strongest person I've ever met."
He's wrong. I'm not strong. My heart is fractured. Tonight was supposed to be the night that I'd tell Tyler I love him. I imagined we'd end up in each other's arms in my bed, planning our future and putting our pasts behind us. Now, we're in the ER, with his ex-fiancée hovering nearby and my dad hanging on by a thread.
"I should go check on Sergio." I take a measured step back. "Are they going to release you soon?"
"No, I have to stay." His voice is laced with disappointment. "They're going to admit me for observation. I'll be discharged in the morning if everything checks out."
"It's good they're keeping you," I offer quietly. "Head injuries can be dangerous."
"I'm fine." He steps toward me, his hands reaching for mine. "I'm more worried about you."
My gaze drops to our hands. He's cradling mine, his right thumb skimming over my palm. He's trying to comfort me when he's the one who just went through hell. "You don't have to worry about me, Tyler. I'm good."
"You're not." He sighs. "You're going to go see Sergio without me beside you. I can discharge myself. Ben will understand."
I doubt like hell his brother-in-law is going to let him walk out of here. They wouldn't be keeping him overnight if there wasn't at least some concern about possible complications. "You can't leave, Tyler. I don't want that. I need you to be okay. Please stay."
He squeezes both my hands gently. "If you want me to stay I will, but I can be in the ICU in minutes. You just say the word and I'll break free and come find you."
"Please follow doctor's orders." I drop his hands to step back. "Or brother-in-law's orders. Do what they tell you to do."
He nods. "I will. I know you're worried, but your dad is in the best hands possible. Sadie is a fantastic doctor. She'll do everything she can for him."
I rub my hand over my chest but it does nothing to soothe the ache that has once again settled there. "I'll go see him now. I want to be there when he wakes up."
He closes the distance between us with one large step, his hands leaping to my face. "I love you, Cadence. I was scared I'd never be able to say that to you again."
I bite my tongue to ward off what my heart wants me to say. I can't tell him I love him right now, not when Neela is waiting in the wings. It's impossible to form those three words on my tongue. They're still inside me but now they're buried beneath a mountain of confusion and grief.
Cautiously, I start to pull away again but he stops me, his lips grazing over mine in a soft kiss.
He winces. "It hurts to kiss you, but it's worth it."
"Promise me you'll rest." I tap my fingers on his chest. The front of the white dress shirt he's wearing is stained with spots of blood, the collar ripped.
"I'll do whatever you want me to do."
I smile gently. "Sleep. Heal. Take care of yourself."
"I can do all of those things." He drops his hands from my face. "Can you do me a favor?"
My stomach lurches even though I know the request has nothing to do with Neela. He didn't bother to tell me that she's been working for him. I doubt like hell he'd bring her name up at his point.
"What is it?" I ask with the cock of my left brow. "What can I do for you, Chef?"
He dips his chin toward the curtain that separates us from the bustling corridor where Sophia is waiting for me. "Stop by the waiting room and tell my sister and my parents that I'm as good as ever."
I look up at the bandage on his forehead. "I'll tell them that you're almost as good as ever."
"Thank you, my love," he says calmly, quietly while my heart splinters again.
CHAPTER 6
"So you didn't say anything about Neela?" That's the second time Sophia has asked me that since I walked out of the exam room that Tyler is in. The first time I had to shush her since we were barely a foot away from the curtain that Tyler was standing behind.
I stop mid-step to turn to look at her. "I couldn't bring her up, Soph. The man was just in a major
He's wrong. I'm not strong. My heart is fractured. Tonight was supposed to be the night that I'd tell Tyler I love him. I imagined we'd end up in each other's arms in my bed, planning our future and putting our pasts behind us. Now, we're in the ER, with his ex-fiancée hovering nearby and my dad hanging on by a thread.
"I should go check on Sergio." I take a measured step back. "Are they going to release you soon?"
"No, I have to stay." His voice is laced with disappointment. "They're going to admit me for observation. I'll be discharged in the morning if everything checks out."
"It's good they're keeping you," I offer quietly. "Head injuries can be dangerous."
"I'm fine." He steps toward me, his hands reaching for mine. "I'm more worried about you."
My gaze drops to our hands. He's cradling mine, his right thumb skimming over my palm. He's trying to comfort me when he's the one who just went through hell. "You don't have to worry about me, Tyler. I'm good."
"You're not." He sighs. "You're going to go see Sergio without me beside you. I can discharge myself. Ben will understand."
I doubt like hell his brother-in-law is going to let him walk out of here. They wouldn't be keeping him overnight if there wasn't at least some concern about possible complications. "You can't leave, Tyler. I don't want that. I need you to be okay. Please stay."
He squeezes both my hands gently. "If you want me to stay I will, but I can be in the ICU in minutes. You just say the word and I'll break free and come find you."
"Please follow doctor's orders." I drop his hands to step back. "Or brother-in-law's orders. Do what they tell you to do."
He nods. "I will. I know you're worried, but your dad is in the best hands possible. Sadie is a fantastic doctor. She'll do everything she can for him."
I rub my hand over my chest but it does nothing to soothe the ache that has once again settled there. "I'll go see him now. I want to be there when he wakes up."
He closes the distance between us with one large step, his hands leaping to my face. "I love you, Cadence. I was scared I'd never be able to say that to you again."
I bite my tongue to ward off what my heart wants me to say. I can't tell him I love him right now, not when Neela is waiting in the wings. It's impossible to form those three words on my tongue. They're still inside me but now they're buried beneath a mountain of confusion and grief.
Cautiously, I start to pull away again but he stops me, his lips grazing over mine in a soft kiss.
He winces. "It hurts to kiss you, but it's worth it."
"Promise me you'll rest." I tap my fingers on his chest. The front of the white dress shirt he's wearing is stained with spots of blood, the collar ripped.
"I'll do whatever you want me to do."
I smile gently. "Sleep. Heal. Take care of yourself."
"I can do all of those things." He drops his hands from my face. "Can you do me a favor?"
My stomach lurches even though I know the request has nothing to do with Neela. He didn't bother to tell me that she's been working for him. I doubt like hell he'd bring her name up at his point.
"What is it?" I ask with the cock of my left brow. "What can I do for you, Chef?"
He dips his chin toward the curtain that separates us from the bustling corridor where Sophia is waiting for me. "Stop by the waiting room and tell my sister and my parents that I'm as good as ever."
I look up at the bandage on his forehead. "I'll tell them that you're almost as good as ever."
"Thank you, my love," he says calmly, quietly while my heart splinters again.
CHAPTER 6
"So you didn't say anything about Neela?" That's the second time Sophia has asked me that since I walked out of the exam room that Tyler is in. The first time I had to shush her since we were barely a foot away from the curtain that Tyler was standing behind.
I stop mid-step to turn to look at her. "I couldn't bring her up, Soph. The man was just in a major
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