Page 38 of Just for Her
Chapter Sixteen: Paulie
Istood the momentmy sister Sofia stepped out from behind the curtain.
“Paulie, you shouldn’t be back here.”
She gave me a disapproving glance to go along with her admonishment, which I ignored. She might be halfway through her residency and a big deal around the ER, but she was going to have to call security and have me physically removed if she wanted me gone.
“Is she awake?”
She narrowed her eyes. “She’s in and out.”
“How is she?”
“Paulie, you know I can’t discuss—”
“How. Is. She?” I towered over my sister, hands on hips, and gave her my bestcut the BSglower.
Yeah, I was pulling the big-brother card.
She sighed in resignation and threw me a tiny bone. “We’ll know more after we get a complete head series, but I’m admitting her as a precaution.”
I translated that to mean Allison was going to be okay. After Vinnie’s call, I wasn’t so sure. “Can I see her?”
“She’s pretty out of it.”
“Please, Sofe.”
She tilted her head and studied me with a critical eye. “She’s the woman Nonno has been talking about, isn’t she?”
I nodded.
“I can’t wait to hear this story,” she murmured. “All right. It’s not a bad idea to have someone sitting with her until they come to take her upstairs.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped into the small area and winced. Parts of Allison’s beautiful face were swollen and bruised. I resisted the urge to lean over and gently kiss every one.
“That bad, huh?” Allison rasped.
I pulled a chair up to her bedside and sat down. “No, not that bad.”
