Page 103 of Open To Negotiation

A nurse had to drag me out of the room. I didn’t make a sound but I kept trying to pull away to get back to my mum. Someone had found Jane’s number and called her. I was sitting in the waiting room alone when she walked in with tears in her eyes. She dropped to her knees in front of me, put her hands on either side of my head and pulled me into her chest.

I was numb. I didn’t cry, didn’t make a noise. Jane didn’t say anything as she pulled away, wiped her own tears and then stood up. I couldn’t even look back as she led me out of the hospital. I got back home where Noah was waiting. Neither of us said anything as we went and sat outside in a treehouse. At thirteen we didn’t know how to talk about it.

This time it wasn’t me and Noah in the treehouse. They were all here.

All five of my brothers, the family I’d chosen for myself. It was the only reason I could breathe, it was the only reason I could still think. I wasn’t strong enough to do this on my own and they knew it. They were shouldering the logistics for me.

“Mr. Knight.” My head snapped up to see a nurse standing in front of me. “Miss West is in her room, it’s down the hall, room five-five-two.” I pushed up from my chair and was walking past her before she even finished talking.

My legs felt heavier the closer I got and when I came to her closed door, I took a deep breath before walking in.

“Fuck,” I muttered as I stepped shakily into the room.

Quinn was lying there with a bandage on her head, a cast on her wrist, blood and bruises covering her body. The monitor beeped in time with her heart, proving that she was alive but the air from my lungs was being stolen anyway. Even in the dim light I could tell how pale she looked.

“It’s okay. It’s not your mum,” Noah said quietly, stepping into the room and standing in front of me, blocking my view of her. “Listen to the heart monitor, look at her chest. She’s breathing, mate, and you have to too. She needs you not to lose your shit right now.”

I looked at him and took a breath, but I couldn’t bring myself to go to her side.

“I need to go for a walk, get a coffee, calm down. Stay with her until I’m back.” I didn’t wait for his reply as I turned and walked out of the room, not looking at Asher who was just outside the door.

I was fucking pissed that I wasn’t in there for her, but it might be better for the both of us.

29

Quinn

Shit my head hurt and there was this irritating beeping.

When did I change the sound of my alarm?

My brain was foggy and my room didn’t smell right. The bed didn’t feel right either.

I tried to force my eyes open but it was incredibly hard, why was I so drowsy?

Had I been drugged? I was at the club tonight… right?

I tried again. This time I managed to pry my eyes open. I blinked until the room came into focus.

I was pretty sure I wasn’t dreaming. Asher was standing at the foot of my bed, his hands resting on the frame. I remembered the crash now, the scrape of the metal as my seatbelt held me against the seat before it all went black.

“Ash,” I croaked out, my throat burning.

“Quinn?” He straightened and ran a hand over his head. “Shit.”

I was too tired to figure out what his problem was.

My eyes were getting heavy.

“Don’t call Theo,” I managed. “Please, I don’t want him… here.”

My eyes closed as I was pulled back into unconsciousness.

The beeping woke me back up. This time I didn’t feel like I was fighting the wave of darkness again.

My body didn’t feel as heavy although everything hurt. I opened my eyes and looked around the room, my gaze landing on the man in the chair near my right hand. He was looking at the monitor beside me closely. I think he was watching my heart rate.

“Theo?” I asked, my rough voice breaking the quiet of the room.