NOT ROYALE ENOUGH [18+]

42

SARAH

The door swung open, and I stepped inside, my pulse pounding in my ears.

James was there.

Lying in the hospital bed, looking smaller than I remembered. His face was pale, his dark curls a little messier than usual, and his breathing came in slow, steady rises. The steady beep of the monitor was the only sound filling the room, grounding me in the reality of it all.

He was awake, though. His tired eyes shifted toward me the second I entered, and for a moment, we just stared at each other.

Then, his lips twitched into something that was supposed to be a smirk. "Took you long enough."

That cracked something inside me. The relief that hit me was so strong I had to grip the edge of the doorframe to steady myself. My body wanted to collapse from the sheer weight of it.

I swallowed, forcing a glare even as my throat tightened. "And you didn’t think to call me? What the hell, James?"

His smirk faded, and he sighed, shifting slightly against the pillow. "Didn’t wanna stress you out."

I let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Stress me out?" My voice rose slightly. "You’re in the hospital, James. You can’t just decide not to tell me something like this."

"Sarah—"

"No. Don’t Sarah me." My fists clenched at my sides. "I should've heard this from you, not from Sam."

At the mention of her name, he winced. I knew he probably felt guilty for that, but it didn’t make me any less angry. Any less hurt.

"Look, I didn’t want to bother you," he murmured, voice quieter now. "You’ve got your own life going on."

"You're my brother," I snapped. "You are my life, James."

That shut him up.

For a moment, the room fell into silence again.

Then, he sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "I’m sorry, okay?"

I exhaled, the fight in me dimming just a little. I was still upset, still frustrated, but...

He was here. Awake. Talking to me.

That was what mattered.

"Just... don’t ever do that again," I said, my voice quieter now. "Promise me, James."

His gaze softened. "I promise."

I nodded, finally moving toward his bed, my hands gripping the rail. "Good."

Because I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until I was sure he was okay.

James let out a tired breath, shifting slightly in the bed, and I could see the exhaustion in his face. The dark circles under his eyes, the way his shoulders sagged—it made my chest ache.