“He’s good, honey. He’s staying with Reed and Callie right now. I just talked to him a little bit ago.”
“Okay,” she says, her eyes drifting shut again, going back out almost instantly. My heart flips in my chest. She needed to know our son was okay. As sick as she is, she managed to do that. I’ve always known Katie had more love inside of her than anyone I’d ever met.
It’s good that my son gets to experience that. I’m more than a little jealous.
That love used to belong to me, too…
CHAPTER 24
Katie
I feel like I’m submerged in water and trying to fight my way to the top. My body feels heavy, too. It seems like an impossible task to even move my hands.
“It’s okay, sunshine. I’m here. You’re safe.”
The words sound muffled, but I instantly know that it is Jake. I frown.
Why is he here?
That question only brings more panic because I’m not sure where here is.
“Jake?” I ask, blinking and struggling to keep my eyes open. The light seems abnormally bright, and I immediately shut them tight again.
“I’m right here, Katie. Right here,” he says, and I feel him squeezing my hand. He did that before. I remember waking up to ask about Lennon and he was there then. I don’t understand why he’s here.
Or why I am.
“Bright,” I squeak. My throat feels completely raw.
“Shit. Hold on, let me turn the overhead light off,” he grumbles.
My eyes are closed, but I can tell it’s darker, so I try again. It’s like I have to fight my body to make anything move—including my eyelids. I manage to do it and the first person I see is Jake. He has the beginnings of a beard, and he looks as unkempt as I’ve seen him in years.
“Are you okay?” I ask, trying to let my brain catch up to what is going on.
I look down to see an IV in my hand and then I hear the beeping of machines.
“That’s my line, honey,” he says, a smile tugging on his lips.
“I’m in the hospital,” I respond, more to myself than to him.
“Yeah. There was an accident. Do you remember anything?”
“I… I was taking Mom to her appointment. There was a vehicle and it passed us flying. Traffic was stopped and it couldn’t stop. Jake! How’s Mom? The car was heading right for her.”
The longer I talk, the harder it is for the words to come out—so much so that the last few words are barely more than a whisper.
“She was discharged today. Mom took her home. She’s fine because somebody tried to sacrifice herself to make sure Hazel was safe. What am I going to do with you, Katie?”
His question makes me nervous, and I don’t really know how to respond to it—which means I ignore it. “Why are you here?”
“I’m not leaving you. You almost died, Katie. What were you thinking? What would we do without you?”
“Don’t pretend you care, Jake. We’re strangers these days.”
“We have issues, but I hope like hell you know me better than that, Katie. I’ve always cared about you, honey.” His hand moves along the side of my neck and cheek in a caress that can only be described as loving. I’m starting to think I’ve fallen into an alternate universe. I don’t know what to do with a Jake who is being sweet to me.
“Jake—”