Complicate Me Page 23

  It’s like a needle of adrenaline straight to my heart; shocking it and making it race at a ridiculous speed. It’s at a point where I don’t think I can take anymore, but still my heart keeps thumping hard in my chest, loud and pulsing in my ears.

  “His pulse ox is dropping,” the paramedic calls out, slipping an oxygen mask over Caleb’s face and I sob harder, sucking in hard labored breaths of air.

  “Please,” I whisper, begging anyone, praying to a god I’ve never believed in, to someone to make this all stop. “What’s going on?” I hear myself ask, my words desperate and clinging to whatever hope I have left.

  “His oxygen levels are dropping and he’s unconscious, but…” the paramedic explains, stopping short when the other paramedic almost imperceptibly shakes his head, a stoic look on his face. And before either can continue, we’re in the ambulance bay of the emergency room.

  They pull the gurney from the back and I follow behind, jogging to keep up as the nurses take over getting a quick briefing from the paramedics.

  An older nurse with gray hair and a motherly face, takes me by the hand asking, “Are you his wife?”

  “No,” I sob. “I’m his sister.”

  She guides me out a set of double doors and into a private waiting room separate from the emergency room one. It’s dotted with people, all sitting far enough apart, but all wearing the same worried expressions and tear-stained faces.

  “My boyfriend,” I tell the nurse, but she gives me a confused look.

  “You said he was your brother,” she responds, and I shake my head, realizing Reid won’t be able to find me in here.

  “My boyfriend was meeting me here. I don’t know where he is,” I say, but every word comes out as a stuttered sob as my ass hits the chair, my head falling into my hands.

  “I’ll find him,” she assures me, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder as she jots down his name on a notepad she pulls from her pocket.

  I have no idea how long it’s been since the nurse walked away. It could’ve been ten minutes or ten hours, and somehow it feels like time has sped up and slowed down all at the same time.

  My head throbs, my nose red and raw from crying and wiping, and when I hear someone call my name, I spring to my feet, rushing toward the sound of it.

  “I’m Sienna Parker,” I nearly shout, everything in me seems to lose all control, my words coming out loud, my actions jerky and fast.

  “You can see your brother now,” a different nurse says, leading me back through the double doors. “He’s still unconscious, but he’s stable. The doctor will be in to talk to you in a few minutes.”

  She pushes open a door and steps aside for me to walk in, but she doesn’t follow. The room is dark, only the dim light of the machines lights a path toward Caleb’s bed and as soon as I see him I break down. The sobs coming harder and faster as I collapse against him. My head rests on his chest as I stand here crying.

  “Here, let me get you chair,” a voice from behind says, and I hear the sound of wood scraping on the linoleum and then the chair bumps the back of my legs.

  I sit down, swiping at my eyes, but still unable to clear the film that seems to cloud them. I ache, everything in me aches, but I know Caleb is feeling more than I ever could be.

  “Your brother is going to be okay. He’s taken a pretty serious beating, a couple of broken ribs, a broken wrist. He needed a blood transfusion and we’re monitoring his breathing.”

  Once I hear the doctor say Caleb will be okay, I hear nothing more until I hear the dreaded words and whatever relief I was feeling is lost.

  “Registration will be in to get all his insurance information…”

  I look around at the machines, all the wires and the lights and the beeping, and with each thought, I dive deeper into a depression I don’t think I’ll ever recover from.

  “He doesn’t have insurance. We can’t pay you. We have no money,” I sob, hysteria taking over, the nature of it all far too overwhelming to deal with.

  “That’s okay. We don’t need to worry about that now,” the doctor says comfortingly, but he doesn’t get it. We can push it to the side, we can act like it isn’t happening, but eventually we’ll owe the hospital more money than we’ll probably ever see in our lifetime, compounding the already mounting debt from the bar and my education.

  The doctor slips out without saying anything more and I’m left clutching Caleb’s hand as I sit vigil by his bedside. I squeeze his hand so hard, hard enough that I swear he’ll wake up and tell me to stop, but he doesn’t. The monitors continue to beep and I continue to beg anyone to end this nightmare.

  I have no idea how long it’s been, but I wake up to Caleb’s body shifting, my head moving with him as I lay across his chest.

  “Sie?” he rasps out, his voice hoarse and dry. I reach for the water pitcher pouring him a cup and putting the straw to his mouth.

  The tears are falling silently, streaming down my cheeks as I watch him take long, slow drinks from the straw.

  “Oh my god, Caleb,” I cry, wanting to throw my arms around him and cling to him until he’s fully healed. “What happened?”

  He shakes his head, his eyes falling closed. His response is almost like he’s saying he doesn’t remember so I don’t push it. I’m grateful he’s awake, grateful for every second he’s still moving and speaking.

  “Where’s Reid?” he asks, his voice still a whisper.

  His words hit hard, and I realize I haven’t even thought about Reid since the nurse brought me back to Caleb’s room. I dig through my purse, searching for my phone and see half a dozen missed calls from Reid and several text messages. They’re scattered and almost incoherent and the last one says he needs to take care of something.

  I call him and he picks up on the first ring.

  “Sienna, where are you?” he snaps, desperation and fear slipping through.

  “Where are you?” I ask back, trying not to let my tears garble my words.

  “I’m in the emergency room waiting area. I’ve been asking about Caleb for hours, but no one will tell me anything.”

  I quickly rattle off the floor and room number, telling him to hurry, but I’m not sure why. It’s not like I can throw myself in his arms and seek the comfort I find in having him close. Telling Caleb about our relationship now seems like entirely the wrong time.

  The focus needs to be on him and helping him with his recovery. He doesn’t need to be wondering about what happened on mine and Reid’s road trip or that things turned beyond friendship as he was being beaten nearly to death.

  Fuck, we’re horrible people.

  All the fun we had while Caleb was obviously here dealing with some major shit. We took all that extra time getting back and had we just fucking driven straight here, none of this would even be happening.

  My thoughts are irrational and jumbled and I can’t stop the uncontrollable sobs that continue to rack my body.

  “Sienna,” Caleb says, his words as firm as possible given his condition. “You gotta stop crying. I’m gonna be okay.”

  The door to the room flies open, Reid bounding through and going straight to Caleb’s side, his face awash with worry and confusion, but he quickly quells it.

  “Fuck man, what the hell happened?” Reid asks, and Caleb gives him the same response as me, shaking his head, but never giving an explanation. “I’ve taken care of all of the hospital bills…” Reid starts, but now it’s both Caleb and me shaking our heads.

  “No. No, you don’t need to do that,” Caleb asserts, balking at Reid’s statement.

  “Who the fuck is gonna pay for all this?” Reid swings a hand around, motioning to all the equipment. “It’s the least I can do.”

  Caleb’s face changes, his eyes grow a little wider and he swallows hard, cringing as he does. The room fills suddenly with a heaviness that wasn’t here before, a tension that bounces between all of us. I wait for him to ask the question, I wait for him to
realize what’s happened between Reid and me, but the question doesn’t come.

  “Sie, can you see if you can find me something to eat?” Caleb asks, shifting a little so he’s sitting up and Reid rushes to adjust the bed. “I’m starving.”

  I don’t wait for him to say anything more, needing to feel like I’m helping, I rush out the door.

  It takes me less than five minutes to get a turkey sandwich and an apple from the nurses’ station, but I stop outside the door when I hear the sound of raised voices.

  “There’s no way you could’ve known,” Caleb’s harsh voice snaps out, ringing in my ears. My heart drops into my stomach, crashing with so much uncertainty at what he’s just said. The fear that had subsided rips through me and it only takes me a second to realize what has happened, what has happened to Caleb.

  “Known what?” I snap, walking into the room, desperate for the answer even if Caleb isn’t.

  Reid’s eyes are wide, his face is painted with fear as he stands there silent and his lack of response is all I need.

  “Your father did this!” I scream, not waiting to find out if my words hold validity. I already know they do.

  Reid shakes his head, vehemently, but still his mouth stays silent. I want to scream at him to speak, but his lack of words is enough to make both of us know.

  “It’s the least I can do.”

  It’s those words that shout at me from inside my head. Only the guilty say things like that and while I know he doesn’t control his father, I get to control who I let into my life, into mine and Caleb’s and it’s no longer Reid Bowen.

  “Get out!” I scream, my hands tugging at my hair. “Get the fuck out of here!”

  “Sienna, I didn’t—,” Reid starts, his hands up, his eyes filling with tears, but I’m not waiting for an explanation from someone whose father could do this to his son’s best friend. And then it hits me. It wasn’t just Caleb.

  “My dad!” I yell out as it all compounds together, the pieces falling into place. You don’t make friends with the son of a ruthless loan shark. Even if we didn’t know this until we got older. “Get out!” My words are louder this time and I feel like my legs might not hold me up, my hands pulling painfully at my hair, hating myself for trusting him, for letting him in.

  “Sienna, please,” Reid begs, his words aching with guilt and fear, but I can’t let him stay. I can’t have him here. I can’t even look at him.

  A nurse steps inside the room, her words clipped and harsh, shaming each of us and with that Reid walks out the door, but he doesn’t leave without the last word, calling out, “This isn’t over, Sienna,” as he leaves a trail of tears in his wake.

  I collapse against Caleb, both of us shaking and crying as we try to process what has just happened. Fifteen years of friendship, of trust and of family all gone in seconds, and the person I thought I loved has now become someone I despise.

  Where do we even go from here?

  What’s Next

  Continue Reid and Sienna’s story in Complete Me! Find it here!

  Complete Me: Reid and Sienna Book Two

  Life at its most complete is still unexpected.

  Reid Bowen ruined her life and he is the one person she trusted. She had no business getting involved with him.

  Sienna Parker is the only girl he’s ever wanted and now he’s lost her. But he will stop at nothing to win her back.

  Forced together by circumstance, Sienna’s heart will be tested, but it’s Reid who must risk it all to protect them both.

  With their future at stake, it’s the unexpected that changes their lives.

  Your free books are waiting!

  Did you love reading about the Hawthorn Hills crew? OMG, you did!!?? We’re thrilled and we want to say thank you by offering you even more! This FREE prequel gives you a glimpse into early lives of Sienna, Caleb and Reid and takes place before the events of Complicate Me (Book One).

  Grab your FREE copy of Confuse Me right here!

  And, because one freebie is never enough, we are also excited to offer you a FREE prequel of our Rockport Beach Series! This FREE prequel gives you a glimpse into the early lives of Beck & Kelsey and takes place before the events of Coming Home to You (Book One).

  Grab your FREE copy of Beginning with You, click here!

  Happy reading and thank you!

  Books by Claire Raye

  The Rockport Beach Series

  Coming Home to You: Book One

  Finding Home with You: Book Two

  Making Home with You: Book Three

  Rockport Beach: The Complete Series

  The Love and Wine Series

  Always Yours: Companion Novella

  Finally Yours: Book One

  The Dirty Hollywood Series

  Beautiful Secret: Book One

  Beautiful Trouble: Book Two

  Beautiful Lie: Book Three

  Cocky Hero World

  Pin-Up Pilot

  Hawthorn Hills Duet Series

  Complicate Me: Book One

  Complete Me: Book Two

  Ruin Me: Book Three

  Rescue Me: Book Four

  About the Author

  Not only is Claire Raye a really sweet pen name, it’s actually a pen name for two sarcastic best friends who met through their mutual love of reading. After bonding over books (and wine and cheese), they decided to take the plunge and see if they could write a book together and ta dah... The Rockport Beach Series was born! In addition to their shared love of food and dropping an occasional (read, a lot of) f bombs, the writing duo that is Claire Raye like to write about strong, sassy females who aren’t afraid to say what’s on their mind and the overprotective men who fall in love with them.

  Both halves of Claire Raye are married and both of their husbands have a cheeky side that gets plenty of airtime in their books. From their smart mouths to their witty one-liners, there’s plenty of material to use for all those alpha males they love to write about.

  Plans are already underway for the next series, which is sure to feature plenty of sass, steam and humor, and of course, a happily ever after!

  Connect with Us

  www.claireraye.com

  Like us on Facebook

  Follow us on Instagram

  Follow us on Goodreads

  Follow us on BookBub

  Acknowledgements

  Once again, a huge thank you to all of our readers! Thank you for buying our books, for leaving us a review and for all of your support, it means the world to us!

  Thank you also to Sara Eirew for the most perfect photos of Reid and Sienna and for Amy Queau of QDesign for taking those photos and creating these gorgeous covers! They are absolutely gorgeous. Thank you also to our beta readers and editor, your time and support is invaluable.

  As always, thanks to our husbands for their love and support…and crazy plot ideas or smartass comments.