Page 28 of Smoke and Mirrors
“Are you Victoria Miller?”
“Um, no.” I narrowed my eyes, puzzled.
“Okay, well she’s listed as domestic partner on his emergency contact form. You all are welcome to wait and we’ll give updates, but if there are any life-altering decisions regarding Mr. Shaw, we can only discuss those matters with her.”
“Wait,” I protested. “I’m pretty sure that’s his ex fiancee. They’re not together anymore.”
“We have to go off of what’s on his current emergency contact form, ma’am. If he’s lucid enough to update it later, we will surely do that. In the meantime, y’all can have a seat.”
Raz gently turned me away from the desk and led me to the waiting area. He sat me down, keeping an arm around me the whole time. Nigel sat across from us and immediately picked up a magazine.
I felt beyond useless just sitting there waiting, but Raz’s fingers were soothing on my arms. That gentle touch, an anchor to keep me grounded, to keep me from standing up and bursting through the door to find wherever Connor was.
Some time later, the elevator dinged as it opened and the two children running up to me couldn’t help but bring a smile to my face.
“Miss Mel, don’t be sad,” Rinna looked up at me with her gigantic blue eyes and crawled into my lap when I opened my arms. “Mr. Connor is strong, he’s okay.”
“Thanks, sweetie.” I hugged her close. “I know, it’s just hard not to worry.”
Roo placed a small hand on my knees, his brow furrowed and golden eyes sharp. “Connor will be alright,” he said in an adorably serious voice. “I know he will.”
My aching heart eased just a little with how sweet these two were being. “Thanks, Roo,” I whispered, fighting back tears.
“Any news?” Hunter picked up Roo and set him in his lap as he sat on the other side of me. His eyes flickered to Raz’s arm around me but his face remained cool.
“They’re running tests. No updates yet.”
Hunter nodded and placed a hand on my knee, gently circling his fingers in a massage. The simple gesture almost made me burst out sobbing. With Raz to lean on one way, Hunter on the other, and his two kids with their bright, adorable innocence, I never felt so supported before in my life.
Even Nigel, pointedly ignoring our affection with his nose in a magazine, was at least here for me and Connor. He seemed almost like a dad figure, from what little I knew about that.
So this was how it felt to have people there for you. A support network always sounded like such an alien concept to me. “Lean on your friends when you need them. Tell your parents when you’re having a difficult time. They want the best for you.” I had those ideas drummed into my head at school while growing up and they were always so laughable. I never had anyone.
And now, since abandoning everything I knew and joining this freak show, I had people here for me. And I swore to God I would never let this go.
I threaded my fingers through Hunter’s, kissed Rinna on top of her head, then leaned my head against Razvan’s shoulder. I wasn’t alone anymore and neither was Connor.
The wait was long and would’ve felt even longer if I had no one. The guys took turns getting up and grabbing snacks from vending machines. Roo and Rinna played with some toys and picture books in the waiting room. No one said much. My eyes stayed glued to the door. I didn’t want to get up for a single second.
When it finally opened, I jumped out of my seat. A tall, slender man with glasses and a white coat turned to us with a smile.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Harman. Are y’all here for Connor Shaw?”
“Yes,” I answered quickly. “How is he?”
“Are you Victoria?”
I sighed, hoping this wouldn’t become an issue in letting me see him. “No, I’m Melody. His girlfriend. He and Victoria are no longer together.”
“I see.” His eyes swept over me, still in my ringmistress outfit, then glanced to Razvan and Hunter. “Well, you can come on back so we can chat. Just bear in mind that the rooms are small.”
“Go ahead, Mel. We’ll wait here.” Hunter gave me an encouraging smile. “Bring back good news for us.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat as I followed the doctor through the door to a small exam room.
“First off, Connor is stable and not under any life threatening conditions,” the doctor began. He smiled at my massive sigh of relief. “He did sustain a concussion from his fall though, so we’re keeping him sedated for the night and monitoring his brain activity.”
“Thank you,” I breathed.
