AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Avery tripped on a coffee table and fell. I pulled her back up and headed to the door. The smoke billowed out after us. Avery limped with me out onto the lawn at the front of the house. I noticed blood streaming down her leg where her knee had been sliced open.
“Sit down here and press with the towel on the cut. I’m going to call the emergency services.” She kept coughing and was struggling to breathe. I felt so helpless.
I thought about the items I had inside, but it didn’t matter. I just wanted her safe. I had managed to get Avery out, and that was all that mattered. People were gathering, and I saw a few with phones taking pictures. The secret would be out now whether we wanted it to be or not. I heard sirens and the firetruck, an EMV and a police car arrived as well.
The paramedics moved us inside the vehicle, and I was relieved to be away from the gawping onlookers. Avery was getting oxygen and they had some vaporizer thing on her. Her knee would need stitches, and they would take us to the nearest hospital.
It probably only took ten minutes to drive but every second was killing me. Avery was hurt, and I had no fucking idea what was going on. One thing I knew for sure. Declan and Jack were not going to be happy.
Once inside the hospital we were taken to a cubicle. I was fine, but they still wanted to check me over. Then they let me see Avery. She was still struggling with her breathing. I held her hand. I didn’t know what had happened but felt responsible for her. I remembered she had a puffer thing in Australia.
“It’s my asthma. The smoke triggered an attack,” she said between breaths.
“I’m going to go and make some phone calls. Will you be, okay?” She nodded. “I need to let Declan and Jack know before they see this plastered all over the news. I’ll call my publicist as well and see what we can do to keep things quiet. I’m sorry, but I think it’s too late. I’ll get Callie to get some clothes for you and Jack for me.” Avery nodded and lay her head back on the pillow. Her lips had a blue tinge.
“Make sure they let Patrick know too,” she said as she gasped.
“I will.” There was so much we needed to talk about but it would have to wait. She had to recover or I would never forgive myself. I headed back to my cubicle and dialed Declan.
“Hey, Flynn, what can I do for you?”
“There has been a fire at my place, and Avery was there with me.” There was silence and I could imagine he was fisting his hands.
“I’m not even going to ask. What I need to know is that she is okay.”
The words were said slowly and I could sense the anger and worry beneath.
“We got out but her knee is cut and she has had some sort of asthma attack. They’re treating her now. We are at the Cedars-Sinai hospital.”
“I’m on my way.”
I called Jack and got the same response.
I had told Declan to bring clothes which just got more silence. I would have preferred if he had screamed obscenities at me. We might be two consenting adults, but I was talking to a protective cousin right now. I knew I would be the same. Next, I called my publicist, Jenny. All of them would be here soon, and I was pretty sure the paparazzi and reporters would be too. I went back in and sat down next to Avery. Her breathing had slowed and her color was improving a little bit. She was all that mattered.
“Declan’s on his way. I’m sorry about all this.”
“It’s not your fault.” She gasped. “Fires happen.”
“We will see. The cops said they would contact me after the fire investigator had a look and went over the place. I’ll book a hotel to stay at.”
“The doctor said they’ll stitch my knee up soon.” She stopped for more breaths. “They wanted to keep me in overnight to make sure my breathing is okay.”
Avery squeezed my hand as they cleaned her leg up and put some local anesthetic in. She just stared at me as they worked.
“I’m not very good with blood.”
“Me neither, except the fake stuff when I’m playing a vampire.”
She laughed as they put the dressing on. “I’m sorry about your hand. Did I break any bones?”
“I’m all good. I’m in the right place to fix them up anyway.” My phone pinged. It was Declan and Jack, then another ping with Jenny. “I’ll go and see them.”
I walked out and Declan and Jack looked me up and down. Seeing the bathrobe, Declan shook his head and then handed over a bag.
“There are some clothes for both of you. Now, before I go in and see Avery are you going to tell us what the fuck is going on? You are in a hospital so it would not look good if we beat the crap out of you.”
“I met Avery when I was in Port Douglas. She was the woman I had a fling with. Neither of us expected to see each other again.”
