Chapter Twenty-Eight

I"m pacing back and forth like a caged animal, about to lose my fucking mind. No one has been out to tell me how Daisy"s doing. Every bad scenario keeps going through my head like a silent movie.

Boone comes in, along with Abel. They rush to my side. "Have you heard anything?"

I"ve been fine until now. I"ve always looked up to Boone, wished he was my dad, or at least the person who would take care of me. There were so many times he didn"t have it all together, but he always included all of us, made us feel special, and did what he could. Which, in retrospect, was all I needed, or asked for. "Not yet, but I"m glad you"re here."

Both he and Abel give me a hug. "Do I need to call Kara? She can get Gabby here ASAP. I"m sure it would be good to see a friend. They all went home and are waiting to hear from you to let them know when they can come back."

"Maybe in a little bit. I"d like to see what the doctor says first, but we"re still waiting." I sigh, shoving a hand through my hair.

Continuing to pace, I glance up and my blood comes to a boiling point as I see my grandfather walk in as if he has no care in the world. "This is all your fault." I run at him, pointing my finger.

"I didn"t make it rain, Jasper, and I wasn"t driving for her," he says, all calm, because his life isn"t falling apart like mine is.

Every feeling I"ve had for him comes pushing through like a river of pain. As soon as I start, I know I can"t stop the words that are spewing out of my mouth. "It"s your fault I care. I was living my life just fine keeping everyone at arm"s length. But then you had to go and make that fucking concession. You couldn"t let me have just one thing."

"No, that"s not what I did. You should be thanking me for making you care. You"d wind up like me if left to your own devices." He smirks.

"Oh, fuck you. Don"t act like you saved me from myself."

"But didn"t I?"

He doesn"t get to take credit for the man I"m becoming. Not when it"s in spite of him. "The person who saved me is lying in a hospital bed hurt the same way I was hurt as a child, as my parents who died. You don"t get to co-op this as your master plan. You didn"t care who I married, just as long as I did it. You don"t get to pat yourself on the back. We"ll make sure we have a baby within two years, and I"ll make sure the foundation is in order, because we want to. Not because you willed it to be true. I"m done letting you play God with me." My heart is pounding as I finish speaking. I"ve never stood up to him like this before. It was always easier to ignore or do things specifically not the way he wanted them to be none. But this isn"t about him anymore. This is about me and Daisy. The life we"re going to build together.

A hand clamps on my shoulder. It"s Boone. "Doctor"s heading this way."

I turn from my grandfather and look at the woman who holds the rest of my life in her hands. "Family of Daisy Hamilton?"

All of us speak up, but I push forward. "I"m her husband."

"She"s very lucky..."

"She"s alive?"

"Very much so, and she"s asking for you."

Anything else can be worked out in the end. This right here is all I needed. "Can I see her?"

"You sure can. Right this way. As we walk, I"ll tell you about her condition."

I don"t pay attention to anything or anyone else as we take a walk. My attention is strictly on the doctor. "Is she okay?"

"She is. She has a concussion, she"s going to be very sore, and there might be some confusion from the concussion. Everything checks out well. We"ll admit her for observation overnight, and as long as everything checks out, she can go home tomorrow. She"s very lucky."

I breathe a full breath for the first time since I saw her SUV on its side. "Thank you." It"s all I can say, but it"s the most heartfelt thank you I"ve given another person in my entire life. "She means the world to me."

"It"s my pleasure. Daisy is right in there." She points to the room we"re standing in front of.