Quin rushes to my side, his arms around me, trying to hold me back. “Emery, please! Breathe! Please, breathe! You need to sit down. You need?—”
“Let go of me!” I scream into the void, struggling against his hold as every doctor and nurse ignores my pleas for an explanation, a confirmation. Anything. “What happened?! Tell me what happened to him!”
Then I hear a quiet voice behind me. “He pulled a family of five out of a burning car. The car… It blew up.”
I whip around, my jaw setting as sorrow morphs into fiery anger. It’s her. Same eyes. Name nose. Same dark curly hair. My blood boils, and I yank away from Quin’s grip, marching toward her, furious.
Before she can react, I slap her across the face.
“How dare you!” I shout, her dog baring his teeth and growling at me. “How dare you show your face here.”
She stumbles back, her hand flying to her cheek.
Quin pulls me back, his grip firm but gentle as I try and lunge at the woman. “Emery, stop! Please! This isn’t good for you,” he says. “You need to breathe. Calm down, darling.”
Tears stream down my face, my chest heaving with sobs. Calm down? Calm down?! How the hell am I supposed to calm down when the man I love is on the brink of death, and his new fucking plaything is standing in front of me?!
The woman blinks at me, rubbing the reddening mark I left across her skin.
“I told him you’d hit me,” she mutters to herself, then has the audacity to speak to me. “You must be Emery.” Her gaze flicks briefly to Quin. “And you’re Quin.” My eyes widen as she holds out her hand. “I’m Sage. Damon’s friend. We met in art class.” My molars nearly disintegrate as I clench my jaw. Sage quickly adds, “I’m not sleeping with him. I promise.”
I glare at her. “Why should I believe you?”
“Emery…” Quin places an anchoring hand on the small of my back, and his calming energy slowly loosens my tight muscles. “Why don’t we give her a chance to explain, hmm?”
“Fine.” I cross my arms, peering down atSage, cold and unforgiving. “Explain. Why are you here? What do you mean Damon saved a family? Where? How? When? Talk.”
Sage swallows, petting the top of her dog's head. “You’re much scarier than I anticipated.” She glances up at Quin, who nods. His cool demeanor only irks me more. “Damon was driving me to my grandparents’ house when we saw the accident. My partner is out of town for a couple of months, and I don’t have a car, so Damon offered to drive me.”
My eyes harden. “Heofferedto drive you?”
She nods. “Yes. Like I said. We’re friends.” Sage looks down at her dog. “He plays fetch with us in the park sometimes. Not recently because of the whole…” Her gaze darts between Quin and me. “Well, the whole…break up situation.”
My face pales. “He told you about us?”
Before Sage can respond, Quin loops his armaround my waist and whispers, “I think we should all sit down, darling. You’re still weak. We need to sit.”
Sage frowns, giving my hospital gown a careful once-over. “Are you okay? Did something happen?” She gasps. “Is the baby okay?”
How the fuck does she know so much? As I open my mouth to spit out a slew of bitter comments, Quin's grip on me tightens, his gaze icy cold, no longer understanding.
“If you don’t sit down in the next ten seconds, I will carry you like a child.” He nods to the bed. “Now sit.”
Sage’s gaze drifts off down the hall as she chews on her lip, pretending to ignore the tension between us. I begrudgingly trudge back to the bed, glaring at Quin and Sage as they follow.
“There,” I say, perching on the edge of the mattress. “I’m sitting.” I look up at Sage, who shifts her weight uncomfortably between both legs. “Talk.”
She looks sheepishly at her feet. “I told him to tell you guys about me. I don’t know why he didn’t. Well, that’s not true. Maybe I do.” She musters the courage to look at me. “My mom died a few months ago from cancer. We, uh, I guess we bonded over that. Over our loss. He umm, he’s not…” Her voice cracks, tears welling in her eyes. “He’s not doing well. I-I tried to help him. I tried but he’s?—”
“Stubborn,” Quin chimes in, posture tight. “Yes, we’re aware.” He studies her warily. “You’re not sleeping with him?”
My gut twists.
Sage shakes her head, sighing. “No. He made thatup. When you saw me at his place, we were getting ready to go to dinner.” She glances at me. “Justdinner. I never slept with Damon. I promise.”
A twinge of relief washes over me.
“If you’re not fucking him, then why the hell would he keep your friendship a secret?” I ask, remnants of rage sticking to my tongue. “I don’t understand.”
