed.

Shoving his hand in his pocket, he turned and strode out the door, not bothering to look back.

“Sorry,” I said, though he didn’t know what I was sorry for. “IKE was here and hovering.”

“Good,” he grunted. “I want you to stick close to him.”

“I don’t know him.”

“You don’t know any of us,” he retorted, reminding me that a lot of time had passed since I knew Kavanaugh as a kid. “Trust me on this. He’s exactly the type of guy you want around right now. He’ll keep you safe.”

“And what type of guy is that?”

He was silent for a beat. “The type you wouldn’t want to cross in a dark alley.”

Oh, I’d already met him in a dark alley, and he’d saved my life. Not that Kavanaugh knew that, and for some reason, I didn’t volunteer the information either. IKE hadn’t told him, and until I knew why, I wasn’t going to say a word. Maybe it was wrong to keep secrets, but it also felt wrong to say anything about IKE just yet. He clearly hadn’t told Kavanaugh that he knew me.

Either that or he didn’t remember me.

“Isla,” he said, trying to get my attention.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be home this weekend. I’ll see you then, okay?”

“Of course,” I said, mustering up as much strength as possible. I wasn’t about to start whining because he wasn’t home and I wouldn’t see him for days. I’d spent the last fifteen-plus years without him. I could handle a few days.

“Are you going to survive without me?” he teased.

My eyes involuntarily flicked to the man outside the door. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Ouch,” Kavanaugh chuckled. “Good to know I’m expendable.”

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