Page 73 of Right Place, Right Time (Second Chances)
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I drop my bag by my feet and cover my face with my hands as tears of relief come pouring out.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I tried to tell you he’s going to be okay, but you’d already hung up the phone.”
“What happened? I mean, he’s in the hospital, so he got hurt, right?”
Mac nods. “He has a broken arm and a concussion. They’ve been keeping him for observation, but he should be released tomorrow.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Yeah, that’s real good. He’s been responding pretty well to the tests.”
“That’s good,” I agree. But why did Mac call me so urgently and tell me that Jay needs me when all he’s got is a broken arm and a concussion? Granted, those can still be very serious injuries, but they’re also fairly common. “I don’t mean to downplay Jay’s injuries and all that, but I’m not sure why you called me here. We didn’t exactly part on good terms…I’m not sure he’s going to want to see me.”
Mac looks away for a moment and swipes his hand under his eye. That sense of dread in my belly is back. What is he not telling me?
“It’s Sean.”
“Jay’s best friend, Sean?”
Mac nods. “My best friend, too.”
I hadn’t known they were all close. Jay had never mentioned it. “Is he okay?” I ask cautiously.
Mac shakes his head. “He didn’t make it.”
I cover my gaping mouth with my hand. Oh no.No. I can’t imagine what Jay must be going through. They’d been in the accident together, and Jay survived, but Sean didn’t? He must be beating himself up pretty badly.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell him, not knowing what else to say. What can you say?
“Jay’s distraught. With good reason. But he won’t speak to anyone. He’s just…shutting down. Sean told me about you…said you were why Jay went to California after he got off parole. He told me Jay was crazy about you. I just figured…I thought if anyone could get through to him, maybe it would be you.”
I take Mac’s hand and squeeze it. “I’ll do whatever I can,” I promise him.
The elevator dings its arrival on the fourth floor, and we get out. Mac leads me down the hall to room 407, and I silently follow him inside. I breathe a sigh of relief seeing Jay in one piece. His arm is in a cast, and he’s got a bandage on his forehead, but aside from that he looks okay. He looks like a giant in the tiny hospital bed, though, and I’m sure he’s desperate to get out of it and the pale blue gown he’s in.
He rolls his head to look over as we enter and his damp eyes widen as they lock on mine. “Kate?”
I step around Mac and tentatively walk towards his bed. He watches me, taking in every messy piece of me as I approach. His eyes are glassy, and when I stop at his bedside, he blinks and a tear spills down his cheek.
I wipe the tear away with my thumb. “Hey, stranger.”
He looks at me as though he can’t believe I’m actually here. Then he wraps his good arm around my waist and pulls me towards him. I carefully wrap my arms around his neck, holding his head against my chest. “I’m so sorry,” he mumbles.
What happens next absolutely breaks my heart. My big, strong, tough guy cries. Gut-wrenching sobs tear through his body, and the tears I’m fighting to hold back spill out. I turn my head to look over at Mac and see that his face is wet with tears, too. He meets my eyes and nods then turns and slips out of the room.
I hold onto Jay tightly, whispering for him to let it all out.
He needs this.
He needsme.
