Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62811 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 314(@200wpm)___ 251(@250wpm)___ 209(@300wpm)
He pulled back the curtain far enough so he could step inside. Sasha lay with her head against a pillow, eyes closed, the light above her turned off.
He walked forward and sat in the chair next to the bed, taking her hand in his. “Hey.”
She opened her eyes slowly and met his gaze, smiling at him. “Hi.”
“How bad is the pain?” Given her pale skin, he was going to assume she hurt a lot, and he wished he could take it away.
She raised one delicate shoulder beneath the hospital gown. “Not great. The doctor said I have a slight concussion. I threw up when I got here,” she said, blushing.
He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand. “Stitches?”
“No. They were able to stop the bleeding and decided I didn’t need any,” she said, her voice soft.
“Good.”
“Xander, thank you for kicking that door down. He wanted to take me to his car and if that happened…” She shuddered at the thought.
His hand clasped hers tighter. “I shouldn’t have left you alone to begin with.”
“I was with Jared.” She blinked and her eyes widened. “What happened to Rhodes?”
“He was knocked out. Hit pretty hard with a blunt object. Those damned trailers were so secluded it gave the stalker the edge.” Xander ground his teeth at the reminder. “He’s going to be okay. I got a text from Jared. Just really sore for a while.”
“I feel responsible.”
Of course she did. “The risk comes with his job. Don’t worry about him. Just relax.”
“Xander,” she began.
“Rest. There’s plenty of time for talk later. I just want to let Cassidy in to see you. She’s beside herself. So let’s reassure her you’re okay.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “Close your eyes for a few minutes. I’ll go get her.”
“I don’t care about rules. I want to see her now.” Rebecca’s loud voice carried through the outer room and into the cubicle.
Sasha winced. “She’s here, too?”
“Isaac called her.” He’d wanted to give Cassidy a few minutes alone with Sasha before her agent took over.
The curtain opened and Rebecca let herself in, a nurse standing behind her. “I’m sorry, Miss Keaton. If you want me to get security, I will.”
“That’s okay,” Sasha said to the younger woman.
It wasn’t, not as far as Xander was concerned, and he turned to glare at Sasha’s agent. “You couldn’t wait?” He pushed himself up from his seat.
“Sasha, are you okay?” Rebecca edged past him and walked up to the bed.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, her voice still softer than usual. Probably in deference to her pounding head, if his own experience with a concussion was anything to go by.
Xander stepped back and walked out, giving Sasha a few minutes with her agent. He waited outside with no intention of eavesdropping, but Rebecca’s voice did not allow for private conversation.
So Xander listened as Rebecca asked questions, but Sasha spoke too low for him to hear her reply.
“Well, I have news that’s going to perk you right up,” Rebecca said. “Daniel Larsen wants you for his next film.”
Daniel Larsen was an A-List director with two Academy Awards under his belt. Any film he chose next was destined to follow suit, especially with the right talent. Which Sasha was.
Xander’s stomach twisted so hard the pain gutted him. He was as proud of her as he was destroyed by the news.
“And guess where they are filming? Singapore!” she said, obviously before Sasha could question her. Rebecca went on, detailing the role Sasha would play and information Xander tuned out.
He stood in the outer area of the emergency room as any hope he had for the future disappeared. Sasha had been offered every actress’s dream role, and he would not stand in her way. They’d had an agreement that this thing between them would end when filming did. And though he’d hoped they could make a relationship work, shame on him for thinking they could actually do it.
She was off to Singapore. Then where?
There was no way they could have a real future. A solid relationship. A family. Things he not only wanted but needed to be whole. He desired so much more than his parents had given him growing up, and no matter how much he loved her, Sasha was not the woman who could share that life with him. And since he couldn’t imagine being with anyone else, he figured that left him shit out of luck.
Since he’d spaced out during the rest of their conversation, his pounding heart and thoughts drowning out everything else, he was surprised when Rebecca pushed past the curtain.
She narrowed her gaze at Xander. “She wants to see Cassidy but I’m not leaving. Sasha and I have more to discuss.”
He rolled his eyes. The woman was relentless, but the fact remained, it wasn’t his place to get rid of Sasha’s agent so she could rest. She was an adult who would want to handle her own life.