Page 57 of Ride or Die
"H-How can you be sure?" Tears spill down my face.
"She sent me a picture. He looks a little rough, but I want to go there and find out if it's actually him," he explains.
"I'm going with you," I state.
"Cali, there's a chance it might not even be him," Bull tells me.
"I don't care. I'm going. I need to see for myself," I say. Shade shrugs his shoulders.
"She might as well come with," Shade says to Bull. Bull sighs.
"Okay, but," Bull says, "take Rascal and Buzz with you. They can follow on their bikes."
"Sounds good to me," Shade responds.
"I'll pack the four of us some food to take with us in case it is him. I'm not leaving him," I tell them.
"Be prepared for it to not be him. I don't want you getting your hopes up," Bull says.
"I get that, but I have to have faith it is him. He is without a doubt my soulmate. I won't believe it's not him until I see him for myself," I say with as much confidence as I can. Truth is, if it's not actually him, it will shatter my world all over again. I guess we'll find out soon.
"I'll go tell Rascal and Buzz to be ready in twenty," Bull says and walks out of his office.
"Why don't you go get a backpack with some clothes," Shade suggests. "If it's him, we'll stay the night there."
I walk over to Buster's room, grab a backpack and pack some things. I pack an outfit for Ryan, in case it's him and he needs clothes. In the bathroom, I grab my brush, toothbrush, and toothpaste. When I'm done, I head back out to the main room. Shade, Rascal, and Buzz are all waiting for me by the bar. Minx runs up to me as soon as she sees me.
"If it's him, give him a big hug for me, please." She hands me a couple of bags of Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.
"I will," I tell her. She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me.
"Please text me if you need anything at all," she adds.
I walk over to the guys and we head outside. Shade puts all four of our bags in the trunk of his car while I climb in the front seat, placing the bags of food in the back. Rascal and Buzz climb on their bikes and turn them on, the engines roaring to life.
The closer we get to Killeen, the more nervous I get. It takes us over an hour to get there with the way Shade is driving. He parks the car and we get out. I stare at the hospital while Shade texts his friend to tell her we're here. Rascal and Buzz walk up behind us.
"Let's go. Sammi is going to meet us in the lobby in five minutes," Shade tells us. I'm frozen in my spot, heart racing a million miles an hour. Shade glances over his shoulder and stops. I'm not following him. He says something to Rascal and walks back to me.
"You're not backing out on me now, are you?" he teases me. My eyes go from the hospital to him.
"What if it's not him?" I stutter out.
"We'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it," he tells me. "For now, let's get in there and see what we're working with."
I nod my head and together we walk toward the hospital. Walking through the doors, Rascal and Buzz are standing there talking to a woman in scrubs.
"Sammi, this is Cali, Buster's Ol' Lady," he introduces us as soon as we walk over to her.
"I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances," Sammi says.
"Yeah, me too."
"Come with me. I'll take you right to him," she says.
Shade follows Sammi, while I follow him with Rascal and Buzz walking behind me. Sammi leads us to the ICU and stops at the waiting room.
"Only two visitors are allowed in there at a time, so two of you will have to wait out here," she tells us. Rascal and Buzz instantly sit. Sammi nods her head in approval and continues through the doors. We stop at ICU room number seven.
