Page 72 of Dirty Pucking Tease

48

Five days...

Kaia still hadn't woken up, and the uneasiness in the room was heavy. No one had left the hospital in two days. Cam and Trystan were passed out on the small couch. Harlow was on the floor beside the couch, and Syn was curled into the chair across from me. Alex was sitting on the floor at the foot of Kaia's bed, flipping through his phone. My mom and Kaia's dad sat in the chairs outside the room, whispering low enough that I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I was sure they were discussing Kaia.

Alex and I hadn't had a conversation or really spoken to each other at all, but I knew it was inevitable. He'd only left the hospital twice since he'd gotten here, and that told me he was serious about Kaia and probably not going anywhere. Not that I could blame him, but it scared me because she could choose him and not me. I probably would if I were her. Why would she want someone who fought against this relationship every step of the way over someone who fought for her?

Movement in the doorway caught my attention, and I figured it would be Dr. Torres stopping in for his morning rounds. Everymorning between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., he stopped in, did a routine physical, checked on Kaia, and gave us an update. My gaze flashed up, and the anxiety twisting in my gut shifted to anger as my eyes locked with Parker.

"You have some fucking nerve," I growled, shoving out of my chair, fist clenching at my sides. Alex shoved off the ground, and I wasn't sure if he would stop me or join me, but if he got in my way, I'd hurt him too. I had so much built-up anger and resentment towards Parker I could kill him. Parker's gaze shifted around me to Kaia, and red-hot rage rushed through me. I surged forward, charging him. My fist connected with the side of his jaw, and he tumbled backward, falling to the ground. Jumping on him, I pounded my fist into whatever I could hit with multiple hands trying to stop me.

"Jax," Trystan hissed, jerking me off him and putting me in a death grip. "Chill."

"What is going on?" Robert yelled, helping Parker off the ground.

"Let me go," I growled, thrashing against his grip, but his grip tightened to the point it caused pain if I moved.

"I'm sor..." Parker started, but Alex stepped in between us.

"Shut your fucking mouth." Anger colored Alex's tone, and his protective stance screamed don't fuck with me. "Leave." Alex was a big guy, especially standing next to Parker.

"Let me have him," Syn said, stepping forward as she pulled her long black hair up into a ponytail, but Cam and Harlow grabbed her, pulling her back.

"What the fuck is going on?" Trystan said, tightening his grip around me.

"That's Kaia's skating partner," Syn snarled, pointing at Parker. "He's the reason she's hurt."

"I just needed to see that she was okay," Parker cried, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"Fuck no, she's not okay," Trystan shouted. Kaia and Trystan were close. If Parker didn't leave soon, he wouldn't have just me to worry about. He'd have all of us to worry about. "You should leave before I let him go because I won't pull him off you next time."

"You should go," Robert said, pointing towards the door. "Now isn't the time for any of this."

Parker opened his mouth, and Alex twitched forward like he would hit him. Parker stumbled backward, throwing his hands up to protect his face.

"Stop it." It was a raspy whisper so low I almost didn't hear it. I froze, and so did everyone else. "Stop fighting." It was louder this time. Trystan turned with me still in his death grip. I thought I was hearing things, but it was Kaia. She was awake.

49

My vision blurred, and my head pounded as my eyes eased open to the sound of shouting. "Stop it," I whispered, my throat sore. The room went silent. "Stop fighting." I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision as my gaze shifted.

I lay silent for a long moment, trying to remember where I was and what happened. I was in a bed under bright lights and surrounded by medical equipment. A loud beeping sounded behind me as something on my arm tightened: a blood pressure cuff. I was in the hospital. "Kaia," a deep voice said. It was my dad. Confusion twisted through me. He was with Liz in Australia. "Kaia, are you okay?"

"I—" I paused, my gaze shifting from person to person as they surrounded my bed. Everyone was here, and they all had the same concerned look etched into their faces. "I think so. What happened?"

"You don't remember?" Jax asked. I shook my head. "Do you remember all of us?"

"Dad," I said, starting at the left side and moving around the bed. "Trystan, Syn, Cam, Harlow, Jax, Alex, and Parker." Iwasn't sure why I wouldn't remember who they were. Jax's gaze snapped over to Parker when I said his name. Anger illuminated his face.

"Parker and I are leaving," Alex said, his tone low and lethal as his large hand grabbed the back of Parker's neck. "I'll be back to check on you later." My gaze narrowed, following the two men as Alex led Parker out of the room. Alex looked angry, and Parker looked terrified.

"What's going on?" I was missing something. Why did everyone seem angry with Parker, and why was Alex here? We were friendly or closer to stalker/stalkee but not so close that he would come to the hospital to visit me after something happened.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Cam asked.

Sucking in a deep breath, I searched my memories. "I was working." I paused, trying hard to remember what was going on that night. "Jax was there, and we were..." I trailed off as my tongue swept across my bottom lip. What were we doing? "Oh, we were going to tell you and Owen we were dating." Oh shit, I wasn't supposed to say that. My gaze flashed to Jax. Panic surged through me as my eyes darted to my dad. "Oh, I wasn't supposed to..."

"It's okay." Jax smiled. "Everyone knows." He'd told them. All of that worry, and he'd already told them, and no one seemed mad or upset. However, everyone's face was pinched with concern. I was still missing something.

---