Page 157 of Broken Saint

A warm hand presses against my lower back, encouraging me to move, and I do.

We walk through the hospital, Letty and Peyton following the signs for where we need to be while I allow them to drag me along with them.

The familiar clinical scent fills my nose, and bile sloshes in my stomach. Nothing good happens in a hospital. Or at least, not in my life.

We walk up to a desk where a kind-looking woman smiles up at us, but the second Letty says Colt’s name, her expression falters. It makes my heart tumble all over again.

After directing us down the corridor, we take off again, but it’s only a few seconds before we stop at a door and Peyton pushes it open, allowing me to step inside.

I move forward on autopilot, and the second I look up and find a pair of familiar eyes, I shatter.

My legs finally give out and I plummet to the floor as my sobs rip through the air.

But I never hit the unforgiving linoleum floor beneath me because West catches me.

The Rogers brothers always catch you…

The thought only makes me cry harder as he carries me over to the chairs and lowers us down.

I cling to him as I break with my face tucked into his neck, my tears soaking his skin.

His grip on me is equally as tight as he sucks in deep, shuddering breaths.

I have no idea how much time passes as I hold onto him, taking as much strength from him as possible, but eventually, my tears run dry and everything begins to go numb again.

Sensing that I’m calming down, Letty finally speaks. “Have you had any news?”

West shakes his head. “No, they said they’d update me as soon as possible.”

“Have you spoken to your dad?” Peyton asks.

“Yes, he’s getting a flight over.”

Silence falls around us, the weight of all the unknowns pressing down on our shoulders.

“They postponed the game,” Letty muses, and when I glance over, I find her staring down at her phone.

“The guys are on their way,” Macie says, also looking at hers.

“Social media is flooding with well wishes,” Peyton adds, reaching up to wipe a tear from her eyes at whatever she’s reading.

I swallow thickly, both loving and hating the idea that millions of people across the country are waiting with bated breath for news.

The fact Colt has so many people rooting for him fills me with warmth, but also, I don’t want to share him with that many people. He’s mine.

Or at least, for a little while, he was.

Despite thinking that I’d cried myself out, I start all over again.

West’s unwavering support continues, his hand gently rubbing up and down my back as he whispers everything he thinks I need to hear in my ear.

“I got coffees,” Macie says when I calm down again.

Sucking in a deep breath, the rich scent fills my nose.

“Tell me you found some decent stuff,” West rumbles. “I don’t want vending machine crap.”

“You know,” Peyton muses, “joining the NFL turned you into a diva. It wasn’t so long ago that you’d have drunk pond water if you were thirsty.”

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