Internal injuries.
“Can I take her hand?”
The other paramedic gave me a sympathetic look. “Of course.”
I reached for Allegra. Her left hand was missing her wedding ring. I rubbed my thumb over the empty spot on her slender, small finger. She’d told me she loved me and I hadn’t said it back because I didn’t want to say it like that. I didn’t want to believe that it would be the last thing we ever said to each other.
But I should have told her.
If she didn’t wake up …
I took her hand in both of mine and bent over to press a kiss to her knuckles. Wet splashed her skin and I realized it was my tears.
I didn’t care.
Looking at her, I squeezed her hand and whispered, “You promised to come home. Please …” I bowed my head.Please come home.
Thirty-Eight
Allegra
The beeping woke me up.
My eyes felt heavy and gritty as the irritating sound pulled me out of unconsciousness. The brightness of the room hurt and I blinked rapidly, trying to focus.
The first people I saw were Aria and North, talking quietly as North held my sister and stroked her cheek. They were whispering too low to hear what they were saying.
I almost opened my mouth to ask them what the hell they were doing in our bedroom, when movement to the left brought my gaze swinging around. Dad? Mamma?
They were huddled on a tiny sofa, my mother asleep while my dad scrubbed tiredly at his face.
Where the hell?—
The crash over the hillside came rushing back.
“Allegra?”
I followed the voice, and found Jared reaching for me. He was pale with dark circles under his eyes, but I’d never seen him look so openly happy. Before I could speak, he was kissing me. Short, quick, hard kisses, first on my dry lips and then my cheeks and temple.
“Thank fuck,” he breathed, leaning his forehead against mine. “Thank fuck.”
“What happened?” I asked, my voice croaky and dry. The last thing I remembered was Walker and North helping Jared and me off that hillside.
I looked past my husband as the rest of my family crowded around my bed, touching my legs, my arms. Mamma pushed past everyone to scatter tear-soaked kisses across my cheek.
“Internal bleeding.” North seemed to be the only one composed enough to explain. Even so, I saw he was as pale-faced and exhausted as Aria. “You needed surgery.”
“I’ll get the doctor.” Aria squeezed my leg with a teary smile and then hurried from the room.
“I’m okay, though.” I looked at Jared. My beautiful husband. “You’re okay, right?”
“He’s got a few bruises, but he’s all right,” North assured me.
Jared nodded. “I’m okay now. You scared the hell out of me.”
“All of us!” Mamma threw up her hands. “You scared all of us. These roads here. So dangerous! No more driving them at night. No, no!”
“Oh my God,” I gasped, her words reminding me. “I wasn’t … it wasn’t my fault.” I reached for Jared, grabbing his hand, the movement making me wince. Okay. Body hurting. No more sudden movements.
