Nate Read online

  Ricci.

  A phone call.

  I was outside.

  Nova.

  Nova.

  Nova.

  Nate.

  Hurt.

  Pain.

  Longing.

  Love.

  Then—the car.

  I remembered the car now.

  I was hit by a car.

  I was going—I didn’t remember.

  Why didn’t I remember?

  I needed to remember.

  Nate.

  The memory flooded me, and I almost gasped.

  I loved Nate.

  I was worried about him knowing.

  I was worried about losing Nova.

  Nova.

  Where was Nova?

  Her laughter was in my head.

  I could remember it. Her.

  Her laughing.

  Her running.

  “Dada!”

  Nate.

  The memories were flooding.

  Where were Nova and Nate?

  I needed both of them. Now.

  Where were they?

  They were my family.

  I sat up, trying to look for them.

  “Miss Royas.”

  A nurse.

  I didn’t know her.

  “You need to remain lying down. You can’t pull out your tube.”

  My tube?

  I tried talking. Nate. Nova. I needed them both.

  I couldn’t talk.

  The tube.

  Nova.

  I opened my eyes, and the nurse was looking at me.

  I tried to motion. I could write.

  “Quincey?” Her lips parted. She was surprised.

  I looked behind her.

  My father was there.

  I felt a dip, and the beeping increased.

  “Her blood pressure is skyrocketing.” The nurse again.

  No shit.

  I opened my eyes and pain. All the pain, again.

  The room was bright. Too bright.

  A shadow moved, falling over me. That helped.

  The nurse moved there.

  Turning my head, I felt like my neck was in cement. I saw my dad and a doctor by the end of my bed.

  I croaked, trying to talk.

  “Don’t talk yet, Miss Royas. Let’s wait until we can remove the tube.”

  I wanted the tube out now, but I lifted my hand, gritting as more waves of agony sliced through me, and I motioned to write on something.

  “She wants to write. Here you go. We have a board and marker next to you.”

  The nurse again. She was being nice. Helpful.

  I took the board, the marker. It felt funny in my hands, and I had a hard time grasping it at first.

  I wrote, slipping a few times.

  Nate?

  The nurse frowned. “Nate? I’m sorry. I don’t know who Nate is. Is that someone you want us to call?”

  I began writing again, feeling Duke moving forward.

  Not him here. And I drew an arrow toward my dad.

  Understanding dawned, followed by horror. The nurse looked at my dad. “Oh.”

  “I think that’s enough for her today. We should let the doctor finish his evaluation.”

  Duke was across from her now, reaching over.

  He was going to take the board. I tried to move it out of the way, but he plucked it from me.

  “That’s enough, sweetheart. You need to rest—”

  “No.” The nurse’s voice was firm. She reached, took the board from him, and returned it to me. “She’s an adult, Mr. Royas. If she’s able to communicate with us, we need to hear her wishes.”

  I tried glaring at him.

  He barely flicked his gaze to me, his entire demeanor becoming chilled. “Excuse me. This is my daughter, and you will not speak to me like that.”

  She stepped back, her head down.

  I ignored whatever she was about to say, and I wrote again.

  I don’t want him here. Why is he here?

  The doctor had come around, standing next to the nurse. He read the board, glancing at my father before answering.

  “He was your emergency contact in your file. We followed the procedure because you were unconscious. You would like your father removed from the room?”

  Yes. I underlined it, almost stabbing the board if I could’ve.

  He gave a nod, his shoulders setting. “Mr. Royas, you’ll need to leave the room at your daughter’s request.”

  “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She was hit by a car.”

  I was back to writing.

  We are estranged. I need to update my file ASAP!

  “Yes. We’re getting that.” He frowned, seeing my father still hadn’t left. “Mr. Royas. Now.”

  A growl came from my father before his gaze fell to me. “You will regret this. You’ve messed up. You stepped out in front of that car. You were trying to kill yourself. The courts will see that now. They’ll believe me, and they’ll strip you of your guardianship. You have proven you’re unable to take care of yourself.”

  My lips parted.

  Searing pain raged through me.

  No! No! No!

  Accident.

  Call Nate Monson. Now. Please.

  I shoved the board at the nurse after writing his phone number.

  I had no idea how long I’d been in the hospital. A day? Was Nate concerned? Would someone have called? Oh God. The production. Miss Patrice.

  My solo.

  I felt a tear coming, but I hardened myself. This wasn’t the time to fall apart. It’d be proving what he was alleging.

  “I’ll make the call right now.” The nurse took the board, moving stiffly around my father, and I caught the side of her own glare toward him before she stepped out into the hallway.

  “Mr. Royas, until anything has been decided, you need to leave her room. Now.” The doctor wasn’t fucking around. “If you remain one more second, I’ll call security.”

  Duke blasted me with another condemning look, his mouth flat and thinning. “I’ll see you in court.”

  He left, and I couldn’t stop the tear this time. It rolled down my face.

  “We’ll get it all sorted.” The doctor tried to give me a reassuring grin, but it was falling flat, too. It didn’t reach his eyes. “When the paramedics brought you in, they told us it was an accident. That’s what the witnesses told them, so that’ll be in the report.”

  Good.

  I closed my eyes, feeling some relief.

  Good.

  I let all the tears fall.

  50

  Nate

  “Does she know I’m coming?”

  Aspen asked that after we both got into my vehicle. I’d just stowed her luggage in the back, and I began easing into the line of traffic leaving from picking up other passengers. It was lined back to back with cabs and vehicles. This airport was a mess, so it took a little before I could answer.

  “No. I’m half considering putting you up in a hotel tonight, so when she sees you, it’ll be a surprise after the show tomorrow night.”

  “I didn’t fly overseas to hang out in a hotel alone.”

  I threw my sister a look. “Like you’re not going to crash the second you see a bed?”

  She huffed, folding her arms over her chest. “It’s the thought that I want to stay up as long as I can. I want to hug and cuddle with my niece. I want to love on her and play with all her toys with her, and I want to be the best aunt she’ll ever know.”

  “I think you’re beat since Quincey’s her aunt.”

  “Quincey’s her mother now, her second mother. I’m her aunt.”

  Nope. She was right. She was totally right.

  I threw her a grin just as my phone started ringing. “I love ya, sis.”

  She reached for my phone, grinning back at me before frowning. “It’s an unknown number.”

  I frowned. I started to ignore it, but there was a nagging.

  It was faint and in th
e back of my mind.

  I’d had this feeling before.

  “Answer it.”

  She did, hitting the speaker button.

  I said, “Hello?”

  “Is this Nate Monson?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m a nurse at Seattle Hospital, and there’s a patient who wanted us to call you—”

  An alarm spiked in me.

  I gripped the steering wheel hard. “Who?”

  “Quincey Royas.”

  The blood drained out of me.

  Fear flooded me, and I almost jerked the wheel to the side.

  The world was tilting upside down, swinging around.

  I’d never had this feeling before.

  No. I had. One other time, a time that I never wanted to remember.

  Please, God. Please not that. Not. That.

  Aspen gasped. “Is she okay?”

  I love her.

  I loved Quincey.

  If I hadn’t known before, I knew now. It rose in me, taking me over, and it was pounding through every cell in my body.

  I loved her, and now I knew I couldn’t lose her.

  I wouldn’t lose her.

  Please, God.

  “She is alive, yes.” From the nurse.

  That was some relief. Some. Not enough.

  “What happened?”

  “I’m not at liberty to update you on Miss Royas, but she was very adamant that I call you. Please come, and by the time you get here, we’ll have the appropriate paperwork filed so you can be looped in.”

  Looped in.

  I’d be looped in, you bet your ass.

  I growled but hit the signal because the exit for the hospital was clear fucking the other way. “I’ll be there. Get that paperwork done.”

  “Wait.” Aspen touched my arm. “Who’s her emergency contact? Would she have gotten that updated?”

  Jesus.

  Christ.

  I was praying as I asked the nurse, “Did you call her father?”

  She hesitated before saying, “Just get here.”

  Get there.

  Yes.

  That was all I was doing.

  I was going to get there, now.

  Aspen was on my phone, but her one hand came out to squeeze my arm. “She said she’s alive. She’s asking for you. Those are two good signs. Let’s go from there. Now.” She held my phone up. “Who do I need to call?”

  “Everyone.”

  I wanted a fucking army there for her.

  My parents. Stephanie and Guy.

  Her siblings.

  My family.

  My friends.

  Her friends. I wanted the goddamn cavalry to arrive because they called Duke. I knew they did the instant Aspen asked.

  So he was there or had been there.

  She was there, helpless to him.

  She’d be lying in a hospital bed, needing me, and he would’ve walked in.

  Torment slashed through me.

  I just needed to be there.

  I had to protect her, shield her…

  I had to love her.

  I had to tell her that I loved her.

  I wasn’t aware that Aspen was holding my hand until she squeezed it, using her other hand to go through my phone. “She’ll be okay.” A pause, her voice dipping low. “It’s not like with Owen.”

  No.

  It couldn’t be like with him.

  My voice broke, and I blinked, needing to see and clear my vision. “I love her, Aspen.”

  She squeezed my hand hard. “I know you do.”

  51

  Quincey

  They were removing my tube when I heard holy hell being raised in the hallway.

  “I will be going in there. Now move.”

  The door was opening—a hand appeared, stopping it. A nurse shoved her way between that voice and my room. “You can’t— Sir! You need to wait.”

  Two hands went under her arms, and she was lifted clear from the doorway. A second later, one of those hands came to the door, and it was shoved open.

  Nate walked inside, a glower set firm on his face.

  He stopped just inside, seeing me, and seeing what they’re in the middle of doing. He closed his eyes.

  Alarm rose as I saw him waver on his feet, but then a smaller hand grabbed his arm from behind. Recognizing his sister as Aspen came around him, holding him up, I relaxed.

  He’d be okay. He had family with him.

  Then I gagged as they pulled the tube out.

  Ooh.

  My throat was burning.

  Holy crap.

  I coughed, feeling it spasming down to my lungs.

  I wouldn’t recommend getting intubated, ever.

  “You okay?” Nate came over, taking my hand. His other hand went to my shoulder. He began rubbing it in a slow, comforting motion. “Is she okay? Why was she intubated?”

  The doctor glanced at me.

  I nodded, saving my throat for better things, like breathing.

  Nate’s hand kept going, and I leaned into him. It felt nice.

  It felt loving, and that sent a whole different burning through me, but I pushed past that. It wasn’t the time or place.

  “Miss Royas was hit by a car. The paramedics worried about a head injury, so she was intubated, but her CT came back fine. She will need to stay for a few days to follow protocol, make sure everything is fine.”

  “Is it?” He was scanning over me, deep bags under his eyes. “Is she okay?”

  He also looked like he’d aged five years.

  He cared.

  That realization warmed me, but I was Nova’s other constant.

  Of course he would care.

  “She should be fine. She took a hard hit, but no ribs were fractured. She has a broken wrist and a badly sprained ankle, but those seem to be the extent.”

  A whoosh of air left Nate, and he sank down into the chair beside my bed, still holding my hand, and his other hand resting on my shoulder. “She’ll have to stay for a few days for that?”

  “It’s the protocol following a suspected head injury. Her CT was fine, but we want to make sure it stays that way.”

  Nate nodded, heaving another sigh before finding my gaze. “Hi.”

  I tried to smile, but that hurt, too. “Hi.”

  “You were hit by a car?”

  I took a breath. My lungs hurt, but they were working. It felt better to have that tube out. “Yes. I forgot where I was on the sidewalk. I guess I needed a car to remind me.” It was a weak joke, but this was where we were.

  It was hitting me that I wouldn’t be dancing tomorrow. Or, glancing at my casted wrist, for a long while.

  “I’ll check in with you later on. We’ll get your file updated as well.” The doctor gave me a smile before leaving the room.

  Aspen moved to stand where he vacated, and she glanced at a bag of my items that a nurse left on the bed stand. “Do you need me to make any calls for you?” Her eyes flicked to her brother, who was still holding my good hand so tightly.

  I nodded. “Yeah. Is Nova…?” I turned to Nate.

  “She’s fine. Aspen called Emily on the way here. She’s going to stay and watch her as long as we need her.”

  “And I’ll head back to relieve her later as well.”

  “You need to sleep. You had a long flight.”

  She glanced at her brother. “Kinda got some adrenaline now. I won’t be sleeping for a bit.”

  “Still.” He was frowning. “You could crash. Emily said she’d stay the night so let her, unless I come back.” But he threw me a look.

  “Yeah.” His sister interpreted that look. “I’m thinking you’re not going to be leaving from here. Emily and I will work it out. You guys don’t need to worry.”

  “My mom.”

  Both focused on me.

  I added, a small cough coming first, “Stephanie can watch Nova, or I think she could. She watched her for Valerie.” Also, “They don’t know about me.”

  God.r />
  So many didn’t know.

  “The production.” I looked at Nate, unshed tears swimming in my eyes. I couldn’t hold them back any longer.

  “I know,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh.” Her mouth turned down. “I’m sorry.”

  I nodded, drawing strength from Nate and his sister.

  I turned to Nate. “I have to call them.”

  “You want me to stay?”

  “I will,” Aspen spoke up quickly. “Sorry. Before you do that, I’ll make the calls to your family if you want to give me their names? I’ll get their numbers, and we can make a plan for Nova. You just get better. Spend time with my brother and reassure him you’re not going anywhere.” Her words came out rushed. She was trying to make me feel better, but I saw the sadness in her gaze.

  I felt it. A hollow ache was tunneling inside me.

  Before I could ask, though, she had my contacts open.

  I gave her the names. She got the numbers, and she left after that.

  “I didn’t know your sister was coming.”

  “Surprise.” A dry laugh clipped out from him. “She was going to surprise you after your show tomorrow night.”

  Right.

  The show I wouldn’t be doing anymore.

  “You don’t think they’ll wait for you? I mean, not for the premiere, obviously, but later on?”

  I shook my head. “When a dancer gets injured, it’s really important to rest. Some take an entire year off. They won’t hold the spot for me. They’ll replace me, say to let them know when I’m ready again, but the spot is gone.”

  “I’m sorry.” Nate tightened his hold on my hand, his fingers sliding through mine. He bent forward, his forehead touching the side of the bed for a moment. “Jesus, Q. You got hit by a car. I mean—Jesus. Don’t do that again, like ever. I need you here. Not over there with Val. You got me? Please say you got me. I need you to get me.”

  Oh man.

  Man!

  Those words—tears were coming.

  I blinked them away. They needed to go away.

  But, man. I need you here.

  Those were his words.

  He looked like he was struggling before he closed his eyes, and a calm came over him. When he looked at me again, he was more in control but there was a look there. It was shimmering under the surface, and I didn’t know what to take from that.

  Hope?

  Gah. I was scared to have hope.

  He asked, his voice hoarse, “What do you need?”