Page 52 of Choosing Skyler

She shakes her head, reaching up to grab my hand off her shoulder. She grips my hand as tears start to run down her face.

“Shh, I’m right here. I’ve got you.” I stand, still holding her hand and face Jacob. “I’m guessing you’re new in this field since you barely look old enough to have finished high school. So, what I suggest you do is to get someone a little less green to transport Skyler. I’m pretty sure it’s not ‘normal hospital policy’ to cause a trauma victim unnecessary distress.”

Devon can’t see Skyler’s face since he’s behind her chair with Jacob, but one look atmyface is all he needs. He steps toward Jacob.

“Give us directions to the radiology department and get out,” he commands.

Devon does not usually have the commanding personality to go along with his build but if he were looking at me like that and I didn’t know him like I do—I’d be scared. Jacob has the sense to do as Devon said. He explains which floor and direction to take and then he hightails it out of the room. Once Skyler calms down, we head toward the radiology department for her CT scan.

Chapter 20

Skyler

It would have probably been easier on the guys if I’d just agreed to go with Devon and let Brady stay in the room, but I couldn’t. I feel safer with both of them. Especially if I’m going to be around strangers. I thought I was doing okay after the attack until I couldn’t even leave the room withouttwobodyguards. Now, I don’t know how I’m going to survive this. Am I doomed to be a recluse for the rest of my life? How will I go to school and work and live my life? Will Brady still want me if he can never leave my side without me panicking? What kind of life will that be for him?Maybe he’s better off without me.

Devon pushes the wheelchair I’m sitting in while Brady walks beside me, still gripping my hand. As much as I’ve hated not being able to talk since I woke up, I’m thankful for it now. The guys don’t seem to notice my thoughts running wild. My silence is the new normal. I pull my hand from Brady’s for Devon to back the wheelchair into the elevator. When Brady steps into the elevator in front of me, he notices.

“What’s wrong, Beautiful?” he asks worriedly.

When I don’t look up at him, he squats down to look at my face. He tries to lift my face with a finger under my chin, but I jerk my head back and he freezes.

His voice takes on a panicked edge. “Are you scared ofme?”

I don’t look at him, but I shake my head. I won’t have him thinking he did anything wrong, but I have to distance myself before he leaves me. I know it’s inevitable if I can’t even function in the world. So, I go back to staring at my lap. The thought of losing him should have me panicking, but the thought of letting him goforhim creates the opposite. I’mnumb?

“Look. At. Me. Skyler,” he demands.

I fight the pull to snap my gaze to his. I feel like I’m drifting again, but this time there’s no tether—because I just snapped it.

“Please, Beautiful,” he pleads. When I still don’t look at him, he jerks to his feet. “Something’s wrong, Devon. She won’t even look at me,” he cries.

Devon walks around to face me just as the elevator stops and the doors open. He ignores them and the people waiting.

“What’s wrong, Sweets? We’re right here. We’ve got you. You’re safe,” he says softly.

It’s the voice he uses when I have a panic attack. But this isn’t panic. This is self-preservation. So, I don’t look at him either. He’ll read me and know what I’m thinking.

“Skyler, you’re scaring us. Please look at one of us so we know you’re in there,” he says, squatting down like Brady did as the elevator doors close and it continues down.

“What is it, Devon? What’s wrong?” Brady asks him, his voice shaking.

“I… I don’t know,” Devon tells him, and it sounds like his heart is breaking. “I think we should call Dr. Henley. Something’s wrong. She’s never refused to look at me and she sure as hell wouldn’t refuseyoulike that,” he says, pulling out his phone.

“Hi, Dr. Henley. This is Devon Mitchell. I’m here with Brady Hargrove and we were taking Skyler for her CT scan but she’s not communicating. We think something may be wrong.” … “We’re in the elevator. We missed the stop on the third floor for radiology because we were trying to get her to respond to us.” … “Yes, we’ll do that. We’ll meet you there,” he says, putting his phone back in his pocket. “We’re going back up to radiology. He’s sending orders for a head CT as well as the one on her neck. He’ll meet us there to observe Skyler and the scan in person,” Devon tells Brady.

They won’t find anything on the scan. I’m not brain damaged. I’m just lost. As I drift with no tether, I feel myself slipping further away.It’s just as well. I don’t want to stay if it means keeping everyone tied down.

When the elevator stops, Devon slams the button for the third floor again and the doors close. When they open again, he runs behind the wheelchair to push me toward the radiology wing. Dr. Henley is already there waiting.

“Skyler, can you look at me?” he asks me.

I probably could,maybe, but I don’t try.

“I’m going to listen to your heart, okay?” he asks me. When I don’t respond this time, he asks Devon.

“Yes, do what you need to. Please,” Devon tells him.

I don’t move when the stethoscope touches my chest. He listens with one hand on the stethoscope and holding his other like he’s looking at his watch.

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