the worn green curtain that separates me from Tyler. All I have to do is swing it to the side, walk past it and I'll be face-to-face with him. "Why don't we go to the ICU and wait for my dad to get there? I know he's not conscious but I want to be there when he wakes up."
"You told me you loved Tyler." She looks me straight in the eyes. "Don't tell me that all of that disappeared because you heard that Neela is working with him. You don't know his side of things yet. Hell, Den, you don’t even know Neela's side. All you have is Maribel's side and seriously, I've been creeped out by her for weeks."
"You've been creeped out by Maribel?" I take a shaky breath. "What do you mean?"
Her hand fists around her phone. "She's been sending me a lot of text messages. Some are general stuff about the weather and hanging out but there's a bunch of other ones."
I haven't asked Sophia about her friendship with Maribel since Tyler handed out the promotions for the two senior chef positions. I'd never ask Soph to choose between me and any of her other friends. Besides, Sophia's told me more than once that Maribel's husband owns a clothing store and if she can get her designs in there, she'll be on her way to having the career she really wants. I'd never let my anger over a job steal that chance away from her.
"What other ones?"
She sighs, her top teeth grazing over her bottom lip. "They were about you, Den. She asked questions about you and Tyler. Two days ago she wanted to know if you're as serious about him as he is about you."
"What did you tell her?" I take a deep breath.
"Nothing." She shakes her head. "I never answered those texts. Your relationship with him is none of her business."
I manage a faint smile. "Thanks for having my back, Soph. You're the best."
"You are." She reaches out and I take her hand. "Go in there and talk to him, Den. He loves you. You love him. That's what matters right now."
"I do love him," I say under my breath. "I'll talk to him. I need to."
***
"Don't cry, Cadence." Tyler wipes the tears from my face. "I can't take it if you cry."
I wanted to be strong when I pushed the curtain aside to enter the examining room that Tyler's in. I lost all my resolve when I saw his face. His upper lip is swollen and split, his left cheek is already sporting the beginnings of what looks like a massive purple bruise. There's a plain white bandage above his left brow and the front of his hair is wet and matted. It's obvious from the red streaks across the top of his forehead that it's blood.
"You hit your head." I move to touch his bruised cheek but I stop myself. "Are you still bleeding?"
"No." He glides his hand across his brow as he moves to stand from the stretcher he's sitting on. "This split wide open. There was a lot of blood, but they've stitched me back up. I'm good."
"You might have a concussion." My eyes meet his. "Have they checked you out for that? Concussions can be serious."
A faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He winces. "It hurts to smile. I love that you're worried about me, but I'm fine. They checked me over from head to toe."
I nod. "I was scared, Tyler. I was really scared."
He swallows hard, his eyes misting. "It all happened so fast. That car came out of nowhere. There was no time to brace ourselves."
My stomach tenses, a mental image of the moment of impact invading me. I close my eyes. "You hit your head. My dad must have too."
"Sergio wasn't wearing his seat belt." He exhales in a rush. "I was scared that he was gone. I kept thinking about you and what I'd tell you if he didn't make it."
CHAPTER 5
I glance up at him. His bottom lip is trembling. He's on the verge of losing it. I am too. So much has happened since the last time I saw him. "They're moving him to the ICU. Dr. Reynolds said the next few hours will be critical. He's tough as nails though. My dad is a fighter."
"If he's anything like his daughter, I know he'll make it. You're the
"You told me you loved Tyler." She looks me straight in the eyes. "Don't tell me that all of that disappeared because you heard that Neela is working with him. You don't know his side of things yet. Hell, Den, you don’t even know Neela's side. All you have is Maribel's side and seriously, I've been creeped out by her for weeks."
"You've been creeped out by Maribel?" I take a shaky breath. "What do you mean?"
Her hand fists around her phone. "She's been sending me a lot of text messages. Some are general stuff about the weather and hanging out but there's a bunch of other ones."
I haven't asked Sophia about her friendship with Maribel since Tyler handed out the promotions for the two senior chef positions. I'd never ask Soph to choose between me and any of her other friends. Besides, Sophia's told me more than once that Maribel's husband owns a clothing store and if she can get her designs in there, she'll be on her way to having the career she really wants. I'd never let my anger over a job steal that chance away from her.
"What other ones?"
She sighs, her top teeth grazing over her bottom lip. "They were about you, Den. She asked questions about you and Tyler. Two days ago she wanted to know if you're as serious about him as he is about you."
"What did you tell her?" I take a deep breath.
"Nothing." She shakes her head. "I never answered those texts. Your relationship with him is none of her business."
I manage a faint smile. "Thanks for having my back, Soph. You're the best."
"You are." She reaches out and I take her hand. "Go in there and talk to him, Den. He loves you. You love him. That's what matters right now."
"I do love him," I say under my breath. "I'll talk to him. I need to."
***
"Don't cry, Cadence." Tyler wipes the tears from my face. "I can't take it if you cry."
I wanted to be strong when I pushed the curtain aside to enter the examining room that Tyler's in. I lost all my resolve when I saw his face. His upper lip is swollen and split, his left cheek is already sporting the beginnings of what looks like a massive purple bruise. There's a plain white bandage above his left brow and the front of his hair is wet and matted. It's obvious from the red streaks across the top of his forehead that it's blood.
"You hit your head." I move to touch his bruised cheek but I stop myself. "Are you still bleeding?"
"No." He glides his hand across his brow as he moves to stand from the stretcher he's sitting on. "This split wide open. There was a lot of blood, but they've stitched me back up. I'm good."
"You might have a concussion." My eyes meet his. "Have they checked you out for that? Concussions can be serious."
A faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. He winces. "It hurts to smile. I love that you're worried about me, but I'm fine. They checked me over from head to toe."
I nod. "I was scared, Tyler. I was really scared."
He swallows hard, his eyes misting. "It all happened so fast. That car came out of nowhere. There was no time to brace ourselves."
My stomach tenses, a mental image of the moment of impact invading me. I close my eyes. "You hit your head. My dad must have too."
"Sergio wasn't wearing his seat belt." He exhales in a rush. "I was scared that he was gone. I kept thinking about you and what I'd tell you if he didn't make it."
CHAPTER 5
I glance up at him. His bottom lip is trembling. He's on the verge of losing it. I am too. So much has happened since the last time I saw him. "They're moving him to the ICU. Dr. Reynolds said the next few hours will be critical. He's tough as nails though. My dad is a fighter."
"If he's anything like his daughter, I know he'll make it. You're the
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