Page 53 of Chasing Blue

“Of course,” Span replies as he holds his hand out to me. “They’ve got a room set up next door,” he tells me as I stand on shaky legs from my chair.

“Come and find me if there’s any news,” I call over my shoulder to Zoe.

* * *

The questioningby the police is all pretty standard stuff. They want to know about my relationship with Matt, the events of last night, and what might have led to them.

I explain everything I can, even showing them the video of what happened in Spangles when I ended things with Matt.

As we exit the room I was interviewed in, I come face to face with Shannon who’s leaning against the wall opposite.

Legs crossed at the ankle, arms folded across his chest, and brown eyes narrowed on me.

My mouth is so dry my lips stick together when I open it to speak.

I have to blow out a breath, then another before I manage to get any words out.

“Tell me?”

I watch as he rakes his hand through his hair, conscious only of Span’s hand on my shoulder and Shannon, the rest of the hospital sounds around us fade away.

Shann’s eyes are shining with tears when they next hit mine, and I hold my breath, waiting for the blow.

“He’s asking for you.”

I fall forward.

Luckily, Shann’s a big bloke, and he’s fast because he catches me in his open arms, wraps them around me, and holds me against him.

“I’ve had a few shitty moments in my life, princess. Tonight was up there with the worst. I don’t know the full story of what’s gone down between you two in the past, but you need to sort your shit out and make what you put me through fucking worth it.”

With my cheek pressed against his chest, I nod as I sob. Shannon holds me up, which is a good thing because my legs don’t want to.

“You ready?” Shannon asks, his voice soft but rough at the same time. “They’re gonna kick us all out soon, so you’ll only have five minutes.”

I nod, then look up at him. “Is he awake? Are there tubes or anything?” I feel my face crumble when I start to cry as I speak.

“I don’t want to walk in there and lose my shit if he’s all hooked up to stuff . . .”

Shannon shakes his head.

“He’s okay. He’s out of it but conscious. He has a blood pressure cuff around his arm, and they’re keeping an eye on his heart rate and oxygen levels with some wires stuck on his chest, and a peg on his finger.”

I nod while breathing in through my nose in an attempt to calm myself down.

“Let’s do this,” I say with a final nod, my hand now gripping one of Shannon’s. “Wait, wait. Do I look a mess? Do I need to wash my face?”

Shann looks down at me and shakes his head. “You look fine, Scarlett, and if you didn’t, my brother’s so far fucking gone for you, he’s not gonna give a fuck.”

I nod. I have no other response to that, so I nod. Even as we walk along the hospital corridor, I continue to nod.

We reach the nurses’ station. Shannon doesn’t even say who we’re there for, they already know. It’s almost six in the morning, so it’s not like there are any other visitors around. We’re led to the very first room next to the nurses’ and Shannon goes in first, drops my hand and steps to the side.

And there he is. Jack Cole. The one and only boy to ever break my heart is doing it all over again, but for entirely different reasons this time.

He’s propped up on a heap of pillows against the back of the partly raised bed. The sheets cover him from the hips down. His chest is bare apart from the white pads with wires leading from them that are stuck to him.

My eyes travel to his face. That absolutely gorgeous face of his that has somehow improved on the perfection it was at twenty-one. His jaw is covered in dark stubble, those full, perfect lips of his closed along with his eyes, dark lashes fanned across his cheeks.