“Where is she now?”
“Hospital.”
“Get me the first flight out then text me the hospital and room number.”
“Check your phone. I already texted you the information and your flight leaves in ninety minutes so get your ass going.”
“Flint?”
He chuckled. “We’ll hug it out later. For now… you’re welcome.”
My heart rodein my throat the entire way to L.A. Loving a woman the way I loved Lake was so fucking painful. She made me feeleverything.
A car waited for me at LAX; I didn’t expect anything less of Flint. The driver knew where to go without instruction. I didn’t wait for the vehicle to come to a complete stop before I hopped out and ran to the hospital entrance, then past the desk, ignoring the nurses telling me to stop and some bullshit about not being allowed down that hall that led to Lake.
324 … 325 … 326
With my heart pounding, I took a calming breath before opening the door to her room. A nurse stood next to her bed, tapping the screen of an iPad. She looked back at me andsmiled.
“Are you family?”
At least that’s what I think she said. I couldn’t think, so I just nodded. Lake opened her eyes, a slight grimace tugged at her red, swollen, blistered face.
“Monaghan,” she said with a gravelly voice.
“I’ll give you two some privacy. Get some rest and you’ll get to go home tomorrow.” The nurse smiled as she walked past me.
“Let me guess, you just happened to be in the neighborhood.”
I shook my head, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Not even close.”
“A shame. I could have used your assistance when I had the equivalent of an amputee blowing a tire. Only someone stole mine.”
“What kind of bottom-of-the-earth lowlife scum takes an amputee’s leg at the beach?”
She laughed, but it didn’t hide her grimace. “Exactly! Thaddeus is going to kill me. They’re probably holding it hostage and by morning I’ll receive a ransom notice.”
The humor fizzled and reality set in.
“Lake, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for what I said. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I’m sorry for everything.”
“Don’t.” She rested her hand on mine. “Don’t apologize for your feelings. You’re human.”
“Yes, humans have feelings, but inconsiderate bastards unleash them on the one person they love most, and that’s just messed up.”
She held her arms out in front of her; the surface of her red skin was bubbled with tiny blisters. “I fell asleep in the sunwith like SPF 2 on my skin, and I woke up a lobster missing a leg.That’smessed up.”
I leaned in until my lips hovered over hers. My hands itched to touch her, but I didn’t want to hurt her. “Lake,” I whispered. “Let me be sorry. Let me be scared that something so much worse could have happened to you today. Let me have all the emotions that come with loving you. Let me love you. Okay?”
“K,” she whispered.
I feathered my lips over hers.
“The sun,” she said.
I sat back.
“It felt so amazing. The sand. The ocean, just a few steps away from me. I really struggled with my self-image right after my accident. I didn’t think I’d ever lie on a beach again.” She shook her head. “But I didn’t care what anyone thought of me or my leg stuck in the sand next to me. If there’s a God, I’m certain he never meant to take the ocean, the beach… the sun away from me. And sleep… God, it’s been so long since I woke up with drool down my face.”
