Catch 22

18

The boys carry me through the performance. I only hope that my bruised knuckles and annoyed attitude aren't noticeable to our fans. I feel like I've been off this whole tour and I hate that. The last thing I want is to disappoint them, or worse, have them connect my attitude to my new girlfriend and give her shit.

Sierra, Crystal, and Kaykay get so many rude and hateful messages, I don't know if I'm willing to put Rowen through that. Even after my brief mentioning of the relationship in that interview no one seemed to have identified her as who I was talking about even though my interactions on Instagram had concerned me a bit. I wasn't even sure that Row had heard the interview as she hadn't mentioned anything to me which meant we still hadn't discussed what she was comfortable with as far as the publicity surrounding our relationship.

That conversation would have to wait though, since she was in the damn hospital because of our fucking crew. I feel not even a drop or remorse for hitting Mark. The longer I stew on it, the more sure I am that he had deserved exactly what he had gotten.

As we come off stage I locate Matt, our stage manager and wait for him to finish up before speaking.

"Hey, has Rowen come back from the hospital yet?" I ask him when he gets a moment.

"Um, no. They were gonna keep her overight for observation and to get her some fluids. She was super dehydrated."

"Fuck." I say softly. "What time are we supposed to head out to Montreal?" I ask, wondering how her stay will affect her ability to stay with the tour.

"We're supposed to be out of here by eight tomorrow morning. They said they would discharge her by six."

I rake my hand over my face.

"Can I go stay with her?" I ask, my voice much weaker than I am accustomed to.

He sighs and looks away, his head shifting from left to right as he considers my proposition.

"Yeah, I guess that's fine. I'll get you a car and you can head over. Keep me updated with any news." He says and I nod in agreement.

The car comes quickly but the drive to the emergency room where Rowen was taken seems to take ages. By the time I'm asking the receptionist for her room number my hands are shaking with anticipation. I need to see her. I need to know that she's alright.

My chest loosens as I enter her room, the soft snores easing my mind as I sink into the chair beside her bed. If they're letting her sleep she must have been cleared of a concussion. My exhaustion, both physical and mental overwhelm me, and I prop my hand on the chair arm and rest my head against it.

My eyelids are heavy and I last only a few minutes before they slip closed in sleep.

"Cal?" I groan and switch position before attempting to return to my deep sleep.

"Cal?" Small fingers reach out to grip my forearm and I force my eyes open, scanning the room for a moment before settling on the blue-grey eyes staring back at me.

"How long have you been here?" She asks and I shrug my shoulders and look at the clock. It's after four.

"I got here around midnight." I tell her in my gruff morning voice closing my eyes again.

"Come here." She whispers and I force myself up and over to her bed, perching carefully on the edge.

She holds her hands out to me and pulls me down beside her. I slip my hands around her waist, careful of the wires attached to her hands as she snuggles against my chest.

The scent of her shampoo drifts through my nostrils and I take a moment to be appreciative of how nice it feels to hold her in my arms.

My chin rests against the top of her head and I kiss it, thankful to have her here, thankful she's okay.