Page 6 of Hot Response
“You know, I could walk,” I said softly, but he grunted as a response before sitting me on the waiting gurney. “Wait, what’s all this?” I asked.
“Just lie down for me, okay? We need to check you out.”
“Check me…” I wiggled my toes and patted myself down. I was sore from being stuck, but it wasn’t like I had been hit or was bleeding. Or I didn’t think I was. “I don’t need all this,” I argued. His brows bunched.
Suddenly, I felt dizzy.
Like my heart was beating way too fast for my chest to handle.
“Baby, just let us check you over?—“
“Ronnie—“
“And at the hospital, they will?—“
“Hospital?” My eyes widened, and something came over me. My hand took his hostage. “I don’t like hospitals,” I whispered, feeling like the world’s biggest chicken.
“Hey, it’s just to make sure everything is okay. I’ll be with you, okay? This is just precautionary,” he said in a soothing voice, but as much as I tried to cling to it, I couldn’t shake off the fear.
“She’s panicking, bud,” Nate muttered behind him.
“Evie. Baby girl, look at me,” he ordered sternly, and I found myself doing what he asked. “I need you to breathe for me.”
“But…” I looked all around me.
My bakery. It was destroyed. Everything I had worked so hard for was just… gone. There was a literal car inside of it. Police cars and two fire trucks were there as well as another ambulance.
“Oh god…” The dizziness came in full force. It felt like it was impossible to catch my breath. “Is something worse off? With me, I mean? I really don’t feel that bad. A little banged up—” I tried to sit up, but he didn’t let me. “Are you not telling me?—“
“Evie, baby, look at me,” he urged, and I blinked. The hand I was holding moved up to his chest. “Breathe with me,” he ordered, his voice rough. His chest rose, and I inhaled, holding it for a moment until he exhaled and I followed him. Matching breath for breath until the dizzy spell mostly went away.
“Good girl. That’s my girl,” he praised. I felt the anxiety start to fade away as something else started to bloom inside me.
That’s my girl.His words volleyed in my head like a lifeline I needed to hold on to. It was probably what he said in the moment as adrenaline rushed through both of us, but I couldn’t get myself to shrug off the sentiment. How many times had I thought about being his girl?
“We’re just going to make sure there is nothing wrong. Okay?”
“Promise?” I asked, knowing just how unfair it was to do that. This was just his job. I was just another patient, probably one of many during a single shift. But there was something about the way he looked at me, spoke to me, that felt different. Like maybe I wasn’t just one more call of the day to him.
“Promise, baby. I would tell you if I was worried about anything,” he said, and I believed him.
“Okay,” I whispered, relaxing and lying back on the gurney. He hopped in the back with me, taking the seat next to me as his partner in front drove us with lights and sirens to the hospital.
It wasn’t until a lot later that I realized he never let go of my hand.
Not through the drive and not while the staff in the emergency room looked me over.
FOUR
RON
“Hey.”Nate came up behind me, still dressed in his gear, and I gave him a chin nod. I was waiting in the hallway, just outside the room where Evie had been. They had taken her in for X-rays, and I hadn’t been able to get myself to move from the spot.
“You heading back to work?” he asked even though I had a feeling we both knew the answer to that.
“No,” I clipped. “I talked to them. I’m done for the day.”
“For the day.” He whistled. “So… who is she?” I scowled.
