Page 17

Chapter 16

Scratching the Surface

Sydney

Watching Boone drop was terrifying. I have no idea how I managed to think fast enough to hide Lily’s face so she wouldn’t see it.

“We’re breaking all kinds of rules today, Lily girl.” Dad smiles sadly as he looks in the rearview mirror at Lily and me.

She hasn’t let go of me since our eyes met when I crested the hill. Truth be told, I haven’t even tried to get her to loosen up. I think I’d prefer her like this all the time.

She cried when I asked her if she would get in her seat and said, “It stuck me so I couldn’t save you. I never, ever, ever gonna ride in it again—never.”

We’ll have to work on that, but not right now. Not as we follow two ambulances to the hospital, one with Beau and the other with Derek.

Mom and Tessa are both with Beau, who was freaking shot … And my ex, we know damn well he had something to do with Lindsey’s accident.

Beau’s a good man, and all his recent troubles have been brought on by me. Lindsey is in a coma because of Beau’s connection to me. Beau got shot because of me.

“My Syd, does you hair hurt?”

Confused as to why she’d think that, I ask, “Nope. Why?”

“’Cause the mean police pulled it like Grandmother does to me when I bad, but you’re not bad, Syd.”

There’s no way I am hearing her right. “I’m sorry— what?”

“You don’t gots to be sorry. You done nothin’ bad. Like me and Mommy, we didn’t do bad stuff. Mean people just pull hair. Sometimes they spank you on a mouth, and sometimes on a butt.”

“Lily, did your grandma hit you?”

“No Grandma’s nice. Grandmother’s mean. She pulls hair and spanks. She doesn’t spank Mommy on the butt, just me. But they send Mommy to the hospital when Mommy say she not sick. I said no, no, no, Mommy is not sick.”

Grandmother is clearly what she calls Lindsey’s mother, and I would guess Beau’s mother is Grandma.

“Did she spank your butt then?”

“My face, and it taste like yuck in my mouth ’cause I bleeded.”

Anger courses through me on a level that is unimaginable, but I manage to keep it together.

“Lily, no one should have ever done that to you. No one should ever put their hands on you like that—ever.”

“I had a stupid mouth and needed a learn a lesson.” Her voice cracks. “Just like my mommy. She called her bad names, Syd, really bad ones.”

Me eyes meet Dad’s, and I hug her tight. “Your daddy and me, and all the people who love you here, are gonna make sure we do everything to make sure you never have to be with her again without one of us.”

She holds out her pinky. “Promise?”

I hook mine around hers. “Promise.”

“Love you, my Syd.”

“I love you, too, my Lily.”

“I love you both,” Dad adds, voice thick with emotion.

Lily smiles as a single tear falls, and I wipe it away with a kiss to her sweet little cheek.

By the time Beau is cleaned and sewn up, and they allow us into the back, Lily is passed out in my arms and doesn’t wake up when we head in.

“Anyone check the future Mrs. Boone out?” Beau asks the roomful of nurses.

“I’m fine.” I scowl.

“There was blood in the snow when we tracked you; I want to know that you’re okay. Any injuries, even the smallest, need to be documented for court because that motherfucker is going to rot.”

I brush my lips across the top of Lily’s head. “When she wakes up.”

“Remind me when we do the Boone report tonight to let our little flower know that Big Daddy Boone now has sole legal and physical custody of one Lily Boone.”

“That’s great news! Ava do that?”

“Damn right, she did. Her and a new family law attorney she’s got me scheduled with. Supposed to be the best there is.”

“So that’s two points for the Boone report tonight.” I nod.

“Three on the other side of the board, though. That’s not how we like to end our day, is it, Cupcake?”

Lily does a little shake and grumbles, “I gotta pee.”

“There’s a bathroom right in here,” one of the nurses says.

As soon as we’ve got that all taken care of, Lily says, “My daddy all better?”

“Almost. I think all he needs is a hug from his favorite flower.”

The way his face softens when that giant of a man holds her is one of the most beautiful things I could ever witness. I bat a tear away when he looks at me and winks, then … “Could you look my future bride over, please?”

“Where are your injuries, miss?” one of the nurses asks.

“I really don’t think I have any?—”

Head buried in Beau’s neck, Lily says, “Mean cop pulled my Syd’s hair really hard and smacked her mouth like mean grandmothers do.”

Beau’s eyes turn murderous, and I can see him physically begin to shake.

More tears fall, and I wipe them away. “I … uh … I need to use the bathroom.”

I’m not sure how long I’m in the tiny little bathroom before Mom and Aunt Tessa walk in and wrap me up in their arms, which causes me to wince. When they both start to let go, I tell them, “I need this right now.”

After a few second, I hear Boone’s big booming laugh, and then he says, “Your Hart said what?”

“Come on, ya big pussy,” Lily says in a growly voice.

Boone again laughs that big, beautiful laugh, and so does Lily, and then I cry for reasons I am afraid to admit … even to myself.

Lying on the bed, I flinch with every cleansing swipe of antibiotic over the scrapes and scratches on my back.

“If I ever see that man again alone, I will not be held accountable for what I do to him,” Boone growls.

“Her arms are worse,” one of the nurses states.

“That’s not helping,” I hiss.

“No disrespect, but your man is hot when he’s pissed.”

I look over my shoulder at her, intent on telling her off but can’t.

I sigh. “You’re not wrong.”

“That sounds an awful lot like foreplay coming out of that pretty mouth over there,” comes from the next room.

“He does not tolerate pain meds well, does he?” The nurse laughs.

“Knock-knock,” comes from behind me, and I turn to see a hot blond with deep dimples and a killer smile. “Heard you dropped like a bitch after playing hero.”

“My girl is safe, and the bad guy’s been caught. I’ll play bitch after, no problem, man.” He laughs as the man, who I assume is Max Steel, and hugs him. “Roman call you?”

“He knew Mila and I were here.”

Max was Mila were not only Beau and Lindsey’s best friends in college, but during their senior year, they bought part of the Jersey Jags MLB team that Hudson’s brother, Roman, plays for.

“And you must be …” He pauses. “Fuck, babe, that looks like it hurts.”

I look back at him. “Max?”

He nods.

“Doesn’t feel good, that’s for sure.” I smile. “But Beau’s right; we’re all okay, and that’s all that matters.”

He claps his hands together. “Well, the good things keep coming, because Lindsey is fighting the vent and the doc’s with her.”

“Is she awake?” Beau asks.

“She’s not, but they’re thinking she’s gonna be soon.”

“That’s awesome, man,” Beau states as the nurse finishes up with me.

“Praise God.” I smile as I stand up and grab my shirt.

“Cupcake.” Beau nods to the duffle bag that was brought in from his truck. “Crew neck with your name on it is in there. Much warmer and less bloody than that, you with me?”

I grab it and head to the bathroom thinking, You with me?

Am I?

Am I with Beau and Lily? Team Beau and Lily? Always. And being on their team, I’m team Lindsey, too. Lindsey, who’s been abused by her parents, no doubt her entire life. Yes, abused in a way that a controlling boyfriend or spouse, who is supposed to love you but mentally and physically causes you harm, does.

What does it mean now that Beau has custody and with Lindsey waking up? Both unanswered prayers, blessings, miracles even.

“Sydney Sparks, you with me?” he asks again as I walk out.

“Yeah, right here.” I look around for my bag and spot it. “When we were at the spa today, Lily was saying her mommy loves makeup, so we decided to get her some.” I pull the bag out, turn, and hold it out to Max. “I’d love for you to give it to her. Maybe Mila could help her if she’d like to hide a bruise so she feels put together when she sees Lily and Beau.”

“Mila would love to meet you; why don’t you head up? Fourth floor, room 1424.”

“I’m …” I shake my head. “I don’t?—”

“She wants to meet you.” Max holds his phone up

Mila

Ask Syd to bring coffee

“I cannot go up there bringing hospital coffee to her; that’s insulting.”

“Told you she’s the sweetest.” Beau smiles.

He looks even more perfect with Lily sleeping on his broad chest.

“You can make it up to her with leftover wedding cake, yeah?” Max chuckles.

I look at Boone, and I don’t know how, but he sees it immediately.

“If you think we’re not doing our thing tomorrow because of the shit that went down today, the shit we survived and should be celebrating as a win, you’re wrong, Cupcake. Tomorrow is ours, and it’s going to be amazing.”

“When they fire you for fucking up the playoffs and getting yourself shot, you’ll make one hell of a coach.”

“I’m guessing he’s not going to get fired.” I shrug.

Walking down the ICU hallway, I see a woman who must be Mila standing in the doorway, and she turns to look at me.

“Oh my God, they only spent a year of college together, but Lindsey was right; they do have the same taste in women.” Mila has blonde hair, blue eyes, and big boobs, just like me. Neither of us are tiny, but I’m gonna bet Mila has never been a size eighteen. “Shit, rude. I should have asked how you were.”

I hold out the cup of shit coffee. “Then that makes us even, and I don’t have to apologize for giving you crappy coffee. I’m fine, Lily’s a trooper, and Beau’s Mr. Brightside, apparently.”

“I’d have never thought the Beau Boone I met in college would one day become such an amazing father, but he is.”

“Can I ask you a quest—” I stop because I haven’t even had time to talk to Beau about this.

She gently puts her hand on mine. “You can ask me anything.”

“I’ve met them, but my experience and yours with them could be vastly different. But do you think Lindsey’s parents?—”

“Are awful? Especially her mother and brother Junior? Yes.”

“Lily saw my ex pull my hair and hit me, and she told me that her grandmother pulls hair and spanks mouths. She said that when she sent her mommy to the hospital when she wasn’t sick, she told her no and that … bitch”—with no warning, tears stream down my face—“spanked her face, and there was yuck in her mouth because she bled.”

“I knew they were controlling, but I never understood why she didn’t just leave, stay with us, move here years ago. Boone is going to murder that twat, Madeline. So am I. I can’t believe she hit that little girl at all, but that hard.” Tears fill her eyes. “She’s freaking awful, Sydney. Who does that?”

Less than three minutes after I’ve met Mila Steel, we’re crying together.

“And she’s doing it. She’s breathing all by herself,” an excited voice comes from inside the room.

I grab my phone from my bag and shoot Beau a text, telling him the news, and he immediately calls.

“Hey,” I answer quietly.

“They think she’s gonna wake up?”

“I, um?—”

“Dark skin, male nurse, name’s Joel.” He pauses then says, “I sent him a message. He should be looking at you now.”

“Okay, yeah.”

“You think you could get a report? Ask him his thoughts? My eyes are getting heavy as shit, Cupcake.”

“Of course.”