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“Before I answer any medical questions, I should ask if you want Ed to remain here. You’re entitled to your privacy.”
Georgina looked from Xavier to him. Her eyes were guarded. What he wouldn’t give to go back to ten minutes ago when she was clinging to his shirt. Even though he hadn’t liked that she’d been so frightened, at least she’d looked at him like he meant something.
She’d looked to him for protection.
“You probably want to go home anyway, sheriff. I’m sure it’s not normal to stick around like this for everyone you bring in. What time is it?”
“After midnight now,” Xavier said. “And you’re right, I can’t remember the last time the sheriff stuck around for hours, even sleeping in the chair next to a patient’s bed.”
What the fuck was Xavier doing? He gritted his teeth.
“You were sleeping next to me?” Georgina asked him.
He saw something soften in her face, some emotion leaking through. Gratitude. The knot that had formed in his stomach when he’d realized he’d messed up started to unravel.
“Yeah, I was sleeping, I just got up to page Xavier. Should have waited until you were awake, then you wouldn’t have woken up to that asshole looming over you.”
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “The nightmare would have struck if you were here or not.”
Yeah, except he felt like if he’d been here, he could have done something. He could have at least kept Greg away from her.
“Would you like Ed to leave, sweetheart?” Xavier asked.
Ed glared at him. What the hell? Why was he pushing this?
“I, umm, I . . . “
God, she looked so lost. So unlike herself that it made his stomach hurt. “I could wait outside, come back in after Xavier has finished,” he found himself offering. Even though he didn’t want to leave at all. He was worried about her. She was pale with dark smudges under her eyes.
He also didn’t like that Xavier was monitoring her heart. Was there something wrong with it? Was that why she’d collapsed?
A look of relief filled her face. “Thanks. Just if you don’t mind. If you’re too busy or anything, I’ll be fine.” She was trying to put on a brave front, but her shields had slipped a bit, and he saw something lost and vulnerable pushing through.
Fuck. Had he totally misread her all this time? Maybe the cold, hard front just hid a softer inner side. Yeah, he was still pissed that she’d run off and hadn’t answered his texts. But maybe there was something going on. Some reason that she’d come back here that had nothing to do with work.
Had she come back here to see him?
Nah, that couldn’t be right. Could it?
“It’s my day off. I don’t have anywhere else to be. Oh, I did get my deputy to find your emergency contact. August James, right?”
Her eyes widened. “Did you call him?”
He looked to Xavier who also appeared concerned at her reaction.
“No, I didn’t,” he told her in a low, calm voice. “That’s why I was paging Xavier. To see if he wanted to call him. There some reason you don’t want him called? Who is he? Are you scared of him?”
“What? No, I’m not scared of him. Just don’t call him.”
Ed stared down at her. Was she lying to him? Was he an abusive ex or something? Why wouldn’t she want him contacted?
“Is there someone else we can call then?” Xavier asked.
She shook her head. “No. I’ll be fine. Just tell me what’s going on and discharge me.”
Xavier gave her a concerned look then glanced over at Ed. “How about I talk to you about what’s going on and we’ll see how you feel then?”
“Yeah, fine. But do not call my brother,” she said firmly to Ed.
