Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
She slides her hand out from beneath me, cupping the back of my head. Her fingers slide through the hair at the nape of my neck. “You can’t keep things from me, though. I shouldn’t find out your secrets from a reporter.”
“I know. I swear, I was going to tell you that night. But you were asleep, so I figured it could wait until I got home. Had I known…” I swallow hard. “I should have told you.”
“Yeah, you should have,” she says quietly, and then she sighs. “You and Micah have to work things out, Archer. I won’t have the two of you fighting because of me. That’s the one thing I never wanted.”
That’s a promise that’s easy to make. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to fix shit with Micah,” I murmur. “Anything except leave you.”
For once…I don’t think he’ll ask for that, though. I think he knows that I’m not going anywhere. Christ, after the last three hours, I think everyone knows exactly how I feel about his little sister. My heart beats for her. My world works because of her. She is my purpose. That won’t ever change.
Chapter Fourteen
Wren
By the time I’m wheeled into my room and my nurse has me settled in, I’m so exhausted I can’t think straight. My head pounds like someone is in there playing a dang concert. My entire body hurts. But I’m not ready to sleep yet. I need to see Micah first.
“Can my brother come and see me?” I ask my nurse, Felicity. I want Archer back in here too, but I think I should talk to Micah alone, first. I’m not ready to hear them fighting again.
My heart nearly stopped when I pulled up at the hotel and saw Micah hit Archer. I wanted to cry. Remembering what they said isn’t as easy. It feels like pulling up events from a long time ago versus a few hours ago. But I clearly remember that I wanted to hop right back in the cab and leave.
“Yep.” Felicity smiles at me. “Which one of the hunks in the waiting room is he? I’ll send someone to get him.”
“Brown eyes, glasses.” I sigh. “Probably cranky.”
She chuckles softly as she double checks my IV bag. “Older brothers are always cranky, honey. I’ll go get him.”
“Thanks.” I grimace, shifting around.
“You need more pain medication?”
“Not yet.” I’d rather be lucid for this conversation, and I already feel like I’m thinking through a thick cloud of fog. I hesitate. “Can I have it after I’m finished talking to him?”
“That bad, huh?”
I’m not sure if she’s talking about the pain or Micah, so I just nod.
“I’ll send him right in,” she promises, gently squeezing my arm before she leaves the room.
I smooth the blankets over my lap, praying he’s calmed down a little. Archer said that they were okay, but I’m not convinced. I know Micah too well. He’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met in my life. And, for some reason, he refuses to let go of the past and let me grow up. He’s too busy blaming himself to realize that he was never at fault to begin with.
I wasn’t out on that pond just because of him. I was out there because I’m stubborn too. Because I hated my school. My classmates didn’t like me much, so I had no friends. I just wanted to go back to the way things were when life was easy, and our parents were happy. I was convinced Micah coming home would fix everything. That wasn’t his fault. I was just a dumb kid doing desperate, dumb kid things.
Micah taps on the door, and my heart gets lodged in my throat. Worry carves lines around his eyes and mouth. He’s as pale as Archer was, his eyes brimming with anxiety.
“Hey,” he rasps, stepping into my room. He sounds…nervous. Like he’s afraid I’m going to yell at him or tell him to get lost. The big idiot. Even when he’s infuriating, he’s still my brother. He’s still my hero.
“Bet you didn’t think we’d ever be here again, did you?” I ask, giving him a tiny smile. It wobbles on my face. “At least I’m awake this time.”
“Don’t even joke like that, Wren,” he rasps, his whole body trembling as he stomps across my room. “Jesus. I thought we were going to lose you again.”
“I’m okay,” I promise, reaching out for his hand.
He grabs mine gently, clinging like I’m a lifeline. His shoulders shake as he drops into the chair beside the bed, his eyes locked on my face. “I’m sorry,” he groans. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Micah,” I say softly, shaking my head. “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t Archer’s fault, either. I was standing in the middle of a driveway, not paying attention.”
“The fucking driver wasn’t paying attention,” he growls, anger burning in his gaze. “He could have–”