Page 81 of The CEO I Hate

Mia glanced up at me. I could tell she wanted me to say something. “Maybe just get it checked out?” I suggested. “No harm in that.”

“I’mnotleaving my birthday party to go to the hospital,” Jake said immediately. “I spend enough time there.”

“Youhaveto go,” Gabrielle said. “What if there’s actually something wrong?”

“C’mon, man,” I said. “We’ll get you checked quickly and be back here in no time.”

Jake glowered at me, silently challenging me on the lie. We both knew the party was officially over.

“You’re going,” Mia said, her tone making it clear the matter was final. “We’re wasting time debating it. Liam’s right. Get checked out. Have peace of mind.”

“I’ll drive him,” Gabrielle said. “Help me get him into the car?”

Jake huffed, rolling himself toward the door while Mia and Gabrielle thanked people for coming, clearing out the guests. I turned off the music, effectively shutting the party down.

“Give you a lift to the hospital?” I said to Mia as the four of us headed downstairs.

She nodded. “Sure, thanks.”

Jake didn’t even bat an eyelash at my offer, and I let out a tight breath. No doubt he had other things on his mind—like what a shitty day this had turned into.

27

LIAM

I’d spent a lot of time in hospitals over the past year—waiting by Jake’s bedside, waiting for news, waiting to hear if the latest surgery had been successful. There was always a lot of waiting involved. Even now, just to get an all-clear, we were waiting, the four of us crammed into Jake’s private room.

Well, five, technically.

Ash was curled up under the window, eyeing the nurses suspiciously every time someone new walked in. I’d had to bribe the front desk and vaguely threaten a shift supervisor to get him past security, but…worth it. The dog refused to leave Jake’s side, and frankly, I respected that.

Jake was getting antsy, huffing as he scrolled on his phone, and I couldn’t blame him. EvenIwanted to get the hell out of here, and I wasn’t the one in the hospital gown with my leg propped up on a pillow. Where the hell had that doctor disappeared to?

“Still feeling okay?” Mia asked, seated on a chair next to his bed. “Pain under control?”

Jake gave a brusque nod. A nurse had given him something for the pain earlier, before they’d wheeled him off to imaging. “I told you guys I just jarred it. We didn’t need to haul my ass all the way down here for X-rays.”

“We don’t know that for sure,” Gabrielle said. “We don’t need you ending up with a blood clot or compartment syndrome or a fracture from damage we can’t see and you can’t feel.”

She paced at the end of his bed, eyes glued to her own phone where she was clearly looking up worst-case scenarios. I wanted her to sit down. Her fretting was starting to make meuneasy. Jake’s leg looked fine on the outside, but she was right that that didn’t tell us anything about the damage that might be on the inside.

What if he’d torn something and set back his recovery? What if he needed another surgery? That would set him even farther back. I didn’t even want to think about how frustrated and stressed and bitter that would make Jake. In that case, we could definitely kiss whatever progress he’d made goodbye.

My eyes lifted in Mia’s direction. I tried to catch her eye, wanting her to see my silent promise that we’d get through this, but she worried her lip and refused to make eye contact, her gaze trained on the wall. I knew I needed to keep my distance, especially now—I needed to support Jake—but it wasn’t easy. Frankly, the only thing stopping me from pulling her into my arms was the bed I’d positioned between us.

A knock at the door drew our attention, and the mood in the room grew tense as the doctor walked in. Dr. Patterson was older, gray at the temples, and he was wearing a smile, but that did nothing to relieve me. I needed to hear him say the words.

“Well, Jake. I just took a look at your x-rays,” he said. “Happy to report there’s no new damage.”

Mia sighed in relief, mumbling, “Oh, thank God.”

“Looks like it’s just some soft tissue injury. You’ll likely have a bit of swelling for the next couple of days,” Dr. Patterson said, “but that should go down with meds and rest. Keep an eye on the pain though. If it starts to get worse, come back and see us again, or get in touch with your regular doctor.” He clapped Jake’s shoulder. “And don’t push yourself.”

“That’s what I’m always telling him,” Gabrielle insisted, running her hands through her hair.

“You just need to be a little more aware of yourself,” Dr. Patterson continued. “You got lucky this time, but you won’t get lucky every time.”

“Believe me, Doc,” Jake muttered, “that much I already know.”

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