Page 36 of Hung Up (Shadow Ridge #1)

“He took a really nasty tumble off the bull and got kicked.” Rylie runs up next to me, pushing her ear against the back of my phone to hear what’s being said.

“Knocked him out. They think he probably has a couple of broken ribs. I’ve never seen him so distracted.

I tried talking him out of riding, but he wouldn’t listen. ”

“Why was he distracted?”

I’m reaching for my keys when he says, “Because you weren’t there.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Rylie says as she takes the phone out of my hand. “Don’t you dare try to put any blame on her. Jesse is a big boy and can make his own fucking decisions. It’s a shame he got hurt, and we are on our way, but you don’t get to make this Faith’s fault, got it?”

“Rylie,” I mumble, taking the phone back from her and ignoring how the guilt is already beginning to gnaw at me. “We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Apparently, I seem too distraught to drive because Rylie takes my keys from me once we reach the parking lot and insists on driving.

Instead of arguing, I climb into the passenger seat and stare out the window, trying my hardest not to let my thoughts get too far away—but I fail miserably.

I can’t help but agree with Wyatt. If I had been there, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

Jesse never responded to my text, and I didn’t know if that was a bad or a good thing.

Deep down, I know that drawing the line I did wasn’t what he wanted and only made things worse and a little awkward between us.

It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what was weighing on him tonight.

If he’s as reliant on me and my presence as I’ve grown to fear, then it’s not hard to jump to the conclusion that it is, in fact, my fault.

But this is part of the problem, my concern.

If my not being there led to him getting hurt and being sent to the hospital, then he is in too deep. The logical thing to do would be to cut it off or to take a new assignment and abandon this one altogether, but would that be too extreme? Would that only make it worse?

We pull up to the hospital and practically run inside, stopping at the front desk to check in.

We’re directed up to floor three, and I swear the elevator ride is the longest one of my life.

The second we step off, I see Kai pacing in the hallway, Wyatt leaning against the wall, and Stetson, Lee, and Bryce sitting in the chairs in the lounge area.

“Where is he?”

At the sound of my voice, their attention turns to us.

Kai immediately walks over and pulls me into a hug, squeezing me tightly as I see Stetson hugging Rylie.

I pull back and look into Kai’s eyes and immediately wish I hadn’t.

The agony and sadness behind them make my heart ache.

Wrapping my arms around him again, I spot Wyatt staring at me from behind him.

He gestures with his head as I separate myself from Kai before he moves a couple of feet down the hallway.

“Tell me,” I say as I slide up next to him, my palms clammy as I wring them together in front of me.

“He has a mild concussion and only one broken rib.” I release a shaky breath, moving one hand to rub the back of my neck. It could’ve been so much worse.

“Have you seen him?”

Wyatt shakes his head. “The nurse said he wouldn’t see anyone before he saw you. Word of advice?”

“You’re not going to tell me anything I don’t already know.” His eyes widen slightly in surprise. “Trust me, I’ve done nothing but think the last few days.”

“So you’re going to put an end to whatever the hell is going on with you two?”

I shrug. “That’s between me and Jesse. Now, where is he?”

Wyatt’s eyes narrow before he gestures to a door a couple down from us.

I make a beeline straight for his room, ignoring the stares I feel against my back.

The door is closed, so I knock gently, only to be greeted by silence.

I slowly twist the handle, trying to fight back the knot growing in my stomach.

Slipping inside, I close the door behind me as quietly as possible, taking a deep, steadying breath to prepare myself for what I might see.

But no amount of time could’ve prepared me. It’s not easy seeing someone you’ve grown to care about in this position.

Jesse lay in the bed with his eyes closed, an IV in each of his arms. The even beeping of the machine does nothing to calm my anxiety as I take a small step forward.

He’s got a bruise on his bicep and a little bit of dirt in his hair.

Other than that, his other injuries seem to be hidden under the blanket.

When I glance back up, his eyes are open, studying me as a small smile plays on his lips.

“Hey there, Sweetheart.”

An unexpected rush of sadness and relief hits me, and tears spring into my eyes. I blink frantically, trying to rid them as I walk up to the side of his bed. I muster up a smile as I reach for his hand.

“Hey there, Pretty Boy.” He releases a shaky breath of his own, his eyes falling shut momentarily. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Faith—”

“No.” I glance behind me and grab a chair, sitting down beside the bed. “Why would you risk that?”

He sighs, digging the back of his head further into his pillow as if he wants to disappear. “I knew if I forfeited my ride, I could kiss that buckle goodbye. I just couldn’t do it.”

“So, instead, you put the entire season at risk? Jesse, you’re lucky you didn’t get more seriously hurt. You could’ve kissed your career or your life goodbye. No way that a buckle is more important than your life.”

“You wouldn’t get it,” he states, and it takes everything in my power not to snap at him.

“You’re right, I don’t.” I slip my hand out of his and cross my arms over my chest, and the lack of contact has him sitting up slightly to look at me.

“I don’t think anything is worth your life.

” He doesn’t respond, so I take a deep breath and decide to tread into dangerous waters.

“Wyatt told me what happened. Leading up to it, I mean. Jesse, I’m afraid that maybe?—”

He reaches for my hand and gives me a gentle tug. I slip out of the chair and instead perch on the edge of the mattress. “Don’t. I don’t want this to end.”

“Jesse—”

“No, listen to me, Faith.” His free hand pushes a loose piece of hair behind my ear before he cups my cheek, his calluses rough against my soft skin.

“It was my fault and had nothing to do with you, I swear. I had other things on my mind, and when Wyatt asked me about it, I panicked and gave him the easiest answer. I didn’t want to get into everything else, so I opted for the thing he already knew about, even if it was a lie.

I’m sorry if he gave you a hard time, but I need you to know it wasn’t because of you, Sweetheart. ”

His rambling makes my warning bells go off, but I choose to ignore them because if I don’t, everything I’ve been worrying about is true, and I’ll have to make decisions I don’t want to make. For once, being ignorant will get me what I want—more of him.

“Okay,” I whisper.

He gives me a relieved smile. “Lay with me?”

I kick my feet up on the bed and carefully rest an arm over his midsection.

He flinches a little at the contact but doesn’t say anything as he wraps me up in his arms, holding me close as I rest my head-on his shoulder.

Jesse places a gentle kiss to my forehead, and moments later, his breathing grows heavier.

As I lay awake in his arms, I can’t help but worry about what might come next.