The Girl he Wants

47- His Sensitive Spot.

RECAP: Jay finds out he has to stay three days. While Sam and Natalie head back to the hotel, Asher and Hanes sneak into Jay's hospital room. Elizabeth, Ruth, and Finn decide to tell Mr. Gaz about Jay's stabbing.

***ELIZABETH'S P.O.V***

   Elizabeth could fall asleep at any second. During the taxi ride to the hospital, she nearly fell asleep twice. Once, a bump made her jolt back to life and the other time Finn nudged her. Now, as they step out of the yellow vehicle and pay the expectant driver, she yawns.

   "Elizabeth, don't-"

   Elizabeth topples onto the sidewalk pavement, obviously not noticing the sidewalk indention that has been feet in front of where she was just walking. Quickly, she leaps to her feet and whirls around before anyone else sees.

   Finn is holding back laughter, hands covering his smile, while Ruth giggles, not caring to hide the humor displayed within her expression. "How did you not see the sidewalk?"

   "Shut your mouth." Elizabeth snaps. Her own lips curve into a small smile. But then it falls and she shivers in the cold night air. "I'm so tired."

   "Me too." Ruth sighs, moving to lace her arm within Elizabeth's. "Let's go inside and see what's going on. Then maybe we can all go back to the hotel and sleep."

   "I'm not going to leave Jay alone-"

   "You'll do what you have to." Ruth slices off the end of her sentence and guides the three of them through the entrance doors.

   Elizabeth scans the waiting area, noticing that only two people are seated in the chairs there. To her disappointment, neither person is Asher, Hanes, Sam, or Natalie. Even the young woman who had helped Elizabeth before must've gotten off shift because a new face is seated behind the front desk.

   Elizabeth is about to walk up to the counter and ask where her brothers and friends are when the secretive double doors on the other end of the hallway swing open, revealing four people. The first two are Asher and Hanes, both looking just as tired as Elizabeth feels. The second two are strangers, one owning a square jaw and a tight gaze and the other carrying a sketch pad. The thicker one—with the unmoving fierce eyes—has his hands on Hanes and Asher's necks, leading them to the lobby.

   Elizabeth's jaw sets and she suddenly gets the urge to rush forward and whack the guy so that he will let them go, but then she spies the badge hanging at his waist and figures that's not such a good idea.

   Elizabeth's defenses fall like dominos when her gaze locks with Asher's. His pale eyes soften, his shoulders straighten, and a relieved smile tugs at his thick lips. Defying all Elizabeth's feelings of tiredness, her body comes alive with emotions and sensations. Her heart races in her chest, her blood pumps quicker than the speed of sound, and her lungs abruptly collapse inside, disabling her to breathe.

   Ruth, unlike Elizabeth, takes off and rams right into Hanes, hugging him so tightly. Hanes hugs her back, squeezing her small frame and smiling so brightly Elizabeth is nearly blinded.

   Elizabeth readily approaches Asher, knowing the last thing she said to him was, "I'll be back." She never went back to the roof—never told him what happened to her. Hopefully he found out somehow and hasn't been worried to death, but the dark circles under his exhausted eyes don't reassure her.