Even though I know the extent of his injuries, seeing him again is still a shock.
Archer grasps my hand in silent support.
“Hey, Jacob.” Mindy reaches his bedside first.
His eyes follow her, still a little glassy from the meds. When Archer and I move next to her at his bedside, his gaze flickers to us.
He tries to speak but manages only a croak.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “We’ll talk later. We just wanted you to know we’re here. We’ll be here in the morning when you wake up too.”
I rest my fingers over his, not wanting to touch him too hard. Even his hand is bruised.
He blinks a few times, and then his eyes droop and fall shut.
Archer puts his arm around my shoulders.
Mindy links her elbow through mine on my other side.
The doctor comes in, going over some of what to expect before we leave.
“He’s going to be in the hospital for at least a week, then he’ll need physical therapy,” she tells us.
She keeps talking, but my mind is going over everything. Once he’s physically able, he’s likely going to end up in a rehab facility to satisfy the court requirements—depending on what the judge decides when that gets sorted.
It’s a lot to take in, but the bottom line is that he will be okay. Eventually.
God, I hope so.
We head over to the hotel. Archer gets us a room a couple floors down from Mindy, and after saying goodnight and promising to meet in the lobby the next morning, we split into our respective rooms.
As soon as the door shuts, I get rid of my shoes and flop back on the bed. Archer joins me, and like two magnets, we immediately flip toward each other. We lie on our sides, still fully clothed, my leg over his hip and his arm under my head.
“I’m a little worried about when Taylor gets here.” I release a deep breath and relax further when Archer trails a hand through my hair.
“Why?”
“She and Mindy don’t get along. They’ve been in some weird fight for a year.”
The pads of his fingers rub into my scalp, and I shut my eyes on a groan. “I’ll give you an hour to stop doing that.”
He chuckles and continues to massage my head for a minute before asking, “Do you know what they’re fighting about?”
“No. They won’t tell me.”
“Sounds like something they need to work out between themselves.”
I frown. “What if they don’t?”
He kisses the corner of my mouth, effectively removing the sulk. “I don’t know. But you’re family, right? You and Jake argue too, but you still love each other. They’re both coming here and will be here for Jacob despite whatever’s happening with them. As long as you all still have each other, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“You’re right.” I blow out a breath and open my eyes. “I was thinking earlier about how I keep trying to control everything, but I can’t control my sisters or Jacob, and yet here I am, trying to control them again.”
“You worry because you care, and that’s a good thing. You also raised them. It’s only natural to feel like a surrogate mother. You may not be able to control Taylor and Mindy, but you can love them.”
“I can. I do.” I take in his face, his strong jaw, kissable lips, kind eyes. I want to tell him I love him too. The words are ready to burst out of me, but it’s too soon. I know he cares about me. I know he feels strongly about me. He wouldn’t be here otherwise. But I’m too unsure, too insecure. What if he doesn’t say it back right away? What if he needs more time?
I blink at him, shaking my head slowly. “How do you do it?”