Page 13 of Forever with Me

When we arrive at the hospital, I leap out of the car and hustle directly to the front desk. “Hi, hello… I’m here to see my friend, Alex Thompson, she was admitted last night… she was attacked, I need to see her!”

The nurse looks over and holds up a finger to me that makes me want to break it, but I wait (impatiently) for her to tap on her keyboard.

“Sorry, but she isn’t allowed visitors, family only.”

“Excuse me but I am family—”

“You said friend—”

“Wait, what?”

“You said ‘yourfriend was admitted.’”

“What are you, a fucking detective? Give me a break… what do you want? A twenty? Maybe a fifty?” My anger apparent as I pull out my wallet. Thankfully Cole interjects.

“I apologize, it’s been a long night, I’m sure you can imagine. Why don’t you call her husband and have us approved?”

Giving me a side glance, she smiles at Cole and nods her head. I turn and look at him for an explanation as he places his fingers to his lips and mouths “shhh.” My heart is pounding and I am emotionally unstable, but I know when he is working in my favor and I keep my mouth shut as I am told.

“Okay, thank you,” is all I hear her say as I close my eyes to help me find the patience I need. “Here are your passes, you can go through those doors and make a right.”

Cole reaches out for the badges and nods, “Thank you” as he grabs my hand pulling me in the direction we need to go. We come to another desk inside the doors and they direct us to the room. All I can hear are machines and beeping. It’s eerie and horrible and I briefly think that this is what everyone has felt about me when they came to the hospital.

When I walk in the room, two things stop me in my tracks. First, I am relieved to see that Alex does not have a thousand tubes in her, just an IV drip. And second, Foster looks like he has aged ten years. He stands as soon as we enter, and Cole puts his hand on my back, urging me forward. I realize I’ve been frozen to my spot, Foster just nods at me and takes his place next to Alex like a sentinel on watch.

“Hey man,” Cole greets as he walks over and pats Foster on the back. “You all right?”

“I’m good, fine,” Foster answers dismissively, turning back toward Alex, he continues. “The doctor explained the induced coma is a way for her body and mind to heal. She was hit in the head pretty fucking hard, but you know Alex, it’ll take more than that for my girl to be down for the count.”Hold up, did he just say my girl?

“Foster, what happened? I honestly couldn’t even hear it from Cole, I was too freaked out and I just needed to see her, but I’m okay and she’s alive. What the fuck happened to her?” I realize that I am eerily calm, Cole is looking at me with the strangest look. Foster speaks before Cole says anything.

“Mia, are you sure you’re okay? Because I’ve never actually seen you this calm and it’s actually kind of scary. Maybe you should sit down, just in case you start having a panic attack.”

Taking a deep breath, I look at both strong men and say, “Fucking speak. I am not as delicate as you think, I had multiple murder attempts, attempted rape and a goddamned kidnapping happen to me. I think I can weather this, and like you said before, your girl is plenty tough. She will make it through this, I have zero worry about that, she will also know that you referred to her as your girl,” I add with a small grin in the hopes that everyone can settle down and we can get down to business.

Foster fills us in on everything that happened, but he’s vague on the timeline of the day. After he finishes, he sits and just stares at Cole until I tilt my head and say, “What? You guys are doing that thing… where you think with the same brain. Someone clue me in.”

Cole reaches over and smiles at me. “Baby, let’s go get Foster some coffee and maybe a Snickers for me?”

“Okay?” I look at him a bit confused, but totally willing to follow his lead.

As we get up to leave, Cole gives Foster a guy hug, the kind with the back pat, and I follow him out toward the cafeteria.

“All right, clue me in. What is going on, there is more you aren’t telling. I swear to God if you start treating me like some delicate flower, I will never touch your wiener again. I am not kidding, Cole Parker.”

Cole pulls me close as I push back and kisses the top of my head. “All right, feisty. Calm down and stop saying mean things about your biggest fan… and by biggest fan, I actually mean my cock.”

I laugh and push him gently, rolling my eyes.

“I was looking at Foster for a few reasons. First, Mia, it is clear to me that whatever has been going on between him and Alex, he is a goner… all in, head over heels. That girl belongs to him and he freely belongs to her. Like recognizes like,” he looks down at me in that way that makes me melt and thankful all at once. “Second,” he continues. “I smell something fishy… something is off. Why would someone hurt Alex? If they were waiting in our apartment to hurt us, why not let her come and go? They had to have known her. This is personal against us and that ‘us’ isn’t just me and you. We need to focus in on that cousin. Third, I need to get security in place for you, me and your parents.”

“Wait, isn’t that Foster’s thing? Why are you doing that for him?”

“Mia, the only place Foster will be, is right where Alex is. I couldn’t and wouldn’t pay him to leave her side. My concern is you and his is Alex, I understand. Foster is like a brother to me and I want him to be able to put his focus where it needs to be.”

I hand him the coffees that I ordered and smile at him, because he is honestly just fucking incredible. I love him.

Foster and Cole leave me with my best friend for a bit to talk logistics and hammer out some details about our new detail and I take the alone time to tell Alex how much I love her, adding that I don’t think I’m the only one.

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