Finally, the hospital comes into view. Quin pulls up to the emergency entrance, tires screeching as he comes to a halt. He climbs out of the car, rushing to my side and carefully lifting me out.
“Help! We need help!”
Nurses and doctors swarm around us as I get placed on a stretcher. I catch fragments of their conversations—words like emergency, pain, and pregnant. It’s all happening so fast, too fast for me to process.
Quin stays by my side, holding my hand as they rush me through the sliding doors. “You’re going to be okay, Em,” he repeats over and over again. “You and the baby are going to be okay.”
Tears stream down my face as I cling to his words, praying that they’re true. The vision of our perfect future lingers in my mind. Perfect. It could’ve been so fucking perfect.
As they wheel me into the emergency room, I squeeze Quin’s hand one last time.
“Call Damon.Call him.”
Nothing is ever perfect.
It’s an illusion.
THE PROPHECY
DAMON
“He better not scratch theleather, Sage.” I curl my fingers around the steering wheel as I stare into the rearview mirror, glaring at Bones. “And look, he’s shedding everywhere. You told me he doesn’t shed.”
Sage rolls her eyes. “If you’re going to bitch and whine the entire drive just drop us off here and we’ll take a cab.”
“I am notbitching.” I cast her a scowl. “I am stating concerns and facts.”
“Yeah?” She lifts a brow. “Should I start stating facts too?” She cocks her head, gaze flitting around my face. “Nice black eye, Damon.”
My muscles clam up as we hit traffic. “We’re not talking about it.”
“Well, we’ve barely left the city, and we’ve got aways to go before we hit Jersey. We’re going to have to talk about something.” Sage unwraps a pastry bag and removes a flaky croissant. She takes a bite, keeping her defiant eyes glued to mine. My lip twitches as crumbs rain down on her lap and floor. “Mmm…delicious.”
My jaw tenses. “I thought I made it clear that I don’t allow food in my vehicle.”
“You have too many rules, Damon.” She takes another bite, ignoring me. “No food in my car, no dogs in my car, no talking about Emery. No talking about Quin. No talking about the fact I used you?—”
“I didn’t use you.” I regret chiming in as soon as the words come out.
Sage whips her head at me. “You didn’tuseme?” She snorts. “Seriously? Then what would you call that, hmm? You could’ve introduced me as your friend, Damon, which is what I am, but instead, you made me out to be…a whore, quite frankly.”
I swallow. “I didn’t plan on?—”
“No, you didn’t. Because you don’t plan, Damon. You make stupid rash decisions on a whim, and then complain that things don’t go your way.” Sage crosses her arms. “I don’t understand why you had to go and make things worse. You left them, wasn’t that enough? Why did you have to lie about the reason?”
Guilt settles on my shoulders. “Because she’ll hate me now.”
Sage blinks. “And you want that? You want Emery to hate you?”
“Yes.”
Sage throws her head back and sighs. “Jeez, you’re so messed up, kid.”
I glower at her. “Don’t call me kid.”
“Why not? Isn’t what you did rather adolescent? Childish?”
I draw up my guard. I wanted her to be honest with me, but now that she’s unfiltered, I much prefer the artificial understanding.
