It wasn’tenough.
I fell back onto the ground as a sense of helplessness flooded me. I wouldn’t cry. Icouldn’t. Bruno needed me to keep a clearhead.
For maybe the first time since my breakup with Neal, I felt truly alone. Maybe bad friends and a worse boyfriend were better than nothing atall.
My phone buzzed with a text message from Sebastian. I grabbed it to call him just as Bruno stirred, woke up, and began tosquirm.
“Shh,” I said, latching on his leash a second before he jumped off the couch and stumbled toward the door. I didn’t even have time to feel relieved; I kicked the magazines aside on our way out so the door would close as I steered Bruno toward theelevator.
Once we’d boarded, I kneeled to face him. His eyes held either fear, confusion, or both. The lack of recognition made a lump form in my throat. In the strongest, clearest voice I could manage, I said, “Good boy, Bruno.” I touched his warm forehead and swallowed painfully. I wanted to curl into a ball on the ground. To be at the vet five minutes ago. To break down, when I couldn’t even afford to fracture. “Good boy,” I repeated. “I’mhere.”
I could get us to the hospital with my eyes closed, but fortunately I wouldn’t need to. When the doors opened, I sprinted for thecab.
It turned out life was full of thin lines. They formed tenuous tightropes between loving and hating, mating and dating . . . life and death. One misstep, one nudge, could knock you from one side to the other before you realized it. Before you wereready.
Iwokeup curled onto a cushioned seat with my face smashed against a muscular, denim-clad thigh. My eyes focused on a vending machine as stale coffee perfumed the room. Holy shit. I’d fallen asleep at thevet? I shot upright and cursed when I banged the top of myhead.
“Oww, G!” I recognized Luciano’s voice. “What thehell?”
I covered the welt forming and blinked sleep from my vision. “Lu? What are you doinghere?”
“You texted me to come.” He rubbed his jaw with one hand. “I found you sleeping all contorted on the chair with your pencil skirt halfway up yourthighs.”
“Oh my god.” I yanked it down and threw my face in my hands. “Bruno.”
“He’ll be all right,” Luciano said in an uncharacteristically gentle voice. “He has tobe.”
I rubbed my eyes. “What time isit?”
“Almost eleven. You weren’t outlong.”
“I can’t believe I fell asleep. I had such a long day. What if something hadhappened?”
“They would’ve woken you. Don’t beat yourself up. Bruno will need you when he’s released, so you should restnow.”
I pinched the corners of my eyes until a wave of tears subsided. I hadn’t let myself cry yet. Not with an audience. Not without news. Not when I needed to be strong for Bruno. “I can’t believe this. I thought it was a seizure, but Doctor Rimmel said it’s more likely that he fainted. Something about his heart restricting blood flow to his brain.” I nearly choked on the words. “He’s never faintedbefore.”
“You’re prepared for this,Georgina.”
I’d frozen up. All Bruno’s life I’d known he could go into crisis, and yet I’d almost messed up. What if the seconds I’d sat there staring had been the difference between saving or losing the brightest light in mylife?
“You should’ve seen his eyes,” I said, shuddering. “He looked soscared.”
“I doubt that. I’ll bet with you there, he felt nothing but safe.” Luciano put an arm around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head. “Remember that time I showed up on Halloween in a Freddy Krueger mask and Bruno nearly mauledme?”
I hiccupped, halfway between a sob and a laugh. “I wouldn’t have blamed him. You werehideous.”
“Or how about when he cost me theWii Tennischampionship?”
I nodded against him. Luciano and I had gotten so worked up during the final moments of the last game of our set that Bruno had jumped on Luciano and knocked the controller out of his hands. It was the only time I’d won. “It’s just like you to blame a poor, innocentdog.”
“Right.” He snorted. “Try poor, innocentbeast.”
I looked at a clock on the wall across from us. “It’s getting late. I wish they’d just tell us what’s goingon.”
“Why was it such a long day?” Luasked.
He was trying his best to distract me, so I let him, considering the alternative was worrying myself to death. “Where do I start?” I said, sighing. “I slept withSebastian.”
