The Wright Mistake(77)

“Are you just here to make fun of me?”

“Isn’t that what older brothers do?”

I flipped him off and then winced, reaching for my fractured ribs.

He laughed. “Come on. We need to get you to a doctor. Noah’s at the hospital today. He said he’d fit you in.”

“Great. Can we go see Julia on the way?”

“Let’s get you something to help with the pain first. Figure out Julia after.”

I grumbled but let him help me off the couch and into his huge truck. Noah was Emery’s sister’s husband. He worked at the Texas Tech Medical Center and was an all-around great guy. I liked him. I liked him even more after he stopped prodding at my injuries.

“We could do an X-ray, but that rib is definitely fractured,” Noah said. “You’ll need a lot of rest and ice. Try not to breathe too shallowly. We want to make sure this doesn’t turn into something worse.”

“Rest. My forte,” I said with a sigh.

“I’ll write you a prescription for the pain. Your face has to feel horrible.”

“You’re telling me.”

“Kimber told me what happened,” Noah said with a shake of his head. “I hope you’re pressing charges against that guy.”

“Oh, I am. As soon as they find him, I’ll do everything I can to see him behind bars for what he did to Julia.”

“No less than he deserves.”

Noah handed me the prescription, we shook hands, and then I headed out. Jensen was still waiting for me, talking to one of the nurses he knew. Jensen knew fucking everyone.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah. Let’s get this filled. Fuck.”

We finished the rest of the errands, and as soon as I popped a pill, I felt the worst of the bite of the pain subside. With a couple of weeks’ recovery staring me in my destroyed face, I was glad to have the pills.

“Be careful with those,” Jensen said.

“I’m using them as indicated.”

“Make sure you do.”

I rolled my eyes as he drove me to Flips to collect my car.

“Austin…”

“What?” I asked, halfway out of the truck.

“Be careful with Julia. She might need some time.”

“I’ll give her all the time she needs. But she went through one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. Would you have let Emery walk away after that?”

The answer was written all over his face. No, of course not. We were Wright men. We didn’t back down from anything, and we certainly didn’t walk away from our women just because they were hurting.

“Let me know if you need anything.”

“Sure, man. Thanks,” I said. Then, I shut the door and headed to my car.

I made it to Landon’s house in record time. I tried the door handle and was glad to see it was locked. I didn’t want Dillon to show up here and have easy access to Julia again.

Landon appeared a couple of seconds after I rang the doorbell. He wiped his hand down his face and yawned. “Hey. It’s early.”

“Yeah, Jensen picked me up at the ass-crack of dawn. How’s she doing?”

“She hasn’t come out of the guest room.”

I started to cross the threshold, but Landon put his hand out.

“She’s a guest here, Austin. If she wants you to leave, then you’re going to have to listen to her.”

“I’m your brother.”

“And, as your brother, I’m telling you not to do anything stupid to that broken girl in there.”

“I’m not going to do anything stupid,” I told him.

Landon gave me a disbelieving look, but he moved his arm. Heidi came out of the master bedroom in one of Landon’s golf T-shirts and short shorts. Her eyes were wary as they followed my progress toward the guest bedroom. It seemed that everyone thought it was a bad idea for me to talk to Julia.

I knocked twice and waited for her to say something. But there was no response. Maybe she was still sleeping.

“Julia?”

“Go away,” she said through the door.

“Can we talk?”

“What do we have to talk about?”

“Last night.”

“No,” she said firmly.

I sighed in frustration. “I’d prefer to talk to your face than through a door.”

“Go away, Austin.”

“Please, Julia.”

No response came from the other side of the door. She wasn’t going to talk to me. After everything, it was as I’d thought. She really meant what she’d said last night.

Then, slowly, the door cracked open, and beautiful dark eyes stared back up at me.

“You have five minutes,” she said. Then, she opened the door for me.

I could work with that.