Beautifully Shattered (The Beautifully Series Book 1) Read online

  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.

  Like my brother, Jax treats me as if I’m a porcelain doll as he maneuvers me in the car. By the time he has the buckle in place I’m covered in goosebumps and it’s not from the cold. Jax is so close, but still so many miles away from me.

  After making sure that I’m comfortable in the back, Logan surprises me by manning the wheel. He hardly drives since the accident. He utilizes his massive amounts of money and has a full-time driver. I feel his fear resembles mine in a way, even if he wasn’t there that dreadful night.

  I nearly groan when Jax settles himself next to me and Connor slides into the passenger seat. I was hoping that Connor would sit with me. It would be easier to keep my distance from Jax. When we finally arrive at the hospital, Connor rushes to snag a wheelchair for me while the rest of us wait in the car.

  Logan breaks the silence. “You didn’t think to call us?”

  I turn to face the window. “No, I was a little preoccupied. Besides, I knew you three would make a big deal out of this.” I wave my hand down my body.

  Luckily, Connor returns with the wheelchair before Logan or Jax can respond.

  “All right, Addie, you know the drill,” Connor says.

  Jax picks me up like I’m a child and sets me in the chair. I breathe my first breath of fresh air since being in his arms. Being so close to him yet so far away is torture.

  I sigh dramatically for his benefit. “Oh, well thank you, kind sir. I don’t know how I would have made it the whole half a step to the wheelchair without you.”

  Someone clutches my hand. I look up and smile at Connor. His tall frame bends slightly so that he can continue to hold my hand while Logan steers me towards the automatic doors. I watch Connor as we near the entrance. Not for the first time, I wish that I felt something for him besides friendship. It would be so much easier to be in love with the blond stud squeezing my hand, but of course I consider him a brother. He brushes his long hair behind his ears. It’s only then that I realize his wrist is missing the pink hair-tie I gave him earlier. Without saying anything, I give him the extra I keep on my wrist just for him. He smiles appreciatively as he gathers his shoulder-length hair into one of those manly ponytails at the bottom of his head.

  My anxiety rises the closer I’m wheeled to the hospital’s doors. Ever since the accident, I avoid them. Well, I try to at least; me being accident-prone doesn’t help with my fear since the guys always insist on me seeing a doctor. Logan wheels me into the crowded Emergency Room at New York Presbyterian Hospital, oblivious that I’m dying inside.

  Jax walks up to the counter like he owns the place. Flashing the receptionist his trademark smile he says, “I need to have someone look at my friend Adalynn Maxwell. She hit her head pretty badly and we’re worried she might have a concussion.”

  He’s so charming it should be illegal. The lady doesn’t shift her focus from the computer screen; apparently there are women immune to Jax’s charm. That’s just too bad. Really, my heart breaks for him.

  “You’re going to need to fill this out and wait in the waiting room like everyone else.” She hands him a clipboard with the paperwork attached. When Jax doesn’t make a move for it, Connor is forced to seize it.

  “I didn’t introduce myself earlier, my apologies. I’m Jaxon Chandler, as in the owner of Trinity. Which happened to give the largest donation this year at the pediatric fundraising event last week.”

  He doesn’t even wait for the light bulb to go off. I’m surprised how fast she recognizes the name of their company. Understanding dawns on me when I glance around. The new self-help posters have the Trinity logo in the lower left corner. What doesn’t their company dabble in these days?

  “I would like Miss Maxwell in a private room and to be seen by the best neurologist.”

  She’s already standing and walking around the counter. She might be immune to Jax’s charm, but she doesn’t want to piss off their biggest paycheck. I doubt their CEO, who I know just went golfing with Logan, would be happy to hear from a fuming Jax. I have to try extremely hard not to laugh at her sudden willingness to help. It’s hilarious how name-dropping can change people, even in a hospital, where it shouldn’t matter.

  “Of course, sir. I can have someone show you to Miss Maxwell’s room right away. Unfortunately you will have to see the on-call doctor, as our head of neurology has the night off. I assure you Miss Maxwell will be in good hands.”

  Connor groans with me. Jax ignores both of us. She couldn’t have just kept quiet, could she? No, it’s not like she would have known that Jax isn’t a man to be deterred. I tremble when he slams his strong hands on the counter. He glares at her as if she just said the most outrageous thing in the history of the world.

  “That’s unacceptable. I want the best. Make it happen or do I need to call Don?” He reads her name tag. “Mrs. Adams?”

  “My apologies, sir. I’ll have someone take her for all the tests while you wait for the doctor. It might take awhile longer since this is his only day off this week.”

  Mrs. Adams calls over a nurse to manage the desk before snatching the wheelchair from Logan. The guys are forced to hurry along after us to catch up. I have to hand it to Mrs. Adams, she doesn’t just take it lying on her back. Go her! I pick imaginary lint off my bright orange leggings as Mrs. Adams silently pushes me. I stare straight ahead as we pass through the doors that she has to use a keycard to access. The urge to break the silence is overwhelming.

  “I’m sorry about him. He’s harmless, by the way,” I tell her as she wheels me into a room.

  “Yeah, he’s like a rabid dog without teeth.” I turn just in time to see Jax slap the back of Connor’s head. “Ow!”

  I can tell from her tight smile that Mrs. Adams wishes she were anywhere else right now. Can’t say that I blame her. She starts to help me from the chair, but Jax pushes her out of the way.

  “I got her.”

  My jaw drops. He needs to stop acting this way in front of Logan. I force myself not to react to his closeness as he lifts me up before gently laying me in the bed.

  “Your nurse will be right in.” Mrs. Adams inches h
er way closer to the door.

  “You’re not my nurse?” I ask, surprised.

  After a shake of her head, she slips out the door.

  “Jax, any doctor would have been fine.” I let my annoyance show in my voice. “I’m pretty sure they all went to medical school, but who knows, some might have gone to clown school.”

  Jax ignores me as he makes a point of walking over to Logan, who’s leaning against the far wall across from the bed. I’m still irritated that I’m here when a male nurse knocks on the door. He couldn’t have come at a better time. Being here is making my entire body tense. Pretty soon I’m going to snap. Hopefully nobody is here to witness it.

  Forty-five minutes later I have my ankle re-wrapped. Just a bad sprain, thank goodness; I just have to wait for the doctor to go over my CT scan. I survey the room for Jax, but he’s missing. I want to ask where he’s gone, but I don’t want to clue in Logan to my feelings for his best friend. Talk about awkward.

  “Don’t be so hard on them, Addie,” Connor says, “You know they’re both just worried.”

  I frown at my best friend, hating that he’s right. He’s known me my entire life, and he’s usually the one who makes those two see reason when it comes to me. He’s like another big brother. I love him even if he annoys me 99 percent of the time.

  I stare at Logan as he types away on his phone, probably responding to the thousand of emails he receives daily. As I inspect him closer I notice the shadows under his eyes. Without asking, I know he didn’t sleep last night. Most likely he was restless like me, remembering everything we lost. But unlike me, he doesn’t have the gory, haunting memories I do. I’m glad as my brother doesn’t deserve to suffer like me. He’s innocent.

  “I know, Connor. I’m not mad at them. I just wish Jax didn’t make a big deal out of this. Between the two of them, I don’t know who’s worse.”

  His twin dimples are prominent. “If you haven’t noticed, Jax likes to make a show out of everything when it comes to you.” Before I can say anything, he quickly changes the subject. “Have you picked your dress for the Masquerade Ball yet or are you—” He breaks off when there’s a soft knock on the door.

  We all turn to see a tall, muscular doctor with sandy blond hair that just can’t seem to stay in the right place. Tonight is getting better and better.

  Chapter Two

  “What are you doing here?” I ask even though I know the answer.

  He’s wearing a white lab coat with his endearing smile. “I got called in for a possible concussion.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal. It is.

  I stare wide-eyed at Kohen. Then at my confused brother. Logan moves to my side. I know overprotective brother syndrome is emerging, fast.

  “Have you two met?” he asks me but his focus is solely on Kohen.

  I can tell Kohen interprets Logan’s question as innocent. Logan knows everyone in my life. I already know he is itching to place a call to his PI to investigate Kohen. Being the gentleman that he’s shown me he is, Kohen steps forward and extends his hand to Logan and then to Connor.

  “Yes, we met earlier this evening at the gym. I was the one who bandaged her up and insisted that Adalynn seek medical attention. However, Adalynn is a little stubborn and refused to go until her boyfriend came in and rescued her.”

  “Boyfriend?” Logan asks, baffled, at the same time Connor says, “Don’t we know it.”

  Luckily Kohen is studying my CT scans so he’s not paying much attention to them. I notice that his smile slips for a second. I can feel Logan’s gaze on me, but I don’t acknowledge him. He shouldn’t have to ask about the boyfriend comment; he knows I’m unattached.

  “There’s no swelling, or anything else to be concerned about, but I would still like to check your balance, reflexes, coordination, vis—”

  I interrupt him as I know exactly what he has to do. “Vision, and any possible memory loss.”

  He doesn’t seem surprised that I am familiar with the examination. Maybe he realizes I’m accident-prone. That could be a new thing that shows up on CT scans now.

  He pulls out a silver looking pen that I recognize as a flashlight. “Look to the left, good. Now the right, good. Follow the light with your eyes please.”

  “Well?” Logan ask impatiently once Kohen finishes testing my reflexes.

  Kohen turns to my pacing brother. “I need to check her balance next and then I’ll be done.”

  “Is she going to be okay?” Logan asks, ignoring the fact that the examine isn’t over. “Yes, she has a slight concussion but she’ll be fine.” He focuses on me again. “Stand up, please.”

  I do everything he asks, wishing with each command that we were alone so he wouldn’t have to deal with the my brother. He’s already had to come in on his day off. I want to make this as easy as possible for him, and him receiving the third degree from my brother isn’t easy for anyone in the room.

  His back is to the door when Jax swaggers in and Connor decides to make matters worse. I have no idea how I’m even surprised by anything that he says. I should be used to it by now, but not even a lifetime with this guy can prepare me for what comes out of his mouth.

  “Oh, look here’s the boyfriend now.” He tilts his head toward Jax.

  “I’ll hide your body where nobody will ever find it,” I mutter only loud enough for Connor to hear.

  “Boyfriend? Ahh Connor I’m touched, but baby you’re not my type.”

  Kohen looks from Connor to Jax, then finally to me. Connor and Logan aren’t even trying to hide their grins now while Jax is momentarily surprised to see Kohen again.

  “Kohen, meet Jaxon Chandler. He’s another childhood friend of my brother’s.” I try to assure him that he isn’t my boyfriend.

  Kohen nods in understanding and visibly relaxes. “Well, Adalynn, you’re ready to go home once the discharge nurse has you sign the release papers. You’ll need someone to check on you a few times throughout the night. Rest that ankle for at least two weeks before you take on any treadmills again.”

  “Great, thanks again, Kohen. Sorry you were forced to come in so late.”

  My brother steps forward and shakes his hand. “Yes, thank you for everything.”

  “You’re welcome.” He moves towards the door. “The discharge nurse will be in shortly.”

  Once the door closes, Jax asks, “Do I even want to know about the boyfriend comment?”

  Logan shakes his head, but of course Connor decides silence isn’t necessary. “The doc is interested in Addie so I thought it would be funny to mess with him and let him think that you’re her boyfriend.”

  Jax’s jaw tightens. It’s the only sign that he’s fighting to stay in control. Good. Maybe now he will notice that I’m not that broken teenager I once was and see me as an adult.

  There’s a soft knock on the door and a male nurse enters, carrying crutches. After another minute or two, the crutches are in Connor’s hands, and the nurse is telling Logan where the pharmacy is to pick up my medication. Jax broods behind me, ready to wheel me out to the car. Connor wiggles his eyebrows at me. I glare at him and silently beg him not to do what I know he’s about to do.

  He winks as he shouts, “Wait up!” to my brother. He hurriedly runs to catch up with Logan, leaving me in my wheelchair with a stone-faced Jax.

  Awkward seconds turn into minutes as Jax wheels me into the waiting room. He sits down with the wheelchair in front of him. As I people-watch, I curse Connor for leaving me here. He could have at least taken me with him. That prick! Out of nowhere I’m spun around so I’m facing Jax. He leans forward and rests his chin in his hands. We’re so close, we’re breathing each other’s air. I don’t know how long we’re sitting here like this when I hear Connor’s laugh bouncing off the walls. He’s obnoxious, but I love him.

  We’re finally able to leave. As the exit comes into view, I exhale in relief. My entire body is strung so tightly, I’m positive that I’ll snap if I’m forced to stay a second longer. It’s taking everyth
ing in me to be appreciative, but a small part of me is still pissed that Logan made me come here, today of all days.

  Kohen strolls around the corner with a purpose. Hoping to evade his attention, I inspect my nearly perfect cuticles as he comes closer. When the wheelchair stops moving, I’m forced to lift my head to see Kohen kneeling in front of me.

  He hands me a card. “My personal number is on the back. When you feel up for it, I would love to take you out.” Without waiting for a response, he kisses my hand and then he’s gone.

  My face flushes beet red. That was hands-down the most mortifying thing to happen since we arrived at the hospital. I can’t believe he just asked me out in front of everyone. I turn slightly to see Jax rubbing his clean-shaven chin in thought. Not the envious reaction I was hoping for. Logan helps me into his suit jacket before we leave the hospital.

  When we reach the parking lot, I wrinkle my nose as we pass a couple leaning against the back of their car, smoking. I hate the smell of cigarettes. I turn my head and see Jax glaring at them. Of course he would have a reaction to them and not to Kohen asking me out. We’re nothing to each other anymore. I’m just his best friend’s little sister.

  I start to drift off before Logan drives out of the parking lot. I’m vaguely aware of Jax stirring in the middle seat. He leans my head on his shoulder and starts to draw patterns onto my arm. With the rhythmic movements of the car and the calm feeling Jax brings me, I’m asleep within seconds.

  I have a momentary panic attack when I feel someone wrap their arms around me, but once the feel of Jax’s body against mine sinks in, I relax and snuggle as close to him as possible. All too soon we’re in my apartment and Jax carries me into my bedroom. I’m acutely aware of Logan watching us as Jax tucks me in. Once Jax ensures that I’m comfortable, not that he asked me, he promptly exits my room, leaving Logan and me alone.

  “I have bad news, Addie.” Logan sits on the edge of my bed, careful to avoid my ankle. He runs a hand over his buzzed-cut brown hair. “Connor and I need to take the plane tonight for a meeting in San Francisco.”