Page 102 of Use Me

“We’ll be back first thing in the morning to talk to Rhys and get his statement. We want to wait until the sedation wears off after surgery, but not too long.”

Did that mean he was going to be okay? Did they know?

As we waited again for any update on Rhys, I knew deep in my gut that it was Corey who had shot him. I just didn’t understand why. He broke up with me, but now that I was happily dating someone new, he wanted to screw it all up.

The minutes ticked by, and finally, another doctor came out. When he turned, I realized it was Carter. I stood and rushed to him. “Carter!”

“Hey, Ash.” He smiled. He actually smiled even though I was in the fucking hospital wanting to know if my boyfriend was going to live. “Rhys is out of surgery.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Are you the surgeon?” Andy asked.

“I am.”

“He’s also my brother,” I clarified.

“I am, and Rhys is going to be fine.”

Claire gasped. “Oh thank God.”

I bit my lip, fighting the tears back that decided to reappear. This time from relief.

“The bullet didn’t hit a major artery, andwe were able to remove it and repair the damage to his deltoid muscle, tendons, and the surrounding tissue. After some physical therapy, he should make a full recovery, but we’re going to keep him here for a few days to monitor him.”

“Can we see him?” Kenny asked.

“He’s still sedated and hasn’t been moved into a room yet. Visiting hours will probably be over by the time he wakes up, but once he does and we move him into a room, we’ll let one of you go in.”

“Thank you, Carter.” I hugged him.

He shook Andy’s hand and then left.

Rhys was going to be okay, but the thought that Corey was still out there running the streets, made me extremely nervous. I hoped that when the cops showed up at his apartment, he would be there and all of this would be behind us.

This must have been how Ashtyn felt when she woke up after being knocked out by ether. Though, as I opened my eyes, I didn’t see anyone I knew. The room was filled with people in scrubs, machines, and bright lights. Why were the lights so damn bright?

“How are you feeling, Rhys?” I looked to my right to see a nurse typing on a computer.

“Like I got shot,” I deadpanned hoarsely. I could barely speak because my throat felt raw and dry.

She smiled tightly and nodded. “Because you were.”

I actually didn’t feel anything except extremely tired. Then it all came flooding back, and I remembered what had happened ...

I pulled out of the parking garage of my building and turned toward work. For once, it wasn’t snowing, but it was cold as shit. Even though I’d lived in Chicago my entire life, the winters never got easier, but having Ashtyn warming my bed every night was an added bonus. Sure, for the past two years there had always been a woman in my bed—Bridgette—but Ashtyn was different. When I woke each morning, Ashtyn was touching me in some way. Even if it was her arm pressed against mine, I still woke up warm and had all those weird fuzzy feelings in my heart.

Love.

When the song switched on the radio, I smiled. One Call Away was streaming through my speakers and Christmas morning flooded my memory.

Yep, this was love.

Charlie was serenading me when I got the sense someone was staring at me. Turning my head to the left, my gaze fell on him. Corey Fucking Pritchett. He revved his Mustang, and I rolled my eyes. Fucking prick. What were the odds I’d run into him? Then I remembered that Ashtyn had seen him near her work, and that made me wonder if he was stalking us.

She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on, and any man would probably kill to be in my position. I knew that even though Philip was gone, there would probably be more, including Corey. Hopefully, any future stalkers wouldn’t be so extreme. I was okay being the guy with the girl everyone wanted to know. The one who would hold her hand and wonder how I ever got so lucky. That would be me for as long as I was breathing and not Corey Fucking Pritchett or any other man because I was never going to let her go.

Corey rolled down his window and yelled, “Hey, faggot!”