揧ou抮e not fine. You hit your head.?It took everything in me not to press the gas pedal to the floor. Get her there in one piece, I reminded myself. I抎 already done enough damage to her. My gaze snagged on the red gash on her forehead. It was about an inch long and didn抰 seem to be bleeding anymore.
She rolled her eyes and gave me a beseeching expression, reaching across and putting a hand on my knee with a little smile. 揑抦 okay. Really. I抦 fine.?
I turned back to the road and didn抰 say another word the rest of the way. My knee shook up and down, my heart raced, and my lungs were tight. When a family with small children crossed the street at a leisurely pace, I laid on the horn.
揥yatt!?Hannah slapped my arm. 揑t抯 a red light.?
The parents shot me a dirty look. I made a hurry up motion.
I pulled the truck up to the hospital doors, ignored the no-parking signs, and rushed around to Hannah抯 door, wrenching it open and hauling her into the ER.
The waiting room was quiet when we entered. The nurse at the front desk took one look at us, wetsuits dripping water on the floor, and neither of us wearing shoes. 揝urfing accident??
揝he has a concussion. She needs to see a doctor right now.?
The nurse rolled her eyes and rage rattled through me. Out of the corner of my eye, Hannah gave her an apologetic look. I didn抰 care. I knew I was being an asshole, but I didn抰 care. Hannah was hurt. That was all I could think about. My Hannah was hurt and it was my fault.
Pain streaked through my chest. I抎 deal with that later. Right now, I had to make sure Hannah was okay.
揌annah??Beck appeared at the reception desk, holding a clipboard.
My jaw clenched. This fucking guy again.
He frowned, studying her forehead. 揥hat happened??Then he glanced down at her wetsuit and at me. He reared back when our eyes met but he covered it up. 揝urfing??
Hannah nodded, wincing. 揑抦 fine.?
揝he抯 not fine. She hit her head. And her hand.?I grabbed her hand to show him. 揝he has a concussion.?
揑 didn抰 hit my head hard,?she told Beck.
I shook my head. 揧ou don抰 know. You could have lost consciousness.?
Hannah blew out a frustrated breath through her nose and gave a tight smile to Beck, who placed his clipboard down and gestured for Hannah to follow him. I took a step but the nurse put her arm out to stop me.
揧ou stay right there,?she ordered. 揘eed you to fill out some forms.?
Hannah shot me a reassuring smile over her shoulder before following him down the hallway. I swallowed with a thick throat.
揑s your wife pregnant??
I turned back to the nurse with my mouth hanging open. 揌uh??
She repeated the question, slower.
Something woke up in my brain.
揢m.?I blinked.
Wife. Pregnant.
My brain moved slow, like wading through water. I swallowed.
Hannah. Wife. Pregnant.
The corner of my mouth kicked up. A primal part of my brain liked those words together.
揘o.?I shook my head at the nurse. 揝he isn抰。？
She raised her eyebrows as if she didn抰 believe me. 揧ou husbands drag your wives in for any little paper cut or tummy ache when there抯 a baby involved.?She handed me a clipboard with a pen and pointed at the waiting area. 揟ake a seat and fill out these forms. Dr. Kingston should be here soon.?She tossed me a towel from beneath the counter. I didn抰 want to know why she had a stash there. 揂nd don抰 get any more water in my emergency room.?
I nodded and sat quietly, reading the form while my mind raced. Hannah. Concussion. Hannah. Hurt. Husband. Hannah. Wife. Hannah. Pregnant.
I rubbed my hand over my face. Shut up, I told myself. Pregnant? Pregnant. That was the last thing I wanted. That was the complete opposite of temporary. Pregnant meant baby, and baby meant family and forever.
With Hannah.
I smiled. Husband.
No. Shut up, I told myself. No smiling at that. Look at what happened to my aunts. Aunt Bea was still broken after what happened. Hannah抯 father is a shell of a human, stuck in his ways after fifteen years, because he misses Hannah抯 mom so much. I was teaching her to be fearless so some guy could sweep her off her feet. I wasn抰 going to keep her for myself.
Professor.
The nickname rolled through my head and sparked down my spine. I raked a hand through my hair and focused on the forms.
Some of the information I knew, like her birthday, her address, and her phone number. Some of it I didn抰 know, like her personal health number. I left that one blank. Some I filled in for myself, like her emergency contact. Her dad was away, Avery was busy with?stuff. So I put myself.
Wife. Pregnant. Fuck.
We hadn抰 even had sex.
A sweet, pliant Hannah appeared in my head, under me in my bed. Naked and open for me. Me thrusting into her, her eyes falling closed as she flexed around me and I spilled into her. No condom. The warmth of sinking into her.