I close the door, lean back against it with a soft thud, and exhale.
I’m addicted to Ethan Hawthorne.
And I’m not even sorry about it.
A smile pulls at my lips.
CHAPTER 20
Ethan
Jude is driving me to the hospital, Asher still hasn’t woken up.
“So you and Summer?” Jude asks, never one to use many words.
“Yeah,” I smile, a little of the sadness I feel for Asher washing away.
“Good woman, good kid.” Jude nods, and that’s that.
“They are,” I say.“I always laughed at Dad, saying Hawthorne men fall hard, deep, and fast when they meet their one… damn if he wasn’t right.” I shake my head.
“Don’t think I’ll have to worry about that,” Jude murmurs.
“You never know, little bro. You might run into someone that brings your walls down in two seconds, just like Summer did to me.” I clap him on the shoulder.“Don’t you want that?” I ask, curious.
“No.” He says simply.
“Why?” I ask as he parks the car, turns off the ignition, then just stares out the front window.
“don’t want it. I like my privacy, my horses, my land. Don’t need anything else.” He shrugs, opens his door, and gets out.
I think of Summer and how she added to my life; she didn’t take away, she completed. Thinking about Jude never having that makes me sad, and I really hope someone will knock him on his ass just as Summer knocked me on mine.
I follow him into the hospital.
“Room?” Jude asks.
“104,” We take the stairs to the second story. I’ve been here every day, someone always taking me to see my best friend.
I open the hospital door and find Grace there, sitting next to Asher while Asher’s mom is on his other side.
“Grace, I thought you were with Caleb?” I ask as I greet Silvia, Asher’s mom.
“I wanted to try the music theory” Grace whispers. I look at Asher and notice the headphones on his head. She’s known him since she was born; of course she cares. Grace is like that, the biggest heart of us all.
“Music theory?” I ask, confused.
“I read an article that said music can help people in a coma find their way back.” Grace looks at Asher. I nod.
“Ethan, you look good.” Silvia has tears in her eyes.“They told me you got him out from under that tree, hurt your arm in the process. Thank you.” She gets up and hugs me, her fingers lingering gently.
I swallow the lump in my throat.“I wish I saw that tree sooner. I was so concentrated on getting the victims out that I didn’t check it…”
“You threw yourself under a burning, falling tree for him. You probably saved his life. Please don’t let the‘what ifs’haunt you.” She cups my cheek and I nod.
The doctor walks in, clipboard in hand, eyes tired but kind. He moves to the foot of the bed, scanning the monitors.
“It’s been four days since the accident,” he begins.“Vitals are stable, blood pressure steady, heart rate slightly elevated,oxygen levels normal. Swelling in the brain is reducing, which is good. He remains unresponsive, but that’s not unusual. Recovery can be gradual. Keep stimulating him, voices, music, familiar touch. That’s important.”
