Page 134 of Brassy Bigwig

“Would you like me to come with you?” my mother asks.

“No,” I answer quickly. “Thank you, but I need to go alone.”

I don’t want anyone standing around, waiting for me. No one knows this yet, but once I get into D’s room, I won’t be leaving until he’s ready to leave the hospital. I’d like to see them try to remove me.

We take the elevator down one floor, then my nurse leads me into the intensive care unit. She pushes me through the hall, taking so many turns I don’t think I’ll ever be able to find my way back.

Not that I’ll need to.

“Here we are.” She knocks on the door to D’s room, and when it opens, I see the melancholy face of Bianca staring back at me.

“Oh, Chloe,” she leans down and hugs me gently. “I’m so sorry.”

“I need to see him,” I beg.

“Of course, come on in.”

They must know who D is because his room is the size of about five of my rooms put together. I’m wheeled in, and as she parks me next to D’s bed, I lose it. I begin sobbing all over again as I slowly climb from the wheelchair.

I walk to the side of D’s bed and collapse onto it. I grab his hand and rest my head on his chest gently.

“D, I’m so sorry,” I cry. “This is all my fault. I should have called you. But I was so scared… Please wake up, D.” I place my hand on his cheek and lay a kiss on his cold, unmoving lips. “You have to be okay. I can’t live without you.”

I stay like that until I’ve cried all of the tears I can cry.

“Why don’t you take a seat, Chloe?” the nurse suggests. I had no idea she was still here. “I can take you back to your room to rest.”

“No, I’m not going anywhere. You’re welcome to wheel my bed down here, there’s more than enough room, but I’m not leaving, and there’s nothing you can do to make me.”

She exchanges a glance with both Dex and Bianca, who look at her with sympathy, but offer no assistance. They know better.

“I’ll give you some more time, but I can’t permit you to stay in this room. It’s against hospital policy.”

“We’ll see about that,” I spit at her.

Watch what happens when they try and take me from this room. Stab wound or not, they will force a side of me to come out that even I’m scared to meet. I can feel the rage simmering beneath the surface as I look at her.

My nurse looks around the room uncomfortably once more before finally leaving. When she’s gone, I call upstairs to my father and ask him and Shelby to meet me down here. I’m seated in the chair at D’s bedside when they walk through the door.

“What’s going on?” my father asks.

“Daddy, I think you know Dexter Truitt. He’s D’s best friend.”

My father looks across the room at Dex, and I watch carefully to see if there is going to be an issue. I remember what D told me a while ago about the two of them not getting along.

But I didn’t have anything to worry about.

“Graham,” Dex nods to my father.

“Dex. I’m so sorry for…” he doesn’t know what to say, but he gestures toward D.

“Thank you, that means a lot.”

“You guys—Daddy, Dex, and D—are three of the most powerful and influential men in this city. Now, I’m not leaving this room until D does, and there must be something one of you can do to see to it this hospital accommodates my demand. I want to spend the duration of my stay with the man I love. The man, without whom I wouldn’t be here right now.” I start to cry again. “The man who is fighting for his life because of me.”

Through my tears, I look back and forth between Dex and my father and wait for one of them to say something. I catch Bianca’s expression as she stands just behind the two of them. She winks and offers me a nod, giving me all the silent support that I need. Shelby comes to my side and places her hand on my good shoulder.

“We’ll talk to someone, Chloe. We’ll get it taken care of.” Dex promises.

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