Page 106 of Loved Out Loud
“What’s wrong?” I ask as I spin her in my arms.
She clings to me. “Grams had a stroke. Mom is on her way to the hospital now.”
“Fuck.” I hold her to my chest and pull my phone out, texting Darren and Jade that I need help. “Don’t worry about anything.”
In less than a minute, I hear the door to our suite opening and Darren call out to me. His hair is mused and his shirt buttoned. Tobias follows right behind him, face flushed.
Jade is seconds behind them.
“Beverly just had a stroke,” I tell them with my arms still locked around Hazel. “I need a plane to New York like right now.”
Darren pulls his phone out and crosses to the other side of the room. “On it.”
Tobias strides over and wraps his arms around Hazel from the other side, so she’s cocooned between us.
“Can you reach out to Sierra about canceling Hazel’s appearance tonight?” I ask Jade.
“Of course.” She walks into the bedroom to call Sierra.
Hazel continues to sob while Tobias and I hold her. He meets my eyes, hopefully seeing my gratitude. A few minutes go by before Jade comes out of the bedroom with Hazel’s purse and suitcase.
“I think I got everything, but if you left anything behind I’m sure Stone will take care of it.” She gives Hazel a sad look.
Tobias backs off, but I don’t move. I run my hands up and down her back in long, comforting strokes. Her tears soak into my shirt as she continues to sob quietly, her fingers clutching me.
“I’ve got you, baby.” I press a kiss to her head. “How hard would it be to reschedule tonight’s show?” I ask Darren as he walks across the room.
“No,” Hazel pulls away. “Don’t do that. I’ll be fine.”
“I have a private jet booked and fueling as we speak. The car should be here in ten minutes.”
My heart feels like it’s in vise grip. Only ten minutes. And I can’t go with her.
“I can’t afford a private jet.”
“I’ve taken care of it,” Darren says quietly. “Don’t worry about money. Just focus on staying calm and being there for her and your mom.”
She nods, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Thank you.”
My heart beat quickens with each second that passes. Anxiety that I haven’t felt in months darkens the edges of my field of vision. Now isn’t the time for me to fall apart, especially when it’s just because I can’t be with her while she struggles. The words I long to say to her, have wanted to say for days now, stay stuffed down deep inside. I’m not going to tarnish those words with the memory of this pain.
We’ll be okay. I know we will be.
Dan and Adam walk into the room, both their faces twisted with concern. I leave Hazel with Jade and Tobias to go pull Dan aside.
“Can you get your stuff together and go with her?” I ask with my back turned to her. “I don’t want her alone on a plane ride worrying.”
“Yeah. Am I still covering her security while we’re in New York?”
“Yes.” As far as I’m concerned, he’s now her bodyguard full time.
He nods. “I’ll grab my bag and come back for her.”
“Thank you.” I pat his back as he turns, Adam falling in step beside him.
Xander has come in and is sitting on Hazel’s other side with his arm around her back. I know there’s time where she still feels like an outsider around us, but seeing how the band, Jade, and Darren have rallied around her so fast and without pause should make her understand that she’s one of us.
I mean, fuck, Darren just chartered a private jet with his own money for her. He’s a dickhead ninety-eight percent of the time, but he’s our dickhead. And that other two percent is generous and protective as fuck.
