Page 76 of Accidentally Forever
“Those are always the best voices to hear,” Lex rambled. “I am so fucking glad you’re awake. Don’t scare us again.”
“I’ll try not to.”
Sebastian left then, Lex following him, and before I could wonder why they left me alone, the room was filled with nurses, staff, and people I assumed were doctors. They shined bright lights in my eyes, took readings, and asked how I felt.
I thought I answered, I couldn’t quite remember or care. All that mattered was the woman who finally walked through the doorway, her wet hair pulled from her face, wearing clothes I knew her mother or another family member had brought for her from home.
She was so pale, her face clear of makeup. She was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen.
“Hey, baby,” I said softly.
“If you ever think about jumping near that bridge again, or being somewhere where you can trip near it, I’m going to do something like burn down your house. Don’t make me an arsonist.”
I chuckled roughly, and then reached up to grip my side, the pain shocking me.
“Okay, now that you’re really listening, let’s go over exactly what happened,” the doctor said. And then Aria was by my side, holding my hand, as a couple other Montgomerys stood in the corner, and I listened to the doctor explain what had gone on.
“You’ve been unconscious for the past two days.”
“Two?”
“Two of the longest days of my life,” Aria muttered.
I pulled her closer, trying to get her into bed with me. However, she wouldn’t budge, and I was pretty sure the nurses weren’t going to allow it. At least for now. I was going to get what I wanted soon.
“Yes, two days. You were underwater for long enough that we were worried about brain damage. However, from what we can tell all looks good. We are going to keep you a few more days to monitor you, and we’re going to want you to come back to do more tests, but you should recover completely. You did break one rib, and bruise three more. You also have eighteen stitches on your arm from where you sliced it as you fell.However, Ms. Montgomery here got you out of the water in time.”
I glared at the woman I loved more than anything. “I can’t believe you jumped in after me. What the hell were you thinking?”
“See, this is exactly how I thought things would go,” Lex whispered.
“Can we have some privacy, please?” Aria asked as she lifted her chin, glaring at me.
“We will be back soon for more tests, but yes, let’s clear the room so Mr. McTavish can rest.”
I didn’t know exactly who said that, and I didn’t care at the moment. Because all I had eyes for was Aria. And I was damn angry.
“You could have died.”
“Excuse me? That’s where you’re going? You fell off the bridge and were bleeding and you didn’t come back up. Of course I was going to go in after you.” Her whole body shuddered, and I sucked in a breath as I leaned over, shivering slightly.
“Get in bed.”
“I’m going to hurt you. You have a broken rib.”
“It’s going to be broken no matter what. You can’t fix that. I’ve done it before, remember?” I met her gaze, and I knew she remembered exactly what happened. When my mother had pushed me down the stairs when I hadbeen a teenager, I had broken ribs then. Then again when I was rock climbing with Lex and had tripped. This wasn’t my first time around a broken rib. “Get in bed with me. I need to feel you by my side.”
With that, she let out a breath and carefully slid onto the hospital bed next to me. It was a tight fit since I wasn’t a small man and it hurt to move, but that just meant I could feel her warmth completely.
“I am still so fucking pissed off you jumped after me.”
“You think you were angry? You fell off a bridge saving my life and trying to make sure Travis didn’t truly hurt himself. After all he did, you still tried to talk him down.”
I pushed her hair from her face, the strand that had fallen from her ponytail, and finally asked what I hadn’t. What I had been avoiding.
“Did Travis make it?”
Her eyes went dark, a solemn expression covering her face. “Yes. The other bystanders were able to get him. I don’t know what’s going to happen to him. What charges still need to be made. But right now he’s on an involuntary hold, and hopefully he’ll get some help. I’m so sorry I didn’t walk away. That I didn’t push him out of my life completely. You could’vedied.”
