Still Jaded (Jaded #2)

Protect my own. I'd said those exact words to countless numbers of people. That's what I did when I took care of Bryce and Corrigan. I protected my own as they were doing for me right now.

"I think we need to take a time out. Sheldon is in a lot of pain. I'm sure the doctors want to talk to her." Grace started to pat my arm again.

Officer Patterson gave her an odd look. "With all due respect, I don't think you know Sheldon that well." But she sighed and grabbed her coat. At the door, she turned back. "Sheldon, if you remember anything, you let me know. You have my number. And if you know of anyone in particular that might want to hurt you, you let me know that too. Shoving someone into a glass table where they could've been killed is a serious offense in my book, especially someone I care about."

When the door closed behind her, Grace laughed. There was a nervous tremble in it. "Care about? Since when do cops care about people?"

I looked at her with my eyebrows raised. Corrigan looked shocked, but Bryce blasted her, "She's the cop who helped us when Marcus tried to kill Sheldon. Remember that?"

"Oh…"

Grace was an idiot, but this wasn't normal behavior, even for her. She wasn't this big of an idiot, which made me wonder what else had happened tonight. She was usually strong, but now she was spineless.

Then a stabbing pain seared through me and I lifted a hand. "Can we please get some meds for me? I have to poop, and it's killing me."

Corrigan laughed.

Bryce didn't. "Who do you want here?"

"Uh…" I hoped he wasn't going where I thought he was going…

"You want Corrigan here or do you want me? You have to choose, Sheldon."

I swallowed over a knot. Bryce had gone exactly where I thought he was going.

"Sheldon," Corrigan started.

I didn't look at either of them. I couldn't. Grace had quieted, and she pulled her hand away from my arm. I wasn't ready for this, not yet, but something had happened that I wasn't aware about. I knew what choice I had to make.

Bryce demanded again. "Choose, Sheldon. You can't have us both. I'm not stupid enough to not know that something happened. You're bleeding on the floor but want me to comfort him. That's not normal. That's not…right… You have to make your decision."

Oh. Fuck. "When did this happen?"

"You might've been pissed at me, but I wasn't doing anything with Guadalupe. I was holding her back from doing something stupid. I was trying to tell her to leave me alone. Then I go to your place and what happens?! You fall into a table, bleeding, and you cry for me to help him!"

Corrigan sucked in his breath.

Bryce turned on him. "And you! You let her get that drunk? Are you kidding me? You hand her the bottle when you know I'm trying to stop her? Are you helping or hurting her?"

Grace's eyes widened and she looked out the window.

Not me. I held Bryce's gaze steady. I wasn't at fighting strength, but I'd be damned if he mistook a Marcus flashback for something worse. "You're not stupid. Don't start acting like it right now. I was bleeding, but I heard Corrigan and a part of me went back to that night when he was the one bleeding. I remembered that awful feeling. God forbid, but I didn't want him to feel the same way I had that night. So don't get your panties all twisted up. There's nothing going on with me and Corrigan. The opposite, actually. We're barely friends, and now you're coming in with all these accusations? You can't give me five minutes to get some morphine?" I was starting to hate him. I was starting to hate him so much…even though I loved him so damn much. That was the problem…

Regret flashed in his eyes, but he looked away. Then Corrigan cleared his throat as he looked between us. "I'll be going if you're okay, Sheldon."

There was nothing in me. I was drained as I gave him a weak nod. He shouldn't have to go, but I was too tired to argue.

Grace squeezed my arm one last time and gathered her purse. "I should be going too… Unless you want me to stay? I can stay. I can stay all night if you want."

I shook my head.

After she left, it was just me and Bryce. He sighed and took the spot by my bed. He didn't pat my arm like Grace did. He stared at me, long and hard, like he always did when he wanted answers. "You need to tell me the truth about you and Corrigan. Don't try some bullshit on me that nothing's going on. I know something happened, and I want to know what."

CHAPTER TEN

The doctors came and went; the nurses followed suit, and finally, a nurse aide brought me some food. She tripped in the doorway when she saw Bryce, but after the tray was put on the lap table, she hurried out. It would've been laughable if I hadn't known I was about to face a firing squad. Bryce fumed behind me. He hadn't moved since everyone left. Now he circled the bed to stare at me from the end.

I let out a slow dramatic breath. It was time for the talk. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. A part of me knew I'd been lying to myself about a lot of things, but another part of me didn't want to deal with this.