Navy Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Navy Blue: Chapter 15

Mary nattered away in Finn's. ""What do you think you were doing?"

Flames of anger pulsed against Finn's temples and the pounding in his head barely drowned the acid in her voice. Everything was too bright, too harsh. His fingers searched the walls, hunting for something stable, grounding. What he wanted was Emily back.

Mary stayed hot on his heels, hissing like a snake. "Why did you kiss my sister?"

Because I love her, Finn wanted to yell through the thickness coating his throat. "It's none of your—" A ringtone blasted through the hall like the alarm bells he'd jolted awake to in the crashing helicopter. The hospital hallway seemed to shrink down to the size of a cockpit and beads of sweat pebbled his skin.

"It is my business." Mary crossed her arms, shouting over the trumpeting sound. "Everything that happens in this family concerns me."

Finn fished his phone out of his pocket, desperate to abate the drilling noise. He twisted toward the blank hallway wall and pressed answer. Half because he wanted to hear what Campbell had to say, and half because he couldn't stand looking at Mary any longer. "Sitrep?"

"We're in the ER. They won't tell us anything." Campbell's calm voice didn't help to quell the drumroll in Finn's ears. "Where are you?"

"On the fifth floor." He glanced down the hall where Emily's little boy fussed in the arms of the pregnant woman he recognized from the restaurant. The urge to comfort the child seized him. Unable to hold Emily anymore, the boy was an extension of her he could console.

On the other end of the line, an elevator door dinged. "Is it bad?"

"The aunt is unconscious." The room spun a little, and Finn sank into a nearby chair. Images of Angela floating lifeless in the water bobbed behind his eyes. A numbness spread through his legs as his throat constricted and his chest ached at the lack of oxygen.

Get it together, he reprimanded himself.

In an attempt to calm himself, he implemented a breathing technique he usually employed on the battlefield. With intent, he reminded himself the bone-chilling ocean was miles away while forcing his lungs to expand. He was safe, on dry land, and the woman he loved was just in his arms.

Finn focused on the fresh memories made in the room across the hall, the warmth of Emily's embrace. Submerged into the reassuring sensation of her hand resting over his heart. Her fingers digging into the skin beneath his shirt. Her body tucking into its rightful place against his. Her lips attaching themselves to his.

The chill receded, and awareness returned to his limbs. He exhaled slowly. The grey linoleum floor of the hospital came into focus.

Mary's pink clad toe tapped on the ground on the edge of his vision. "We don't need you here anymore, sailor. You should leave."

Finn raised his palm to her and concentrated on filling in Campbell. "Em..." He cleared his dry throat. "Emily's in with the doctor now. And her father."

Mary waved a hand in front of his face. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Who's that?" Campbell asked.

Finn glared at Mary's beautiful face had morphed into a banshee, scowling at him like he'd eaten the last donut. "Emily's sister is here."

Campbell chuckled. "The devil wears pink, one?"

Finn grunted. "Affirmative."

For months, Campbell listened to Finn rehashing complaints over Mary's obvious distaste for his lower economic status and the trouble she caused back in Bridgetown.

Campbell's working theory was that her behaviour was a manifestation of jealousy over the fact Emily had caught Finn's eye, not her. Used to being the town bombshell and self-proclaimed queen of the small resort town, Mary had soaked up the attention lavished upon her by men young and old. But Finn couldn't have cared less. To him, there was no comparison between the Montgomery Sisters.

Emily outshone like a supernova beside a lit match.

Whatever her reason, Mary had the uncanny ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, as far as Finn was concerned. Always interrupting his precious time with Emily, finding reasons to keep her from him and, worse, letting him jump to conclusions.

The ice queen gave up on her tirade, and was staring at her phone, perched a few chairs down. Mary seemed intent on giving him the cold shoulder. Good. The less she had to do with him, the better. In fact, the less he had to do with all of this, the better. He needed to get out of this hospital, away from the painful memories of the past and the people he hadn't been fast enough to save, but Finn couldn't force himself to move.

Finn stared at the closed door, blocking him from Emily.

Emily was here, and she'd kissed him. He focused on the thought like land after a month at sea, driving out the painful images still making his heart pound.

He'd held her again. He'd kissed her again. His Emily.

He rotated his hand like they'd touched an angel. His fingers still tingled from the sensation of running them through the silky strands of Emily's hair. Finn pressed them against his lips, like he'd still be able to taste the essence of her.

Mary glanced up from her phone. "Don't think I haven't noticed you're still here."

Finn's shoulders locked and his teeth ground together. The plastic case of his phone squeaked with the pressure of his squeezing fingers. He rose and towered over her. "I don't care what you think. I never have."

Bright pink lips curled back in a snarl. "Whether you care or not, we don't want you here." Mary's chin jutted out. "This is a family situation. You're not family."

"What's happening here?" Finn realized Campbell's voice was no longer on the phone, but next to him.

So was Max. The younger man looked like he was having needles stabbed into his eyes. They'd all been in enough hospitals to last a lifetime. Finn had stood in a hallway like this trying to keep Max on his feet after the doctors pronounced Angela had succumbed to her injuries.

The bright lights, the antiseptic smell, the hushed whispers of the nurses pressed in on Finn and his chest burned again. "Let's go."

"About time." Mary's pleased expression turned Finn's stomach.

Campbell snagged his elbow. "Don't you want to... wait?"

Finn glanced at Lance, who had his arms around the other Montgomery sister. Over his shoulder, the baby boy's gigantic blue eyes stared at Finn, his lip wobbling and tears stained his cheeks.

"It's okay." Lance cooed to the baby. "They're not yelling at you."

Knots cinched in Finn's stomach. The argument with Mary upset Emily's child. His glance landed on Max, who was now sweating and looking like he might need a visit to emergency soon himself if they stayed any longer.

Emily's expression, full of regret before the hospital door had separated them, floated before Finn. "No. She's in excellent hands. She has her family."