“I think we both know it’s no longer a game.”

We stayed silent, and the air became permeated with our unspoken words. It was hard to determine when things changed, but we couldn’t deny that they had.

Kennedy started to say something, but her phone rang and I lifted up so that she could answer it.

“Hello?”

I rubbed my hand down my face, suddenly feeling tired. I had a situation to take care of in my briefs, but that thought was interrupted when Kennedy jumped from the bed. Her body language changed, and I tensed. Something was wrong.

“Oh my God. Where are you?”

She cupped her mouth, and nodded, even though the person on the other end of the line couldn’t see her.

“Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She ended the call, and started moving around her room in a panic. I got up, and quickly walked over to her. “What’s wrong?”

Her head came up, and I saw the tears in her eyes. “I need to go to the hospital.”

“What happened?”

“That was Chase on the phone. He said Grady’s in the hospital, and it’s pretty bad.”

“Okay,” I kissed her forehead out of instinct. “Get dressed, and I’ll go with you.”

“No, you don’t have to. I’ll go alone.”

Not.

Happening.

“Let me drive you,” I said. “You’re upset.”

“I’ll be fine,” she protested. She stepped around me, and started picking up some clothes

“I didn’t ask you, Kennedy. I’m going with you.”

CHAPTER TWENT Y-FOUR

Kennedy

I COULDN’T TELL Dane how terrified I was. He’d driven me to the hospital, which was only fifteen minutes away, and had remained quiet the entire time. But then he took my hand, entwined our fingers together and managed to still the mess in my head without words.

I didn’t want to think about what had happened moments before Chase’s call, I was afraid if I did that I’d be acknowledging feelings I’d rather ignore for the time being. So I focused on keeping it together while I sat next to Grady’s hospital bed in the I.C.U. He had a breathing tube in, and a cast on one leg, and one arm. He was brought in after being attacked outside a bar on the outskirts of Brighton. Due to his head injury, the doctor’s put him in a medically induced coma to help with the swelling around his brain and told Chase and his family that if he showed improvements in the next forty-eight hours they’ll wake him up.

He’d told us he was meeting some friends there after we asked him to come to the football game, but I never imagined either of us would end up here when the night was over. I’d tried to call Jade on the ride over but it kept ringing, and I figured she was still out. She’d be upset when she finally heard about Grady, but I was hoping I’d be the one to tell her.

My exhaustion had started catching up to me, and emotionally I was hanging on by a thread. Seeing Grady reminded me too much of losing Charlie, and the thought of losing someone else I’d come to care about, scared me.

I held onto his hand, and wiped furiously at the tears running down my cheeks. “You have to be okay,” I choked out. “I need you to wake up so we can talk about boys, and Jade’s constant state of sexual frustration because of Reid, and the skinny bitches on campus who need to eat more.”

This was the part where he would have made a sarcastic remark, and I would have laughed at his ridiculous, over-the-top flare, but the only response I got was the steady beep of the machine that was monitoring his heartbeat.

A nurse came in and said it was time to leave, so I thanked her, and made my way back to the waiting room down the hall. There was a slight commotion, and when I rushed in to see what was going on I found Chase and Dane being pulled apart by two security guards.

“What goes on between me and Kennedy has nothing to do with you,” snapped Dane.

“The hell it doesn’t,” yelled Chase. “She’s my friend, and I care about her.”

“And you think I don’t?” Retorted Dane. “You don’t know anything about us, Chase. You’re just pissed because you have feelings for her, and you know she’s not interested.”

Neither of them had seen me yet, so I stood back. I wanted to know how Chase was going to respond.

“How do you know she’s not interested?” Asked Chase. “How do you know she’ll say no if I asked her out?”

“Trust me,” replied Dane. “I know.”

Chase was on the verge of saying something else when I finally spoke. “What’s going on?”

Dane spun around, and struggled out of the security guards hold. “Kennedy,” he breathed. He sounded relieved to see me. “It’s nothing. Chase and I just had a disagreement.”

Chase snorted, still being restrained from behind. “Disagreement my ass. Dane is pissed because I confronted him about what’s going with the two of you.”

I couldn’t quite read Dane’s expression, but he certainly didn’t look too concerned that Chase might have figured out what had been going between Dane and me in the last two weeks. That didn’t mean I was ready to have the world know we’d been spending every night together.

“This isn’t the time or the place, Chase. Your brother is upstairs in a coma,” – my voice cracked – “and you’re here having a pissing contest? What is wrong with you?”

“You’re not even going to deny that there’s something going on between you and this asshole?” Chase looked incredulous, and I was angry that he thought he’d be privy to any information about went on between Dane and me.

“It’s none of your business,” I replied. “You’re my friend, and nothing more, Chase. I love you, but this is too much right now.”

He hung his head, and murmured, “You’re right, and I’m sorry, but I can’t stand the thought of you being involved with this dick - ”

I put my hand up to stop him. “If you value our friendship at all you’ll stop right there. I appreciate that you think you need to look out for me, but I’m a big girl and I can make my own choices. Now, I’m going home, but I will be back here tomorrow to see Grady.”

Without waiting for Chase to argue with me, I looked up into Dane’s concerned eyes. “Take me home, please?”

He nodded, and followed me out of the waiting room. I leaned against him when we waited outside the elevator, and when I yawned he didn’t hesitate to pick me up, and cradle me into his chest. I didn’t fight it. I was too tired, and for once it actually felt nice to have someone to comfort me. I hadn’t felt that in a long time, and the fact that it was Dane didn’t bother me at all.

** ** **

TWO DAYS LATER, and the doctors were finally ready to remove Grady’s breathing tube. They’d told Chase and his family that they were happy with his progress, and they would be able to see if there was any permanent damage to Grady’s brain. I couldn’t imagine having to deal with all the emotional stress so close to Thanksgiving, but I had to believe Grady would make it.

Unfortunately I couldn’t be there to support Chase, and I had to get updates via text from Jade because I was stuck in bed. I’d woken up with the worst throbbing at the base of my neck, and when I tried to open my eyes, I could barely see. My body was sore, and it felt like someone had taken a hammer to my ovaries. That only meant one thing.

Aunt Flo was in town, and it was Shark Week.

Great.

I needed to get up and eat something so that I could take some ibuprofen but I didn’t have the energy, so I snuggled deeper into my covers.

There was a light knock at my bedroom door, and then I heard it open. It couldn’t be Jade, she was at the hospital with Chase, and it wasn’t Ashley, she’d already gone home early for Thanksgiving break. So who –

My heart stuttered when his familiar scent filled my room. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since he dropped me off at home two nights ago. I wasn’t sure why, but I guessed he was just busy and didn’t allow his absence to get to me. I was preoccupied with Grady anyway, and had to deal with a very emotional Jade as soon as I’d told her about his attack. It hit us both hard, but I was glad Reid could be there for her the way Dane had been for me.