HIM—A Stepbrother Romance: With BONUS NOVELLA: PERSONAL by Stephanie Brother Page B

even aware that I was shaking all over until a nurse began to check my vitals.
    “Will he need stitches on his lip? He’s so bloody and swollen. I gave him my jacket. I wasn’t there for long, though.”
    “There?”
    “Jail. But uh, it’s not like you think.”
    “DWI?”
    “No, God, no. I, well, some asshole I guess decided to administer me into custody because I kept asking questions about, my, uh…uh… boyfriend.”
    Just saying that term of endearment caused color to rush to my cheeks.
    “And you were left how long? I feel like I should bring our officer in here. It’s not every day you see a man naked and barefoot.”
    “For hours. In the dark. Cold. They left him like that!” I began shivering thinking about it all.
    “Okay, I’m going to administer a sedative and get fluids and nutrition in you as well. You should get some rest, as well. I’m sure that was quite traumatic.”
    “I…I’m not cold like he is. I don’t think I have hypothermia.”
    “Sweetie, you’re in shock. It’s written all over your body.”
    “Well, it was quite…stupid…stupid…crazy! I didn’t think you could just be put into jail like that. I didn’t do anything.”
    My breaths were coming quickly now and everything I had held back to stay strong for Bradley—giving him my jacket, trying my best to stay calm to keep him calm, well, it all came crashing into me like a freight train. That pound of bricks. The restricted breathing. The anxiety attack.
    “Are you on any medications?”
    I nodded. “I sometimes take Xanax when an anxiety attack is coming.”
    “I’ll get you something. I also need to get you an IV and an oxygen mask.” I went weak in the knees and sat in a chair by the hospital bed. I felt spent. I felt like I was cast into angry waves at sea, seeing Bradley suffer like that. It really took a toll on me. Being freezing, fear. I shivered thinking about it all.
    “Please don’t separate us. I can’t handle that right now. I don’t want to be alone in a place like this right now.”
    “I understand, sweetie.”
    A while later, Bradley was peacefully sleeping and the doctor agreed to let me stay in the room with him.
    “Do you want to provide rescuer’s body heat?”
    “What’s that?”
    “You can lay next to him. Your body will keep his warm. Hypothermic skin is very sensitive to burns. His body will respond more naturally to his girlfriend.”
    Girlfriend.
    I nodded and smiled, the feeling of pride covering my body. It was the first time anyone had ever said it. It sounded beautiful and amazing.
    “I am. Of course, I’d love to.”
    “He’s very dehydrated and is lacking nutrients. He will probably sleep for a long time. But he’s stable so there is no need to worry about anything bad happening to him now. If you need to get up to use the restroom, just help yourself. Make sure he’s covered, though.”
    “Oh, I’ll take excellent care of him between your rounds.”
    Minutes later when it was just the two of us lying in the bed together for the first time, I kissed his cheek and brushed back his hair. “Thank God, you’re okay, Bradley.” I whispered. “I can’t lose you again.”
    And just like that, all in a day’s journey, I found myself next to him again, wrapped in his arms in a bed, waiting for the first ray of dawn to dress our skin; I just didn’t ever imagine it to be like this.
    I awoke again to the nurse checking my vitals.
    “Uh, a Mr. Fox came by a few hours ago with clothes for you and a few of your things. He said that that officer came to the estate to notify him of Bradley’s condition.”
    My heavy eyes dashed toward the bench and it brought a smile to my face. He brought my school bag and next to it was a few books, my computer and my files. It was so sweet of him to be so thoughtful. Heck, it was sweet of him to risk being stuck out in the blizzard!
    “How have your stress levels been lately?” Her question snapped me back to the present.
    “Um,