Page 63 of Thinking It Over

“I just need you to come to the hospital.”

My voice had disappeared. A high-pitched whine sounded through my head, making my thoughts blurred.

“Austin, are you there? Can you hear me?”

I didn’t startle from the hand on my shoulder. Instead, breath rushed into me, bringing much-neededoxygen. After a few more moments, but not quite sure how much time had passed, I heard Jasper talking and realized I no longer had the phone in my hand.

My baby brother….

I shook my head.

Dad asking for me meant this was serious. It wasn’t a simple scrape, whatever this was. But this was Frankie. He was reckless and passionate and fierce, but he also had an energy about him that was powerful and beautiful.I can’t lose him.

“You won’t lose him,” Jasper said, his words pulling me out of my head. He palmed my face, his eyes kind, worried. “I love you.”

My shoulders sagged, and I dragged in a new breath.

“I need you to shower while I book you a ticket, okay?” He waited a beat, and I figured he was waiting for a response. I nodded. That tender smile of his that I loved so much tilted his lips. “I’m going to pack you a bag, and when I’m driving you to the airport, we’ll talk, okay?”

“Thank you,” I said, my breath hitching.

“Always.” He dotted a small kiss on my mouth and led me back upstairs before ushering me to the shower.

Under the warm water, reality and the need to pull myself together seeped into my bones. I’d never reacted like that before, spaced out to the point of losing control. And as I patted myself dry, I knew Jasper was the only reason I’d allowed myself to be so vulnerable.I love youwere not simply words shouted out in the heat of the moment. They weren’t empty, weren’t insignificant, not if the soul was invested and truth carried them to the person you loved. Never before had I been lucky enough to have such love, to allow it to become a part of me, and tonight, I knew I was irrevocably in love with the man who would hold my hand and raise me up through anything and everything I had to face.

When I stepped into the room, Jasper was closing the laptop. A packed carry-on was next to him, and he was picking up my laptop bag.

“Hey,” I said, my voice soft.

He stood and walked over to me, wrapping me in his arms. That I was bigger didn’t matter. Secure and loved and protected. I felt it all in his arms.

He pulled away, and I went to the clothes he’d laid out for me on the bed. My heart swelled at his thoughtfulness.

“I managed to get you on the ten-fifteen flight this morning to Chicago.”

My eyes widened. Chicago was not home. I had a slight recollection of Dad saying Chicago, but his words hadn’t registered at the time. It was apparently where Frankie had wandered to.

It would take us just over two hours to get to the closest airport from here, which meant we had enough time not to be racing out of here like we were being chased by coyotes. “Thank you.”

“I’ve texted Billy, and he’s already answered. That man seriously needs to not be awake, exercising or doing whatever he does so early in the morning.” He shot me a smile and a wink, and I appreciated him trying his hardest to calm me. “He’ll take care of Penny while I’m taking you to the airport.” His lips then pinched.

“What is it?”

“I wish I could come with you.” His hand gripped mine and gave a light squeeze. I still didn’t know what had happened or the severity of Frankie’s condition. The control freak in me was desperate to know, but I held on to the ignorance for a while longer. “But there’s work, and Penny.”

“Shit, work.”

Jasper shook his head. “Email whoever it is you need to email, and they’ll get it sorted out. The place isn’t going to fall apart without you there, okay? You just concentrate on you and your family.”

I nodded. I could do that. I’d make some calls before boarding the plane.

“Do you want me to have Penny, or would you like for me to ask Billy?”

I did up my jeans and then paused to face him. I reached out, happy when he was immediately in my arms. “Is it needy of me if I ask for you to stay here with Penny?” I knew it was, but with the uncertainty of the unknown, knowing that Penny was safe with Jasper and that he was in my home, my bed, settled something inside of me.

“Of course I will. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

Relieved, I leaned into him, our foreheads touching as I breathed him in. “Knowing you’re here helps. Thank you.”

---