“N-no. I’m looking for Brody James. He was brought in after a mugging. I’m his girlfriend.” It was the first time I’d used the word. Brody and I had never had to define our relationship, we simply were. Lovers, partners, friends. Everything that lay between us was far more than the term girlfriend could ever encapsulate.

“Just a moment.” The woman checked her screen. “I can bring you back to him, but your friends will have to stay here. There’s already one guest with him.”

“That’s fine.” I turned to Bell and Ford. “I’ll come out as soon as I know anything. Or I’ll send Carson.”

Bell grabbed my hand and squeezed. “You sure you’ll be all right by yourself?”

I nodded. “I’m fine.” It was a total and complete lie, but I would will it into truth.

“Okay. We’ll be right out here,” she said, releasing my hand.

I followed the woman whose name tag read Rosa Cruz through a maze of hallways. “Thank you for taking me, Ms. Cruz.” My voice shook as I spoke, but I refused to let the tears burning the backs of my eyes fall.

“Call me Rosa. And, of course. I’m sorry you guys are dealing with this tonight. But we have wonderful doctors here. They’ll get your young man fixed up, don’t you worry.” Rosa’s kindness only made the burn behind my eyes intensify. “Here you go. He’s in number eleven.”

I paused for a moment outside the curtained area. I took a long, slow breath as I gripped the fabric. My hand trembled, but I gave the fabric a tug. I barely registered the hulking man sitting in the chair beside the gurney. I only had eyes for Brody. He was pale, and even though the overhead light had been turned off, he seemed to squint in pain. A bandage covered the right side of his head from his temple to part of his scalp. I couldn’t help the small noise that escaped my mouth.

“Shay?”

Brody’s voice was rough as if he’d smoked a pack of cigarettes in the past hour. The tone sliced through me, leaving nothing but shards of glass in its wake. “Hi,” I whispered.

Carson stood, patting Brody’s arm. “Told you she’d come.” His gaze shot to me. “Nice to meet you, Shay. I wish it were under slightly less dramatic circumstances.”

“You, too,” I said absently, only taking my eyes off Brody for a second. I crossed to the bed and took his hand in mine. It was too cold. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, promise. The doc just came in and said no brain bleed.”

All the air left my lungs on a whoosh. And with the air came the tears. Once they started, I had no hope of stopping them.

“Shay, no.”