Isatin the emergency waiting room covered in blood—Kayden’s blood. I stared at the floor, watching my tears splash off the tile. “Ms. Romano?” a man said, pulling my attention away from the puddle on the floor.
“Yes.” I lifted my head.
“Mr. Michaels is in recovery. He was touch and go for a while. The bullet nicked some organs, but we were able to repair the damage and stop the bleeding. He’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days, but he should make a full recovery,” the man said as he patted me on the shoulder. Warmth spread across my body as my tears flowed heavier.
“Thank you, Doctor. When can I see him?” I asked with a shaky voice.
“Give him a while to wake up. A nurse will come and get you,” he replied.
I had no other words, only thoughts of Kayden.
I didn’t move. I cried—no, I sobbed. I didn’t know if they were tears of sadness or joy. Kayden survived Lisa’s attack. He didn’t leave me.
I entered his room slowly. He looked weak—he’d fought for his life. The machines beeped in a steady rhythm as I walked toward his bed. Butterflies filled my stomach as I stood over him, looking at his beautiful face. I kissed his forehead, trying to smell him, but his scent was missing, replaced by the antiseptic smell of a hospital. I sat down in the chair beside his bed and held his hand. Resting my cheek against his hand, I closed my eyes, exhaustion overtaking me.
I longed to feel his touch.
36
Kayden
The Beginning
Iopenedmy eyes to a yellow room, beeping machines filling my ears. I could feel Sophia’s face against my hand, and I turned my head to look at her. Her expression was peaceful after all she had been through. Everything was because of me. I could have lost her to Lisa, and my life would have been over, forever.
“Sophia…” I whispered, moving my fingers to rub against her cheek. Drool ran down the side of her face. That was my Sophia. I didn’t want to startle her. She sat up quickly as if in shock.
“Kayden, I love you,” she said. She kissed my forehead, my cheeks, and ended on my lips. “Shh. Don’t speak, just rest.” Tears ran down her cheeks.
“I love you too. Lie here with me, please,” I said. I needed to feel her in my arms. I wanted her to curl up against my side, her spot. I hadn’t slept a night without Sophia in over six months.
“I don’t know, Kayden. I don’t want to hurt you, baby,” she said, grimacing.
“Get up here. I need you.” I patted the bed next to me, not taking no for an answer.
She climbed on the bed carefully, kicking off her flip-flops, and they fell to the floor with a thud. I let her try to tangle her body around me, but she seemed so uncertain.
“Don’t worry about hurting me, just lie with me.” She finally stopped and rested her head against my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her head, inhaling her scent. She fell asleep within minutes. I lay there listening to her breathing, the soft snore escaping her lips. I stroked her arm, relishing the feel of her smooth skin.
Footsteps approaching the bed woke me. Two police officers entered my room, and for the first time in years, I wasn’t scared by their presence.
“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Michaels, but we need to get a statement from Ms. Romano,” the officer said.
“She’s sleeping. Can’t you come back another time?”
“No, sir. We need to get something on the record quickly from Ms. Romano.”
“I’ve already given you a statement of what happened. What more do you need?” I asked.
“We need to hear it from her. You weren’t home or alert for some of the events. We need her to fill in the blanks,” the officer replied.
“I’m awake,” she said in low, sleepy voice. “What can I do for you, officer?”
“We need you to tell us what happened on the night of May thirty-first,” he said to her.
She recounted the events—waking up to Lisa standing over our bed, the gun, trying to fight her off, and then the shooting. It was the first time I heard the full story. My heart hurt listening to everything she went through with Lisa. I wished I had gotten home sooner to save her. I squeezed her hand as she retold the story, and she gave me a fake smile. She made the officer aware of the history between the three of us. She wanted all the information to be out in the open.
Lisa had been placed under arrest for the attack on Sophia and my attempted murder.
