Ember by Emma Renshaw

Author:Emma Renshaw [Renshaw, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Just Read Books, LLC
Published: 2020-04-20T18:30:00+00:00

22

Delilah

“I tripped.” I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and winced. My head was very tender, and the slightest touch was uncomfortable. Mom sat on the edge of the hospital bed while rubbing my thigh. She’d sat quietly by my side while most of the men in my life asked question after question. Tuck was curled into my side with his head on my chest. He’d been stuck to me like glue since they let my family into the room.

Gunner, Colt, and Dad stood at the end of the bed with their arms folded over their chests. Gunner’s head was tilted to the side as he stared at me. Every time I answered a question, he’d squint, but he hadn’t pushed. Yet.

Colt was another story. He’d come storming into the room and started demanding answers from me. Answers he wasn’t happy with, so he’d just repeat the question.

“What happened?”

I kissed the top of Tuck’s head and turned my attention to Mom. The discharge nurse, who’d promised she’d be right back with the rest of my paperwork, was taking entirely too long. “Did Calvin get home okay?”

She nodded and patted my thigh. “Yes. Don’t worry about a thing, honey. How’re you feeling?”

“What happened?” Colt asked again.

I sighed loudly and turned my stare on him. I set my mouth in a straight line and tried to look as serious as possible. “I tripped.” There was no way I would say what had truly happened in front of Tuck. I wouldn’t even mention another person having been there. I’d eventually come clean to Colt, but right now was not that time.

My usually loud, goofy boy had barely uttered a word since coming into my hospital room. His face had paled as he cataloged the wires that were connected to me. Gunner had rushed forward and pulled the blanket up to my chest so the IVs weren’t visible. After that, Tucker told me he loved me as silent tears dripped from his eyes.

Yeah, no way would I bring up Shayla. She could wait.

Colt rolled his eyes. “You tripped and fell backward? Right.”

“Okay, fine. If you want to be pedantic about it, I slipped. There’s a divot in the trail right there. My foot just slipped, and I fell back before I could catch myself. It wasn’t a bad fall, just unlucky that I landed my big ole noggin’ on a rock.”

I tickled Tuck’s side as I said this, hoping to get at least a chuckle out of him, but I barely got a whisper of a smile. I hated the fact that he’d seen me unconscious and bleeding.

Gunner’s eyes narrowed and I avoided his eyes. A niggle in the back of my brain told me he knew I was lying. I didn’t know how he could tell I was lying after having known me for such a short time.

Renee, the nurse, walked in with my paperwork. I urged Tuck to stand and I hopped off the bed, trying to hide my pain-filled grimace.

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