Page 56 of Barn Burner
“I’ll send up an ice pack for your face. You need to apply a cold compress to reduce the inflammation.”
With a shaky nod, I thank her again and head toward the lifts. The doors open on the third floor, and I’m greeted by Cooper, Rhett, Sara, and Jesse’s dad, Bob. Sara stands up from the plastic chair, and I practically fall into her arms. She rubs my back in soothing circles as I hide my face in her shoulder, unable to hold back the tears any longer. Unable to bear the weight of my emotions that have been building for hours.
“Is he okay?” I murmur into her shoulder, ignoring the sting and pain throbbing in my face.
“The surgery was successful. He’s in his own room, but he’s sleeping at the moment. We’re only out here because the nurses are just checking his vitals,” Sara says, her calm voice soothing me.
Taking a shaky breath, I lift my head, and she immediately raises her hands to carefully wipe her thumb under my eyes and over my cheeks. “Sweetheart, what happened to your face?”
“I…” I trail off, letting out a heavy exhale before wiping my eyes with the heel of my palms. “I let my emotions get the better of me.”
“He’s not gonna be too pleased,” Bob adds, arching a brow with a knowing smirk on his face that tells me he knows exactly what happened. “You know he’ll be outside the arena waiting next time Rafferty comes to town.”
I let out a wet laugh. “I know. I’ll talk him down.”
“Hi,” the nurse says, popping her head around the corner. “Just to let you know, you can go back in. He’s awake now, too.”
She disappears again, and I turn to look at Jesse’s family, but they’re all looking at me expectantly.
“What are you waiting for?” Sara squeezes my bicep. “Go see him.”
“Don’t you want to see him first?” I ask in confusion.
“We’ve already seen him, even though he was asleep. Plus, you’re the one he’ll want to see the most,” she assures with a smile. “Go.”
Not needing to be told twice, I quickly thank them and round the corner toward his room. I find room 314 halfway down the brightly lit hall, the smell of disinfectant filling my nose. I peek my head through the partially open door, and my breath catches in my throat at the sight of him lying there. He’s hooked up to several monitors, some of them making steady beeping sounds. His eyes are closed, but his breathing is too steady for him to be sleeping.
“Jesse?” I say so quietly I’m not sure if he can hear me. But those blue eyes I love so much slowly open, and his lips tilt into a tired smile when he spots me.
“Hey, Brayden,” he rasps, his voice thick from not being used in hours.
I step into the room, closing the door softly behind me, and head over to stand at the side of his bed. Taking hold of his good hand, I lace our fingers together and bring it to my lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. With my other hand, I card my fingers through his hair, brushing it off his face. His eyes close again as he leans into my touch.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to get here,” I whisper.
“It’s okay. You’re here now, and that’s all I need,” he mumbles. “Wouldn’t say no to kissin’ you, though.”
“I can do that,” I say with a smile. I slide my mouth over his, kissing him softly and gently. He lets out a happy hum and lets go of my hand to cup the back of my head.
“Lie with me,” he murmurs against my lips.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t hurt me.” He pats the space beside him, the side opposite to his injuries. “I’ve missed you, and I just wanna hold you.”
Kicking off my shoes, I carefully climb onto the bed and curl into his side. He fingers my hair, toying with the strands. I know I need to keep my head elevated, but needing to hear the steady thump of his heart is more important. I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes.
We lie there in silence. The only sound is the monotone beeping from one of the machines. His hand becomes lax, his fingers buried in my hair.
It’s not until I think he’s fallen asleep that he whispers, “Who do I need to kill?”
“What?” I whisper back.
“Your face. Who do I need to kill?”
A bubble of laughter travels up my throat as I tilt my head back to glance up at him. His fingers start to caress my scalp again, and I’m close to purring like a cat under his touch. “This is nothing. You should see him. I think I broke his nose.”
“Mhm,” he hums without opening his eyes, and the sound vibrates through his chest. “I would still put him in the ground for laying a hand on you.”
