Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 102620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102620 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“Okay,” she gives in. “I’m just going to close my eyes, but don’t leave me.” She looks back at me.
“Not for a minute.” I smile at her as she closes her eyes, and I look at the paramedic. “That’s good, right? That she woke up.”
She smiles and nods as I sit with my back against the cold steel side and close my eyes. I open my eyes, and the paramedic hands me a blanket to cover myself up with. I wrap it around my shoulders and look down at her the whole time. We get to the hospital, and they take her out, and I follow, walking into the waiting room and seeing Lilah there with Emmett. Her face is white and streaked with tears when she looks around and finally sees me and rushes to me. “What happened?” she asks.
“You need to call her parents,” I tell her, and she nods.
“I already called them on the way here. They’re on their way. Is she going to be okay?” Lilah asks, putting her hand on her stomach.
“She’s going to be fine,” I assure her. “She has no choice.” I look over to see Carl standing there, looking at the door they just wheeled Fiona in.
I walk away from Lilah, who turns in Emmett’s arms, as I walk to him. “How is she?”
“She coded in the ambulance,” he says, his voice monotone. “If I see him, I’m going to kill him.” He looks over at me. “Have nothing to live for anyway.”
“You have your daughter to get to know,” I remind him, “and her mother to take care of.” He looks at me. “They’re worth it.”
Chapter 37
Sierra
I open my eyes and then shut them again for a second before I force myself to open them again. I look around and see I’m in a hospital room. The door is closed and a machine is working on the side. The IV in my arm pinches me as I see the chair next to my bed and Caleb sitting in it. His head is back, his eyes closed, and his hands folded on his chest. I lick my lips as I try to lift my arm, but the burning in my shoulder makes me hiss out.
Caleb’s eyes fly open, and he looks at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You’re up.” He sits up, and I close my eyes again.
“I need water,” I tell him, trying to swallow, but my mouth is so dry. He gets up and walks out of the room, and I rest my eyes until I hear the door open, and he walks back in. “Thank you,” I say, grabbing the plastic cup he is holding in his hand, but he continues to hold it, putting the straw in my mouth. The cold water hits my tongue right away, and I take a couple of sips. “That was good.”
He turns to put it on the brown hospital table before he sits on the bed beside me. “You scared the shit out of me,” he mutters, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “I was so fucking scared. Never do that to me again.”
“Okay,” I reply softly. “In my defense, I didn’t want to do it in the first place.”
He smiles. “You have been in and out all night.” I’m surprised by his words.
“What happened?” I ask, thinking back to when the memories start to get fuzzy.
“Before we get to all that, I have to go and get your parents”—he gets up from the bed—“and my parents.”
“Our parents are here?” I ask, shocked. “Like my parents and your parents?”
“Yes.” He nods. “The waiting room was busting with all our friends. All of them left when they found out you were going to be okay, except for our parents. It’s pretty great but a little bit too much.” His hands go by his head. “I’ll be right back.” He walks out of the room, and I can hear the rushing of footsteps when the door opens. My mother is the first one in, followed by my father.
“Oh my gosh,” she says, rushing to my side while my father follows her. “We were so scared.” My mother holds my face. “So fucking scared.” She uses the f-word and then gasps. “I didn’t mean to swear, but don’t fucking do that again.”
I try to smile at her as I look over at my father, who is holding my mother’s shoulders. “Your mother is happy you’re okay.” He tries to hide the tremble of his voice by clearing his throat. “I told her you were going to be okay, but she never listens to me.”
“Oh, hush”—my mother swats at him—“she was shot. I never thought that would ever come out of my mouth. I know someone who was shot.”
I look over at the side, seeing Caleb standing with his parents who I’ve met on FaceTime a couple of times. My heartbeat starts to pick up. “Um, hi.” I hold up my hand as much as I can, but it falls beside me. “Sorry, I would be more chipper, but getting shot is exhausting.”