I swallow roughly and let him lead me back to the hotel. I don’t even say goodbye to him. I just jog to the elevators and disappear. I’m shaking so badly that when I enter the hotel room, Magnus jumps up from his bed and asks, “What’s happened?”
He’s wearing floral pajamas and a tight-fitting tank top.His hair is slightly mused as if he’s run his hands through it.
“I need to go. Something's come up. Can you find a ride home?” I ask.
“Well, yeah, but…where are you going?” he asks, his eyes concerned, but he knows better than to touch me. I won’t allow it.
I rub at my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Caleb’s in the hospital. I need to leave.”
“You’re shaking. You shouldn’t drive. I…I can drive you there.”
I look over at him as I haphazardly throw my clothes into the suitcase and zip it up. If Caleb saw me now, he'd be thrilled.
“You’d do that?”
“Of course, just because…just because it’s over between us doesn’t mean we aren’t friends,” he says, quickly grabbing his clothes and shoving them into his duffle bag. “I like the big guy. Plus, I get to drive your car. We know how you never let anyone drive it. So, it’s really a win-win for both of us.”
I huff out a broken laugh and then give him the keys.
“You’re a good friend, Mag,” I tell him, and he flushes.
“I know.”
We arrive at the hospital in record time. Magnus is a fierce driver, speeding past cars and swerving around trucks. I wonder if I would have been safer if I’d driven myself.
He screeches into a parking spot, and I jump out, walking quickly through the hospital entrance. Magnus is jogging next to me, and when we enter, I immediately see Sem and Luke leaning against the wall, cups of coffee in their hands.
They’re chatting like this is no big deal. Then my mind flashes to Caleb, who told me that this is normal for them.
Heathens, the lot of them.
“Where is he?” I ask, my eyes wild. I shove my shaking hands into my pockets.
God, I hate hospitals. So many bad memories in places like this.
“He’s back there with Aunt Del. Hopped up on pain meds.”
“What happened?” I ask curtly, and Sem and Luke both look at Magnus, standing awkwardly next to me.
“Who’s the little dude?” Sem asks, his eyes sweeping over Mag’s odd choice of pajamas. They’ve probably never seen a man who’d choose to wear feminine clothes. If this was any other situation, it would be laughable.
“He drove me here. We’re on the debate team together. Why does this matter? What happened to Caleb?”
Sem eyes Magnus as Luke says, “We were riding the ATVs today, and his rolled.”
“I knew those things were dangerous,” I mutter. “And the way you all drive them. Like you’re invincible.”
“It could have been worse. All things considered,” Luke responds.
I narrow my eyes at him, and he holds up his hands. “Look, my man, you shouldn’t have come anyway. You’re too late to visit. Only family back there now.”
Frustration wells up in me. I hate hospitals. Despise them. I spent too many days in them growing up, but I drove all the way here and want to see him. To touch him, to make sure he’s okay. It’s a desperate, ugly feeling.
Casual. Yeah, right.
“I’m his fiancé. Will that work?”
Luke shrugs. “Maybe.”