Page 52 of Wicked Promises
I release Caleb and go to her. She squeezes my fingers.
Nerves flutter through me, and I realize this is the moment. The one where we find out if Robert made it or not. If he’s alive or…
I take a deep breath. Breathing is important. How would it feel if one lung stopped working? If I started coughing blood?
I close my eyes for a heartbeat, and I replay blood spraying from Robert’s lips. The way he rubbed at his chest, like he couldn’t get enough air.
The car.
—What did you do?—
I don’t realize I’ve stopped moving until Caleb puts his hands on my shoulders, propelling me from behind.
“This is a fear we need to face,” he whispers in my ear. “But you’re not in this alone.”
I shake my head. “If he dies, I’ll never forgive myself.”
His lips touch the shell of my ear. “It isn’t you who holds the blame.”
No, he’s right.
It’s the freaking stalker.
The doctor is in the waiting room, Lenora already in front of her. I stand beside her, leaving Riley and Caleb behind. There’s another woman in the room, dressed in scrubs, who hangs back, too. I recognize her as Lenora’s doctor friend.
“He’s out of surgery,” the doctor says. “He’s in recovery right now, but we’re hopeful that everything looks good. He’s off the ventilator and should be waking up in a little while.”
“Can we see him?” Lenora asks.
“Yes. I’ll have a nurse come get you when he’s back in his room, although he’ll be quite groggy. We’re going to keep him here for observation for another few days.”
Lenora shakes her hand, and then the doctor leaves us.
I let out a long breath. “He’s going to be okay.”
“Sounds like it,” Lenora says. She smiles.
We’ve been full of hugs today. Hugs and sadness and panic and worry. Too much worry.
The exhaustion hits me like a ton of bricks to the face.
“Do you want to head home?” she whispers. “You’ve had a long day.”
“You’ve had a long week. I…” I can’t go without seeing him one more time. To confirm with my own eyes that he’s okay. “I’ll get a ride home with Caleb or Riley after we see him.”
She nods, stroking my hair. “You have an appointment to get these stitches removed soon.”
“Monday.” Thank goodness, because they’re driving me nuts. I try not to focus on it. On what it symbolizes.
How did I walk away with just a gash and some bumps and bruises, and Robert…
I cross the room and sit between Riley and Caleb. There are things I need to say to Riley… preferably without Caleb eavesdropping. So instead of speaking, I just let both of them take a hand, and I close my eyes.
“Wake up, baby.”
I groan. The first person I see is Riley. Her phone is in one hand, her lower lip sucked between her teeth. My hand is still caught in hers.
Caleb has my other one. But he also…