Page 22 of When We Fell Again
We were alone. Every other moment since the tour had started, we’d had people around us, even in the waiting room earlier. Silence descended between us, the earlier closeness I’d felt somewhat diluted now it was just the two of us. Aware I hadn’t exactly been fair to her when I’d dumped a whole heap of shit on her earlier about Dexter, and me being in rehab, I wanted to gauge her reaction.
“Did you know anything of what happened to us when you took the job on?”
Lex nibbled on the skin around her thumb. “A little. Obviously, I need to know about the acts I’m going on tour with. I knew about someone close to the band passing away, but nothing about you. From what I can see, Claudia’s doing a pretty good job of keeping it quiet.”
Not for the first time, I thanked Claudia for managing to hide the story. I regretted that whole period of my life, and if I had my time over, I’d definitely do things differently.
In retrospect, there were plenty of things I would have done differently, and at least one of them involved Lex.
“I can see how it would have affected you as a band, not to mention personally.” She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. “I can’t imagine how it was for you.”
Memories of rehab, the physical and mental reactions to withdrawal, pushed to the forefront of my mind. A shiver convulsed through my body, and I pulled the thin blanket over me. “It wasn’t pretty.”
“But I guess neither was watching your friend die right in front of you.”
Dexter’s face flashed up. The expression in his eyes before he lost consciousness for the last time would stay with me for the rest of my life. I blinked, trying to rid myself of the unwanted recollection. Blowing out a breath, I tried to regain my composure before I lost it completely.
Before either of us could say anything else, the nurse popped her head around the curtain. “Good news. I’ve managed to get you an x-ray. Can you come with me?”
“Lex? Are you going to come too?”
Her brow furrowed. “I’ll stay here if that’s okay. I don’t want to get in the way.”
The nurse nodded. “No problem. I’ll bring him back just as soon as I can.”
Lex sat down on the chair by the bed, avoiding my gaze, and rummaged in her bag for her phone. I’d just landed a shit ton of heavy stuff on her, so it was no surprise she needed some time to process it.
Another long wait in the x-ray department, and I almost feel asleep in the waiting room. To pass the time, I’d also checked my phone, noticing how low the battery was.
Levi: Where are you, dude? We’re going to a house party with some of the students. I’ll message you the address if you want to join?
The message was time-stamped around three hours ago, and so far, there had been no follow-up. Even if I hadn’t got into this ridiculous situation, I really doubted I would have gone to a house party with a bunch of uni students. I didn’t bother to reply and turned my attention to Claudia’s message instead.
Claudia: I’ve sorted everything out here. Hope all is okay with you. X
Jordan: Just waiting for the x-ray. Lex is still here.
Claudia: Good. Don’t mess it up with her.
I frowned as the phone died. What did she mean? How much had Lex told her about our past? Or did she simply see there was still something between us?Ifthere was. I couldn’t deny that my old feelings for Lex had bubbled to the surface after seeing that guy make a move on her. Seriously, if he’d laid another finger on her, I would have buried him. Jealousy is a bitch, and the ache in my shoulder was a stark reminder of that fact.
After getting the all-clear from the x-ray, I went back to the cubicle, where Lex still sat, her eyes closed. Gently, I touched her arm.
“Lex?”
She jerked upright, clutching a hand to her chest. “Shit, Jordan. What are you doing? You could have given me a heart attack.”
“We’d be in the right place if you did have one.” I smirked.
“You’re not funny.” Her mouth set in a straight line. “How was the x-ray?”
I waved a prescription at her. “All good. I’ve got more painkillers.”
She grabbed the paper out of my hand. “Then I guess I should take hold of this.”
Ah, now we’re back to our assumed roles.
Lex called for a taxi back to the hotel, and we got back just as it started getting light. The reception area was empty except for a night porter, who nodded in acknowledgement as if all his guests got in at five in the morning.
