Page 28 of Worth the Wait

Of course I was his emergency contact. He was mine as well. Followed by Patrick. At least they had been when I was in Sugar Mountain.

“I’m not in town at the moment. Can you at least tell me if he’s okay?”

I started panicking as I waited for her response.

“His injuries are not typically life-threatening,” she said.

A sliver of calm washed over me. But it only lasted a second.

Nottypicallylife-threatening.

“What does that mean?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not at liberty to give you details over the phone. I can have the doctor call you back with the specifics. Or is there someone else I should call to come down?” she asked.

My irritation grew. I’d never felt farther away from Sugar Mountain than I did in this moment.

“Please have the doctor call me when they can,” I instructed before we ended the call.

I stared at my phone for only a second before pulling up Patrick’s contact. If I thought about it for too long, I’d talk myself out of it completely, even though he was the only person I trusted to go get my dad.

I pressed the Call button as my heart continued to race. It only rang twice before Patrick’s breathless voice was on the other end of the line.

“Addi?”

The tears spilled over my cheeks as I sobbed into the phone. The combination of hearing his voice after all this time and my dad being in the hospital for some unknown reason overwhelmed my emotions.

“Addi, talk to me. Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I knew that tone. He was worried. He still cared.

“Patrick”—I continued to sob—“it’s my dad. He’s at the hospital, and I can’t get to him, and they won’t really tell me anything. I know I have no right to ask you this, but—” I said, but he cut me off.

“Addi, I’ll head over there right now.”

I sniffed. “You will?”

Of course he would. It was the whole reason I’d called him in the first place. I had known Patrick would help me. Even if he’d hated me, which I knew he didn’t, he still would have come through for my dad.

“Of course I will.”

“I’m sorry I had to call you,” I apologized.

“Don’t be sorry. I’d have been pissed if you hadn’t.”

He let out a quick laugh, and my heart wanted to leap through the line and go right into his hands, where it belonged.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll call you as soon as I know the details and fill you in, okay?”

He was so calm, so in control, and, God, I missed that part of him so much. Especially now, when I felt like I had no control over anything at all. Patrick had always balanced me, and vice versa.

“Okay.”

“Addi,” Patrick said softly, stopping me from saying goodbye, “he’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it. I’ve got him. You don’t have to worry.”

“Thank you,” I said, almost addingI love youout of habit and truth.

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