Before long, her jerky movements stopped. The creases on her forehead smoothed, and her entire body relaxed.
The cycle repeated itself several times throughout the night. At one point, it got so bad that the nurse had to inject a stronger sedative into Olivia’s IV, and the doctor had to re-stitch the wound on her arm. She’d busted it open while trying to escape whatever hell she’d been trapped in.
The next thing Jake knew, a large hand was on his shoulder and a sliver of morning sun was peeking through the curtains. Through eyes that felt like sandpaper, he looked up and saw Trevor standing next to him.
“Sorry to wake you, but I thought you might want something to eat.” He held up a fast-food bag with one hand, a large coffee in the other.
Jake ran a hand over his face and sat up from his slouched position. “Thanks,” he said, reaching for the coffee. “I’m not hungry, but I’ll take this.”
Trevor sat the paper sack down onto the portable tray nearby, and pulled another chair closer. Sitting next to Jake, he looked at Olivia for a while and then, “So, how is she?”
“Doc says physically, she’s going to be fine. But the other...” Jake trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t know, man. A person can only take so much, you know? She had nightmares all night. Never really woke up, but I know she was reliving everything. The doctors had to give her something stronger. She’s just so—”
“Tough,” Trevor finished for him. “If anyone can make it past all this, it’s her.”
Without taking his eyes off her, Jake agreed. “She’s as tough as they come.” Which reminded him—
“Where’s the video?”
Trevor suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Uh...what video?”
“There was a camera in the barn. The bastard recorded everything he did to her. I want to see it.”
Trevor’s eyes flickered slightly and shrugged. “Asshole must have forgotten to hit record.
Jake’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “So, there’snothing?”
Trevor shook his head. “Even if there was, you wouldn’t want to see that, Jake. Trust me. It’s bad enough remembering the way we found her. The other...you can’t un-see that shit, man. That crazy bastard is dead, and Olivia’s safe.Trulysafe. No sense in looking backward.”
Trevor’s gaze slid to Olivia’s sleeping form and back to Jake’s. A sadness was there when he spoke. “You’ve got a shot at something really good here, Jake. Don’t dwell on the past. It’s a waste of time and won’t change what happened.”
Jake studied his friend for a moment. “We still talking about Olivia?”
Trevor shrugged one shoulder and broke eye contact. “I just know blaming yourself for something you can’t change won’t do you or her any good.” He looked back at Jake and gave him a sly smile. “And I don’t want to see your dumb ass ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
Jake grinned for the first time in days. It felt odd...almost unfamiliar.
His mouth fell as quickly as it had risen. Studying Olivia again, he asked, “How do you know I haven’t already?”
“When I was at her house, before, she promised she’d talk with you. That she’d listen and really try to understand everything. I believed her.”
Jake’s thumb absentmindedly caressed the top of her hand, to the side of where the IV was placed. “Doesn’t mean she’ll be able to forgive me for lying about Mike. Or that she won’t blame me for this.”
“You underestimate her, Jake. Sure, she was upset, but I saw the way she looked at you before that chopper came. Olivia still loves you. She’s not going to blame you for what happened.”
Jake closed his eyes and found himself back in that helicopter.
Jake?
I’m right here, baby.
L-love...y-you.
“Although, I do predict a massive amount of groveling in your future.”
Jake did smile at that. “She’s worth it.”
He’d give her any damn thing she wanted, if it meant they could be together again.
