“But what if it kills her, then what?” Tate said frantically.
William moved forward, he and Tate only a few feet apart, and pinned him with a look, saying, “This really doesn’t concern you. She is our daughter.”
“Dad!” Fallon yelled as Nora said, “William, please.”
“Um, yeah it does. Audrey is my future wife. She is carrying my baby!” Tate yelled. “You will have to get through me to turn that ventilator off. I’ll be damned if I let you take her away from me.”
“I can have you out of here and on your ass in two seconds flat!” William yelled back, taking a step toward Tate, the two of them inches apart.
“Try it! I’m not going anywhere as long as she’s in that bed! I love her!” Tate shouted, his heart hammering against his chest.
“I don’t care. She is my daughter and I’m not going to keep her here on this earth because I am selfish.”
“I’m not being selfish. I’m giving her time to heal, to grow my child, what is your deal? Do you want to kill her?”
William’s chest puffed up and his eyes went wide with anger. Tate didn’t care, though. As far as he was concerned, no one was touching Audrey. He would kill them if they did.
“Whoa,” Lucas said finally, coming between them. “This isn’t right. Audrey wouldn’t want this.”
“He’s right, please stop,” Fallon begged, standing beside him now. “I’m sorry I brought it up.”
Lucas pushed Tate back, moving him out the room. Tate shook his head, walking away from Lucas to catch his breath and will his tears away. “You gotta keep it together, Tate. William is an asshole but you can’t say shit like that.”
“I don’t give a fuck about him. No one is touching Audrey,” Tate said, not looking back at Lucas as he walked away. He went quickly through the ICU to the waiting room, and when he reached the windows, looked out at the Nashville skyline and let out a long shuddering breath as tears spilled over his cheeks. “I’m not going to kill her,” he whispered to himself.
Lucas, following Tate, came up beside him and leaned his forehead against the window. “I just want this all to stop,” he said. “I want Audrey to wake up so everyone stops feeling all this pain. I’m tired of watching my wife cry and clutch her throat in distress. She is chewing her nails to hell, and then there’s you. I’m not even sure you’re here half the time. I’m so worried that you’re going to lose it, that I won’t even leave.”
“I’m fine,” Tate said through his tears. “I’m just scared.”
“I’m scared too, but we have to stay strong, Tate, because those two women need us. We can’t get into it with William. Believe me, I would love to, but we can’t. It hurts Fallon, and it would hurt Audrey if she knew.”
Tate nodded as he wiped his face on his sleeve. “I want her back.”
“I know. I do too, but promise me you’ll let William run his mouth and ignore it. Do it for Audrey, please.”
Closing his eyes, Tate took deep breaths as he tried to pull himself together. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, his eyes pooling with tears as he thought about what Audrey would think if she had been awake to see them fighting. She would have lost her damn mind and probably lashed out at all of them. She loved her father, even if he was a complete jackass. It was unlike him to lose it like he had. He blamed it on the fact his emotions were out of whack and that he hadn’t played hockey in almost a week. He needed his hockey like he needed Audrey. But Lucas was right. He couldn’t fight with William, whose anger was probably just frustration from not knowing answers about his daughter.
If he had been William and it was his daughter lying there and no one had answers for him, he thought, he would probably pick on the punk kid in the corner too. Maybe it was a daddy thing.
He was in that club now.
Turning to look at Lucas, he nodded. “I promise,” he said.
Lucas shot him a thankful smile. “Thanks, man, now come on, let’s get back in there.”