Page 100 of Wherever You Are

I shake my head. I heard jack shit.

“The doctor thinks your appendix might have burst. You’re going to have to get a CT scan.”

Panic blisters every cell in my body. “And if he’s right?”

“It’ll have to be removed.”

Surgery. Okay, it’s alright. It’s okay, I convince myself. “How long will that take?” I ask. “I can still make my flight, right? The private plane will wait for me.” There’s that hope.

Lo tilts his head and looks at me, deeper. “You really love her, huh?”

“Man, I just want to see her,” I choke.

Lo rubs the back of his neck and glances nervously to the window. Maybe he feels for me. I don’t know. I can’t read him. “I want to tell you something…” He shakes his head. “Never mind. I’m not gonna fuck it up. Just lie back and enjoy the narcotics.” He waves me off.

I’m confused. But that confusion dies when his bodyguard slips into the room. “Mr. Hale, I just wanted to let you know that the media has been tipped off that you’re here with Mr. Abbey.”

Great.

Another cherry on top of this motherfucking pie.

Lo nods. “Thanks. I’ll get our publicist on it.” The bodyguard leaves, and Lo glances to me. “Everything’s alright.”

It doesn’t feel that way.

“Garrison!” Willow calls my name. At least, it sounds like her voice. Faint but recognizable.

Awesome.

I’m hearing her in my head now.

“Garrison!”What the fuck?

I look to Lo. He’s smiling. Did he hear her too?

With a wince, I pull my body up, my heart thrashing against my chest.

Lo leans out of the doorway. “In here!” he calls out.

And then a second later, I see her.

Brown hair flying out of her messy braid, she bounds close to me and catches my hand in hers. “Garrison, are you okay? Oh my God, you look so pale. And you’re burning up.” Worry breaches every part of her.

My hand glides to her cheek. “Are you real?” I ask.How high am I?

She laughs softly between overcome tears, misting her black-framed glasses. “It was going to be a surprise. My flight was supposed to get in before you even left for the airport. But it got delayed and messed everything up and then Lo texted and said he was taking you to the hospital and I rushed here. And please say something, you look like you’re dead. You’re not dead, right?” Alarm leeches her voice, and quickly, she takes my pulse.

“I’m so far from dead,” I tell her. “And I want to kiss you, but I can’t because I’ve been puking. So can I hold you instead?”

She glances at my IV. “Am I going to mess anything up?”

“No way.” I clasp her hip and pull her onto the hospital bed, the same time she crawls next to me.

She’s hesitant, scared to hurt me. Eyeing the cords and keeping her body weight off mine.

My lip lifts. I’m so in love with Willow. I tuck her closer to my chest, and she eases more.

“I’m like so fucking jacked up on pain meds right now too. I’m in-de-structable,” I say, separating the syllables slowly. Okay, I feel high.