Chapter 93: Bryn

For four days, I sat next to Maddox’s bed and waited for him to wake up. Sawyer and Nolan have already been released and are back home, but I can’t leave. Maddox’s family hasn’t been able to make it here, so I’m all he has. The guys, even Jaxon, have tried to convince me to go home and rest, but I can’t. Being there without Maddox felt horrible. It’s like now that I know what it’s like to have all these guys around me. I can’t live without them. Maddox is my teddy bear, and it kills me not to be able to climb onto his bed and cuddle with him.

All I want is to be wrapped up in his big arms again and to hear him call me sweetheart. It’s the little things you miss the most when you think you’ll never have them again. I can’t lose him. I need him.

A soft knock comes from outside the door and Jaxon pops his head in.

“Hey.” He says softly before slipping into the room and silently closing the door behind him.

“Hi,” I say back with a slight smile.

“How’s he looking today?” He asks and tries his best to sound casual.

Except I know that tone, and he’s about to tell me again to go home. It’s something I’ve caught on to quickly enough.

“I’m not going home, Officer,” I say, keeping my eyes fixed on Maddox’s pale face.

“Angel- “He started calling me that the first night I slept next to Maddox.

He had come to see me and I looked a mess, but he said that I looked like an angel guarding a hurt soul. The nickname stuck after that. I should come up with my own for the guys. Except I’m always scolding them so it could affect my firm presence if I go around calling them sweet names.

“No Jaxon. I can’t go. What if he wakes up?” I ask, but no answer he’ll give me will make me change my mind.

I feel his warmth behind me and the soft puff of air along my neck when he leans over to whisper to me.

“He won’t think you’ve forgotten him if you go home just for a few hours and sleep.” He says softly against my ear.

My eyes flutter shut from the feel of his breath against my ear, and goosebumps spread all over me from the sound of his voice. How do these guys make me react to them like that?

“I know. I just can’t sleep at night when he’s not there. He refused to let me use a pregnancy pillow because he preferred me cuddling him and didn’t want to give that job up. Now I can’t sleep unless I’m wrapped around him.” I admit.

My chest aches and I have to bite back a sob. Crying right now won’t help Maddox, so why bother?

“I get it, Angel. At least do one thing for me.” He says softly before I feel his warmth disappear.

“Sure,” I say, turning around partway so I can see more of him.

He grabs a small container from the table near the pull-out bed and holds it out to me.

“What is it?” I ask him.

“Open it.”

I roll my eyes because of course, I’m going to open it, but what will I find inside? I do as he says, and the lid makes a small pop sound as I pull it away and see chocolate chip cookies inside.

“Did you make these?” I ask excitedly.

He chuckles when I grab a cookie and shove the whole thing in my mouth. Honestly, I’m not sure when I ate last and they smell amazing. How could I resist?

“Nah, my mom made them.” He says.

His face lights up with pride any time he talks about his mother. From what he’s told me here and there about her, it makes me want to meet her so badly. Even though Jaxon seems open to it, I feel almost like I should wait a little longer. We haven’t known each other long enough to meet the parents. I mean, thanks to this accident, I’ve met Nolan’s family already and his mom seemed wary of me. Not that I don’t understand her feelings about someone like me dating her son. I’ve had the same worries for all the guys as I’m sure anyone else does.

The problem?

They don’t give a crap about any of it. Like I said, they’re stubborn! I keep telling them to walk away and go live their lives, but no. They won’t leave! No matter how many times I remind them that there are other women out there that they could have all to themselves, they stay. I remind them I’m pregnant and no longer worth having sexy times with, and they stay.

Don’t take this as me pretending to be modest because it’s not that. I honestly can’t figure out why they want me, but here we are.

Like with Jaxon. He is a super sexy cop with a puddle-creating smile and all the good stuff a girl could want. Any girl! Yet here he is begging me to go home and rest because he’s worried about me and a baby that isn’t his. He’s bringing me baked goods from his mom that he really wants me to meet. We haven’t even gone out on a first date!

So no, I’m not thinking too much of myself…these men are just that crazy.

“Oh, my gosh, these are amazing,” I say with a moan around a mouth full of yummy goodness.

I know it isn’t ladylike, but I’m too hungry to care.

“She wanted to bring them herself, but I convinced her I could handle it.” He says and I nearly choke on all the gooey chocolate goodness.

“What? Why did she want to come here?” I ask, feeling a little panicked.

He looks at me with an amused smile on his face. “Because I’ve told her about you. I tell my mom everything…not by choice most of the time, but she was curious about what’s had my life so busy. Well, busy outside of work, anyway.”
Crap. Why do these men want me to meet their families all of a sudden? Okay, so only his mom seems eager, but still!

“Don’t you think we should spend more time together before that?” I say with a shaky breath and quickly put another cookie in my mouth.

I need a distraction.

“Why? She isn’t against me seeing you if that’s what you think.” He says looking a little confused by my resistance.

He’s serious.

“Jaxon I don’t- “

He walks toward me and I keep my eyes on his face until he’s standing so close to me that…

My whole body warms when he reaches out when he rests his hand on the side of my neck and gently massages the back of it. I melt into him.

“Don’t overthink it, Angel. It might surprise you how easygoing she is about this kind of stuff.”

God, I want to believe him, but his mom could pretend to be okay with me and then, when we’re alone, she’ll tell me a lot of horrible things. I’m sure there isn’t a name she could call me that I haven’t been called on social media or even in my mind, but knowing his mom hates me will hurt. I always try to be a kind person, but it means I get my feelings hurt way too easily. It also means I care way too much about what people think, in case that isn’t obvious by now.

“What if she hates me?” I ask softly before worrying my bottom lip nervously.

“She could never.” He assures me, but it’s not enough.

“Don’t bother, she won’t listen.” A gruff voice says, and my head snaps to Maddox.

His eyes are barely open, but there is a lift in the corner of his mouth. A sob breaks out of me and a flood of tears starts to fall when I lift his hand and rest my head on it. My whole body shakes with my cries of relief and even worse when he turns his hand in mine and moves it to cup my face. I look up at him and my heart aches with relief but also all the other emotions I wasn’t letting myself feel before.

“Maddox.” His name comes out as a strangled, broken sound, but he still attempts to smile.

“Hey, sweetheart.” That only makes me cry harder and I’m forced to hide my cries behind my own hands.

“I’ll get the doctor,” Jaxon says from behind me, and a second later, I hear the door to the room close.

“Hey, come here.” I sniffle and immediately move into his open arms.

He’s okay. All my guys are okay! I might not be worthy of them, but god am I glad I won’t have to live without them.