Page 89 of The Destruction You Desire
"That should cover it."
I stare down at the cash.
"Good."
I turn to the door, glad to have got what I came here for.
"I'll tell him about this," he warns before I have the door open.
"I don't doubt it. It's time Daddy and I had a little chat anyway."
I blow out of there, stuffing Peyton's money into my back pocket as I go.
I whistle when I get to the bar getting everyone's attention.
Helena immediately looks over and I can't help but smile. "You can get back to blowing the boss now, darling." I smile at her before marching toward the door and leaving them all to it.
I get to the hospital just after seven-thirty and I sit in my car with my eyes locked on the entrance, hoping that Fee will emerge.
I only have to wait a little over five minutes before she does and I make my way inside.
The receptionist is a Panthers fan, so she's more than willing to hand me over all the information I need to find Libby, or more importantly Peyton.
The ward she’s on is deadly quiet as I walk through, most of the pot lights are dimmed so the patients can get some rest.
The door to Libby's is cracked open, so I manage to open it without alerting the two people inside to my arrival.
I stand there for a few minutes, noticing the improvement in Libby in the days since I last saw her in Atlanta. But where she might look better, when I turn my attention to Peyton, I find she looks much worse. The circles under her eyes are darker than ever, her complexion pale, and when I look at her hands, I notice that the skin around her nails is red and raw.
Guilt threatens to bring me to my knees.
I shouldn't have left.
I'm still standing there at war with myself over my decisions when she must sense that she's got company and she turns to me. Her chin drops in shock when she realizes that it's me.
20
Peyton
Part of me hoped he'd come. The other part hoped he'd stay away because I knew that one look at him and everything I've felt since he found me in The Locker Room all those weeks ago would come crashing back like a fucking tsunami.
And I wasn't wrong.
All the air rushes out of my lungs as I stare at him in the doorway. His large frame takes up almost all the space.
"Luc," I breathe as if I'm checking that he's really there and not just a figment of my imagination.
"How is she?"
"She's… doing okay. There's still a long way to go but progress has been mostly good so far."
"That's good. I'm glad."
An awkwardness that I'm not used to feeling with Luca settles around us.
"T-thank you for organizing all this. The chopper ride was kinda exciting, all things considered."
"It's nothing, P. No less than either of you deserve. Have you eaten?"
