Page 99 of Sexted By Santa
I cringed, unsure if I was imagining the disgust in his voice. He had every right to be angry. “Yes. Yes, just tell me how much.”
“Give me two seconds. I’ll text you. Administer the insulin and then standby for the paramedics.”
“I will. I promise. I’m so sorry. I’m so—”
Click. The line went dead. Jaxson had better things to do than listen to my pointless apologies.
Guilt swamped me as I remembered how I’d promised him that Tori would be safe with me. I’d been so wrong.
I stared at the readout on the glucose device, blurring through my tears, and clasped Tori’s hand in mine. I’d screwed up beyond repair. All my fears of letting Jaxson down rushed to the surface. I’d thought this time would be different, that I’d be a good partner, but I’d failed again. And this time, my failure was bigger than me and my shitty record with men. It was bigger than a broken heart.
If something happened to Tori, it would devastate us all.
* * *
Everything was a blur when the ambulance arrived. I held a frantic, yapping Sir Elton John in my arms and answered the paramedics’ questions about Tori’s condition, including her symptoms before they arrived and how much insulin I’d administered at Jaxson’s direction.
Tori’s breathing had grown worse, and they put an oxygen mask on her, so it was tough to know if she was getting any better.
“Did the insulin I gave her help? Will she be okay?”
A female paramedic only a foot taller than Tori pushed me back. “Give us room to work, sir. I know you’re worried, but we’ll do everything we can to stabilize her.”
I was helpless to do anything other than watch as they placed Tori on a backboard. I shut Sir Elton in the bathroom with a bowl of water, then trailed them outside as they carried her toward the ambulance. Lights flashed, lighting up the driveway in red and blue, and a few neighbors stepped out onto their porches to watch. My stomach clenched, and for a moment I thought I might vomit.
This was Jaxson’s little girl being loaded into an ambulance.What the fuck had I done?
“Do you want to ride with her?” I blinked, the world coming back into focus. The paramedic’s eyes were big and brown. Nice eyes. “Sir, why don’t you climb up?”
Jaxson was driving straight to the hospital since it was a faster route than coming home first. I didn’t even know if he’d want me there after I’d fucked up so irreparably. But looking at her on the gurney, surrounded by medical paraphernalia, I couldn’t leave her alone.
I nodded once, stepping up with some assistance, and buckled into the seat where they pointed me. Leaning forward, I was just able to hold her small fingers in mine while they monitored her, speaking in a language of medical jargon I couldn’t hope to understand.
The female paramedic, a woman with a short blond bob, glanced at me sympathetically. “Her blood sugar is coming down.”
I exhaled shakily. “Thank God.”
My voice was so hoarse I barely recognized it.
“She’s not out of the woods yet. She’ll need more treatment at the hospital to fully recover.”
Damn. No wonder Jaxson worried so much. I raked my hands through my hair, unsettled in my own skin. How could he live like this, with Tori’s well-being one mistake away from an ambulance ride?
What if Jaxson hadn’t texted back when he did? What if I hadn’t tried to wake her and just left her in that room thinking she was safely napping?
That line of thinking was too terrifying to contemplate for long. Tori was only eight years old, and she had a lifetime of this ahead of her. Odds were she’d be in this position again. But if she was, it wouldn’t be my fault. Not again.
When we arrived at the hospital, I followed Tori’s gurney as the medics wheeled her into the emergency room. Jaxson was already there. He rushed up, explaining he was her father, and they allowed him to follow.
I hung back, watching them rush down the hallway. I’d only glimpsed Jaxson for a moment, but he’d looked terrified.
I’d done that.
I’d only wanted to support him. Instead, I’d nearly cost him his daughter.
When Jaxson was barred from the treatment room, shaking with fear, I couldn’t stay away. I went down the hall on trembling legs.
“Is she okay?”
