Page 85 of All That She Needs

A knot tightened in my stomach as Roy continued. "But the car kept following him. Aiden thought whoever was in that car might be trying to rob him, so he ran. She sped up, probably trying to scare him, and at some point, he decided to defend himself. He spotted a big rock on the side of the road, grabbed it, and threw it at her windshield. She must've been startled—lost control for a second—and hit the gas even harder. That's when she slammed into him."

Roy shook his head, a mix of frustration and disbelief clouding his expression. "It could have been so much worse."

I was stunned listening to him, didn't know what to say.

"How did you find out?" Max asked Roy. "Did Aiden call you?"

Roy shook his head. "No one knew he'd been in an accident. Aiden didn't call me—his phone was crushed under the tire during the accident. Kayden called me, asking me to check on his dad because he couldn't reach him, and Aiden's office didn't know where he was either. I looked for him everywhere. Then, later that day, Kayden called again, panicked, saying Aiden had been in an accident."

That confused me. "So, Kayden was the first one to know?"

"I think so," Roy replied. "Kayden was the one who found out which hospital Aiden was in. Sean and I came immediately and have been taking turns staying with him, and Jake has been stopping by to help as well. If Kayden hadn't found out, no one would have known what had happened. Aiden didn't have anyidentification on him, so the hospital had no way to contact anyone, and he was on strong painkillers that kept him mostly asleep. Vanessa was also in shock and couldn't provide much information."

"Where's Vanessa now?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. She left after being treated in the ER and hasn't come back. Yesterday, the police decided to let it go, calling it a misunderstanding. Aiden explained that she hit him after he threw the rock at her, so there was no clear intent to harm, and the street camera footage backed that up. Hopefully, this means she's out of his life for good now."

I glanced at the door, where my ex-husband lay inside, shadowed by the weight of the recent catastrophe that had upended his life. "I should go in now," I murmured.

Roy gave a slight nod, his gaze softening. "He'll be so happy to see you," he said quietly.

I opened the door and stepped inside, letting it close quietly behind me. For a moment, I just stood there, taking in the fragility that had overtaken him—this man who'd once seemed unbreakable. I felt sadness creeping in without fully understanding why. He was laughing softly at something Chloe had said, and she was curled up beside him on the bed, her head resting on his chest, the side that must not have been in pain. Kayden sat in the chair next to them, his posture slumped, head hanging low between his shoulders.

As I moved closer, Aiden looked up and saw me, a small, tired smile forming. "Hey," he greeted quietly.

My gaze fell to his leg, immobilized in a cast, then moved up to the bandages around his head. Bruises covered his face, with scratches scattered across his arms. I bit my lip, feeling anunexpected pinch in my heart. But I couldn't let him see my reaction, and I wasn't even sure why I was feeling this way.

Despite my effort to keep it together, Aiden saw right through me. "I'm okay," he assured, managing a gentle smile. "I might not look like it right now, but I'm okay. I promise."

I nodded, biting my lip even harder.

"I'm sorry that your holiday was cut short because of me."

Chloe responded before I could say anything, looking up at her dad. "It's okay, Dad. It was only shortened by a few days."

I watched Aiden's expression soften, his gaze lingering fondly on his child before he looked back at me. "I heard you all had a good time on your holiday."

"Yeah..." I replied quietly. "It was nice."

"I see Chloe has gained some weight." He gently brushed his knuckles against her cheek before shifting his gaze to Kayden. "Looks like Kayden has, too."

"They both gained most of it from chocolate," I said.

"I bought a lot," Chloe chimed in. "I forgot to bring it. I'll bring it tomorrow, Dad."

Aiden's bruised face instantly lit up at the thought of Chloe coming back to visit.

Just then, Max entered the room, with Mason close behind. Aiden's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at them, momentarily speechless. Maybe he'd never thought, not in a million years, that my brothers would actually show up for him.

Mason cleared his throat, a hint of awkwardness in his expression. "I, uh... spoke with the attending doctor." Having worked at this hospital early in his career, Mason still knew people here. And as Aiden's brother-in-law—or ex-brother-in-law—he was still considered family. "They said you'll be discharged tomorrow. Your neurological exam and MRI results all came back clear."

"Okay... Thank you..." Aiden replied, his voice trailing off. He still looked stunned, and that was all he could manage to say.

"You'll need physical therapy," Mason added. "The hospital can recommend someone to work with you."

"Yes..." Aiden mumbled, still staring at my brothers in disbelief.

Kayden, who had been quiet all this time, busy typing on his phone, suddenly spoke up. "I need to go." He stood up and glanced at his dad. "I'll be back later, okay?"

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