Page 92 of A Little Bit Reckless
“I’m her brother,” he said, but the rest of us stood up too. Thatcher waved to all of us. “We’re all her family.”
I could tell Wells was fighting beside me. He was squeezing my hand, and I’d bet he was screaming on the inside. I certainly was for something,anythingof an update.
Dr. Miller smiled. “Rainbow is fine. She has a mild concussion and a few bruised ribs, but she’s okay. We’re going to keep her overnight for observation, but she should be good to go home tomorrow.”
It was like a weight in the room lifted. Like someone had let the air in when we all collectively breathed.
She’s okay.
I faced Wells, hugging him. He hugged me back, and I heard Dorian say he was going to text our parents.
“Thank God,” Sloane breathed out. She had tears in her eyes as she hugged Dorian, then Thatcher. Thatcher, too, had looked pretty rough. He was definitely considered the pretty boy in our group, but he was completely disheveled with the weight of a thousand thoughts playing all over his face.
He hugged Aspen, squeezing her so hard.
“I told you she’d be fine,” Aspen whispered to Thatcher, but I was more focused on Wells. Wells had never hugged me so hard. Hell, I was usually the one giving the firm hugs.
He wouldn’t let go of me, and he didn’t have to. I smiled. “She’s cool, bro.”
“Yeah,” Wells said, and when he pulled away, he kept my hand. I didn’t mind at all. Wells released a breath. “When can we see her?”
“You can now, but I’d go in groups of two or three,” the doctor said. “The room is on the smaller side. But, before you do, I need to know who Wells Ambrose and Bru Sloane-Mallick are.”
“That’s us,” I said before Wells could. I touched my chest. “I’m Bru, and he’s Wells.”
Wells nodded.
The doctor smiled again, but this time, it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She nodded. “Rainbow requested to see you both first if that’s all right.”
It was more than all right, but Wells and I exchanged a glance with Thatcher. I think we didn’t want to encroach on Thatch. Bow was his sister after all.
“Go on,” Thatcher said, obviously reading our look. Thatcher nodded. “I should call my mom and dad anyway. Tell them exactly what the doc said.”
That was so good of him, letting us see her. I knew this whole thing was driving him crazy as well.
“Squeak.” Wells entered Bow’s room before I did. There was just enough room for Bow’s bed and all her monitors.
I’d sort that out for her, get her a bigger room. Wells and I would.
Bow sat on her bed in a hospital gown, her hands in her lap. She looked up when Wells called out to her, though.
“Wells,” she said, a small smile on her face, but it was so faint. Gingerly, she lifted her arms, and the bandages on them matched the one on her forehead. Her hair was down, but her curls only covered some of it.
Her head had been bleeding so much in the parking lot, and I’d been terrified. Why had I not grabbed her differently? Protected her better?
The guilt weighed heavily on me, and I stayed back when Wells rushed in and wrapped his long wingspan around her. He brought her to him gently, and her small body disappeared in his embrace.
“Fucking hell, Squeak,” Wells gasped, his eyes shut tight. I’d never seen Wells the way I had in the past few hours. He’d gone from hopeless wreck to this very hug giving him air, giving him life.
I felt whole inside, watching them. Especially when she hugged him back so tightly.
“Wells…” She was shaking a little, and I saw that in her limbs, her petite andscraped-up limbs. She didn’t just have bandages on her arms but bruises as well.
It was illogical as fuck, but I felt her condition was my fault. Obviously, there’d been that asshole in the SUV, but I didn’t have to grab her so hard, hurt her.
I was still frozen at the door, wanting so much to go in there and hug them both. I wanted tolovethem both.
Swallowing, I couldn’t move, and it was like something otherworldly happened. Both Wells and Bow broke away from each other slowly, then their attention was on me.
