Page 70 of Floored By Love

I grabbed a few of the items from his hands so he didn’t drop anything. Noah caught Heather up on what had happened, and everything the doctors and nurses had said to him so far. I raided the food that Noah had gathered, scarfing down an egg and sausage biscuit and a cinnamon roll. I’m sure I’d regret it later, but I didn’t want to leave the room to look for something else. I grabbed a cup from the bathroom to fill with tap water.

Noah and Heather continued chatting as they drank their coffees and ate the rest of the food. I had completely forgotten about team practice, but it would be over shortly. I’m sure I had a text from Coach, but maybe he understood.

A doctor came and took Heather and Noah away to discuss some test results or something, so I moved my chair closer to Cam at his bedside, next to the window. It was a spectacular room. You could actually see Big Ben across the river. I looked down at him, wanting to touch his beautiful face, sleeping peacefully, but I restrained myself from doing so. I had to know if he still wanted that first.

I felt a tickle on my hand. And then a pull.

I must’ve dozed off again. I flickered my eyes open, adjusting to the brightness and noticed two sky-blue eyes staring at me, and a firm hand grasping my index finger.

“You’re awake!”

He nodded and rubbed at his throat.

“Wh-” He tried to talk. “Ho-”

“Shhhh. The dorm caught on fire last night. You inhaled a lot of smoke. They said your throat would be irritated.”

“How ba-?”

“Don’t talk!” I half-shouted. “Use this.” I had to reach over him to get the pen and paper from the side table. I felt my shirt ride up, revealing my stomach, and then a tickle. It startled me, and I pulled back to see Cam smiling.

Did he touch me?

He took the pen and pad and tried to write, but struggled with the IV sticking out of his hand. I helped him untangle himself. After a second, he held the pad out to me.

You’re here.

“Yeah.” I tried not to blush.

Anyone else?

I wanted to ask if I wasn’t enough, but I didn’t think I should be that playful yet. “Your mom and Noah just went to talk to the doctor.”

He turned the pad around to write the next message.

My Mom’s here?

I nodded. He leaned back and ran his hand through his hair.

“Speaking of, they said to push this button when you woke up.” I went to push it, but Cam grabbed my hand, stopping me. He shook his head. I paused, somewhat surprised, and withdrew my hand slowly from his grasp. I waited for his furious writing to end and the notepad to turn.

Just sit next to me already, so I don’t have to keep flipping this fucking thing back and forth.

Bossy Cam.

I smiled and took a seat next to him on the bed. He wiggled over to give me a little space, but our bodies were still touching. I couldn’t help but relax into the warmness of him.

How bad is it?

“The doctors don’t really know. You were in an oxygen chamber thingy for a while, and you’re still on oxygen now. Noah said it’s all precautionary. He said you had a chest x-ray, and they looked down your throat for...stuff. They didn’t find anything super bad.”

Cam sighed and wrinkled his eyebrows.

I hope I can still compete.

“Me too.”

I’m thirsty.