Beautifully Shattered (The Beautifully Series Book 1) (3 page)

Ah, it’s my ankle,
not my entire leg, that’s a little more comforting. That will be
easier to hide from the guys. I need a mirror to know how bad my face
looks. From the throbbing pain on my forehead, my guess would be
anywhere from horrible or death. My guess is on the latter.

“Fuuuccckkkk!” I
draw that one syllable into about twenty, give or take, when he
starts twisting my ankle.

“I’m sorry,” he
says once I’m done screaming. “I’m just checking for breaks. Do
you have a boyfriend that I can call before we head to the hospital?”

That one word causes me
to go into full blown panic. I sit up way too quickly, making him
drop my ankle on the floor. I’m surprised my earsplitting scream
doesn’t break the glass doors. Once the pain subsides, I try to
stand only to fail. Graciously, he helps me to my feet and leads me
to a nearby bench.

“I really don’t
need to go to the hospital,” I tell him when he pulls his cell
phone out of his basketball shorts. I wave him off, hoping to convey
that this isn’t as bad as it seems. “Honestly this is no big
deal, just a scratch.” I shrug, eyes glued to the silver device
that will seal my fate.

“Adalynn—”

I hold up my hand,
silencing him. “No, really, I’m fine. I just need to go back up
to my place. I’m a little lightheaded, but we don’t need to make
an unnecessary scene. You don’t need to call anyone. Once the
bleeding—”

He cuts me off with a
glare that clearly says “don’t mess with him.” The Good
Samaritan that I’m somehow stuck with isn’t going to give up.

“Listen, Adalynn, you
need stitches. This is too deep for just a Band-Aid.” He stares at
my forehead. “You also might’ve suffered a concussion, not to
mention you need to have your ankle checked out and be possibly
fitted for crutches.

I give him my most
pleading look. “Please, just help me to my apartment. I have
crutches somewhere in one of my closets from the last time I decided
to do a gravity check. The bleeding has stopped. I’ll go to the
hospital if I need to. I know all the signs of a concussion. This
isn’t my first accident.” And it won’t be my last, I’m sure.
Clumsiness doesn’t even begin to describe my
unique
quality of walking skills.

He shakes his head.
“Give me your boyfriend’s number so he can meet you at the
hospital.”

Okay, now, I’m mad.
Who does he think he is? Good Samaritan or not, he doesn’t get to
boss me around. Since standing isn’t an option, I sit up straight,
attempting to appear taller. “Look, buddy, I already told you I’m
not going to the hospital. So either help me back to my apartment or
move out of my way.”

Rubbing his face, he
says in a forced calm voice, “Fine Adalynn, you win. But I need to
grab my emergency bag from my apartment. You
will
call me if there are any signs you need to go to the hospital. Take
it or leave it.”

Without waiting for a
response, he stands and gathers towels to support my ankle. Once he’s
satisfied that I’m not going anywhere, he glances down at me with a
question in his eyes.

“Fine. Hurry up.”

“I’ll be right
back. I don’t need to ask you to stay put because with that ankle
you’re not going anywhere.” He gives me one last smirk before
walking away. At the door he turns and asks, “And what about your
boyfriend, do you need to borrow my phone to call him?” He holds up
the phone in question.

“Nope, no boyfriend
so nobody to call.”

He shoots me a knowing
grin before leaving. Why didn’t I ask for his name? I’m about to
have a random, hot, controlling guy escort me to my apartment, and I
didn’t even ask for his name. Smart. What was that nonsense about
him retrieving his bag? Deciding I don’t really care, I rest my
eyes.

They spring open when
something cold presses on my ankle. It’s hard to focus at first,
but when my I adjust to the bright lights in the gym I see my sexy
stranger wielding a bag of ice.

I ask the most basic
question that I should have asked from the beginning. “Does my
knight in shining armor come with a name? Or should I just pick one
from my favorite fairy tales? I have to warn you, though, my fairy
tales are different from Disney.”

“Oh?”

“Instead of reading
to me, my Dad made up his own fairy tales.”

He chuckles. “Do I
remind you of the knights in shining armor?”

I shrug. “There
weren’t really any knights in shining armor. The princess always
saved the day. She didn’t need anyone to rescue her.”

I’m surprised that I
just told that information to a stranger. I never open up. Never.
There’s something about him that makes me want to bare my soul.
Which means I need to shut up. This can only be heading somewhere
dangerous.

He rummages into his
bag and pulls out a pair of gloves and a white bottle with a spray
cap before answering. “Kohen Daniels. Now hold still. This may hurt
a little.”

Before waiting for me
to catch on, he sprays the liquid on a cotton ball and then gently
cleans my forehead. I scream a string of profanity that would make
any sailor proud.

“Well, lucky for you
I was wrong,” Kohen says after cleaning the wound.

“Oh?” I ask through
my teeth. The sting is still fresh in my mind.

“You won’t need
stitches. I have butterfly stitches that will keep this closed and
it’ll heal nicely.”

He finishes cleaning
the wound and applies the final bandage. Lightly he brushes his
fingertips over my cheek and down my jaw. As he stares into my eyes,
I feel a pull that I have only felt with one other person. Right when
I think he is going to lean in, he quickly averts his attention to my
ankle.

“I need to wrap your
ankle and then I can help you back to your apartment.”

Not trusting my voice,
I nod. What just happened? I must have hit my head a lot harder than
I thought.

He wraps my ankle with
practiced ease. Without asking, I know immediately that he’s a
great doctor. Women must fall at his feet with those dark blue eyes
and sandy blond hair that can’t seem to stay in place. I know
without a doubt that he has an incredible body to match his handsome
face. There’s no hiding it, even with a black sweatshirt on. When
he’s satisfied with his work, he stands and holds out his hand for
me. Smiling, I take it and wobble to his side.

“Thanks.”

Kohen must have
collected my things when I was resting because now he is slinging the
strap of my gym bag over his shoulder along with his medical bag.
We’re standing so close that all I have to do is look up and our
lips will meet. My hands fidget at my sides because I can’t make
myself kiss him. The attraction I feel for him is foreign. My heart
forever belongs to another.

Slowly, his hands trail
from my shoulder to my wrists and back up again. By the second time
his hands glide down my arms, goosebumps cover my whole body. As much
as I don’t want to look up, I tilt my head back. My violet eyes
connect with his azure ones. His hand caresses my face as he leans
into me. Logic kicks in at the same time the gym doors bang open.

Kohen manages to angle
his body in front of mine and yet he’s still supporting my weight.
He watches me as Jax comes running around the corner in a desperate
search for something, for me.

“Ads!” he shouts
with relief.

I’m ogling him
without shame, Kohen forgotten. My gaze is drawn to his brown hair
that is styled in it’s usual messy fohawk, his forest green eyes,
and his sinfully kissable lips. Everything is the complete package
and I haven’t even taken in his body yet. I barely try to fight the
pull I always feel when he’s around. He’s wearing a simple maroon
dress shirt, first two buttons undone, with the sleeves rolled up
displaying his tattooed arms. Once there was a time where I was able
to study every picture, every black detail on his tanned arms. I
would spend hours tracing every curve of his body.

Suddenly Jax comes to
an abrupt halt when he sees the blood on my shirt, the bandage on my
forehead, and me balancing on one leg. From the expression on his
face, I can tell that his relief is short-lived. Sighing, I pinch the
bridge of my nose and helplessly try not to make it obvious that I
wished things were different between us, but they’re not. I’m
just Logan’s little sister to him now.

“Please don’t
start. I’m fine. I was on my way back to my place when you came
storming in here.” Taking a deep breath to stall, I silently beg
him to not make a big deal of this. I know there’s no use, he’s
just as bad as my brother. “Please . . . just don’t, Jax.”

The only way this could
be any worse is if Logan found me. At least with Jax I have a small
window where he might be reasonable. With my brother I have no
chance. It’s always take charge first, ask questions later. I know
I only have a minute, maybe two if I’m lucky, to convince Jax not
to make a scene. Suddenly I remember Kohen next to me. It’s amazing
how just Jax’s presence can command a room.

I hate it.

“Seriously, Jax, I’m
fine. Kohen,” I add pointing to the man still holding me upright,
“is a doctor and he’s already looked me over. Gave me a clean
bill of heath and everything. I just need to stay off the ankle and
we both know I have crutches somewhere in my apartment.”

I’m wearing a huge
grin knowing that I’ve talked my way out of this until the traitor
opens his big fat mouth. “Actually I’ve been trying to convince
her to go to the hospital for an X-ray. I don’t think anything is
broken, but it wouldn’t hurt to have her examined. There’s a good
chance she has a concussion.”

Kill me now.

My grin is now a scowl.
I can’t believe Kohen ratted me out. Great, hospital here I come.
Jax doesn’t say anything. He smiles that crooked smile I secretly
love, the one that says he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
Reaching into his black slacks, he grabs his vibrating phone.

“Yeah, man, found
her. No idea, I haven’t asked yet. No, you’re going to need to
meet us in the lobby. We need to make a quick run to the emergency
room. Calm down, she’s fine. Yeah, tell Connor to bring the car
around. Oh, I’m sure, I didn’t ask that either.” Pulling the
phone away from his ear, he curses quietly so that my brother can’t
hear. “Calm down, Logan. She’s fine. Yeah, I know. See you in a
second.”

When Jax hangs up, he
opens his mouth to speak. I hold up my hand. “No, Jax. Just don’t.
Save it, okay? Let’s go before Logan loses his mind.”

I rub the side of my
temple, hating that there’s a stranger witnessing the bubble that I
live in. Wisely, Jax nods without saying anything. Turning slightly
to face Kohen, I give him a weak smile that I don’t feel. “Thanks
again for everything.”

Because I can’t help
myself and I want to see Jax suffer, I rise up on my good foot and
kiss his cheek. I hear a growl and have to bite my lip to keep from
beaming.

Kohen smiles down at
me, ignoring a steaming Jax. “You’re welcome . . . let’s try to
be more careful next time?”

“I’ll see what I
can do.”

Momentarily forgetting
about my ankle, I stumble towards Jax, which makes both Jax and Kohen
reach for me. There’s one on each side of me, helping me from
face-planting.

“Jesus, Ads, stop
trying to kill yourself.” I don’t have time to respond before Jax
sweeps me up into his arms and cradles me to his chest. Jax grins
down at me when I glare at him.

“Thanks for helping
her,” he tells Kohen, his green eyes fixed on mine.

Then Jax strolls out of
the gym without waiting for a reply. I bury my head into his chest
from embarrassment. God, could he act anymore like a caveman? When we
reach the door I take a quick look over Jax’s shoulder. Kohen hurls
his medical equipment back into his bag.

“You don’t need to
carry me,” I tell Jax.

“No, but I want to.
Besides if your brother sees me letting you limp your way to the car,
I’ll be dead.”

My brain has
short-circuited. Jaxon Chandler wants to carry me. He wants me in his
arms. I know I’m making a bigger deal out of this then I need to,
but I can’t help it. This is Jax. The man that I’ve been in love
with for as long as I can remember.

“Besides, most women
would love to be in my arms.”

Ignoring the pain in my
chest, I smirk at him. “Don’t flatter yourself, Jax, those women
only want your money. The rest of us don’t want to hurt your
feelings. You’re not as good-looking as you think.” We both know
I’m lying. He is the very definition of beautiful.

“Great,” I mumble
under my breath when we reach the lobby.

Connor leans against
the wall idly typing on his phone while Logan paces. Logan rushes to
my side. He tries to grab me from Jax, whose hold on me tightens.

“No, I got her. She
doesn’t need to move more than necessary with her ankle.”

Logan nods while
sliding off his suit jacket from his buff shoulders to lay it over
me. “Thanks, man. You okay, Addie?”

“Of course. I’m a
little tired, though, so maybe we should go back up to my place and
watch a movie?”

His light blue eyes
that are the exact replica of our father’s plead with me not to
fight with him. I give him a tight nod. There’s so much of our
father in him; his build, his tone of voice, even his brown hair. I
have that, too. We both have our mother’s smile. Thanks to our mom
I was blessed with her rare shade of violet eyes.

Logan kisses the top of
my head. “Not a chance, baby girl,” he says using Dad’s
nickname for me. To Jax he says, “Let’s go.”

Putting away his phone,
Connor hurries over to the door to hold it open for us. The chill in
the spring night air washes over me. I burry myself closer into Jax’s
warm chest, secretly loving his potent cologne. I breathe deeply once
before watching Connor’s 6’6’’ frame clear out the back seat
of his car.