Page 81 of Mistlefoe
But one look at Sierra’s face and the receptionist decides to go for Sierra’s side rather than mine. We walk out of the convention center with only a card in Sierra’s pocket, instead of the props we came for. She pushes my body to the passenger’s side and I expel a heavy breath.
“Are we really doing this?”
“Yep, I’m not taking your safety lightly. Duck your head,” she commands as though I didn’t know how to get in my own vehicle. But fine, I can appreciate her concern for me.
After I’m safely strapped in, Sierra walks around the the driver’s seat and climbs on. She wipes at the moisture on her face with the back of her work gloves, and extends a hand to me. “Key.”
I fish for it and offer it.
She snatches it from the air, sniffling in a way that makes her nose wrinkle adorably. I lean my head back against the headrest and watch her the entire ride. Another good sign is that I’m not getting sleepier, even though the sky’s growing dark and the pain in my head stays strong. But I keep quiet. I don’t think she’d believe anything I could say right now because she’s so damn worried to the point of shaking.
Hopefully, this doesn’t mean I’m an asshole but… my chest feels all warm about it.
We get to the emergency room and even though I walk in of my own free will, I’m already regretting the amount of money from my bonus that will go into paying for this visit. But Sierra’s probably right in that I should get checked, because my head isn’t exactly in mint condition.
I drop a quick kiss on Sierra’s temple right before I get sat on a wheelchair and we’re separated.
*
The staff take this just as seriously as Sierra did, and theyrun enough tests to prove it. Aside from the huge bump toward the left temple, there are no other side effects. The blow didn’t open a gash so there’s no need for stitches, and the verdict is that I don’t even have a concussion. In fact, the flashing lights have completely cleared from my vision and my pupils are responding normally to a beaming light.
However, I’m cleared some three hours later after a healthy dose of painkillers and a new gaping hole in my pocket. I complete the paperwork and follow the signs to return to the lobby, and that’s where I find Sierra and Gramps.
I lift my glasses to rub my eyes but they didn’t deceive me, those are really them sitting together. Gramps has an arm around Sierra’s shoulders, his hand patting her arm sporadically. She’s still sniffling the way she was when I left her, as if maybe she’s spent all this time crying intermittently and she’s now just calming down again.
I swallow hard, my chest squeezing at the sight. She didn’t leave, even though I didn’t expect her to stay this long. And she called Gramps, even though this shouldn’t have been a big deal.
But now it is. This is the biggest of all deals.
I put one foot in front of the other until they take me before them. Their stares, lost among the spots of the granite floors, finally lift to me.
“Conor!”
They jump to their feet and Sierra launches herself at me with such force that I retreat a few steps. I wrap my arms around her and breathe in the shampoo scent of her hair.
“Hi,” I whisper in her ear. As response, her arms tighten around me.
“Kid, are you okay?”
I look up at my grandfather. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just needed some industrial strength ibuprofen and I’m brand new. Ish.”
“I was so worried,” Sierra says, sobbing against my chest.
“I’m gonna have a word with Maeve,” Gramps says and I have no idea what he’s on about. “How could they let you in their warehouse unsupervised? Is this how they normally operate? Bunch of fools.”
“It’s my fault.” I cringe. “We were in a hurry and I didn’t think to ask for help.”
“It could’ve been so much worse, Conor. You can’t get hurt when we just started dating after years of me being a jerk to you.” She smacks my chest pretty hard.
Chuckling, I catch her fist in my hand just in case she wants to use it again. “Hey—Hey, look at me.” Ugh, look at her. Her eyes are swollen and her entire face, but especially her nose, is as red as a tomato. Her lips arch downward, chin still trembling with emotion. She’s the most beautiful sight my three eyes have ever seen. “I’m fine. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
“Are you sure?”
“Dead sure.”
“Stop saying you’redeadanything.” She sniffs.
Smiling, I press my lips against hers for a quick kiss. “I’m not dying soon if I can help it.”
