My heart stuttered, and the monitor’s rhythm faltered.
“Eva?” Dad’s voice sharpened with worry. “Should I call the nurse?”
“I’m fine,” I lied, fighting to steady my breathing. “How long was I out?”
“They brought you in yesterday afternoon.” He squeezed my hand. “You scared the hell out of me, sunshine.”
I’d do anything for you, sunshine,he’d said after my surgery. And he had.
My vision blurred as tears threatened. The monitor’s rhythm picked up again, matching the rising tide of panic in my chest. How much would this hospital stay cost? How could we possibly afford it?
A soft knock interrupted my spiraling thoughts. A tiny nurse bustled in, radiating quiet authority.
“I’m Nurse Reyes,” she said, leaning toward the monitors. Her eyes narrowed at the readings. “How’s your pain level?”
I opened my mouth to lie, but she cut me off with a sharp look. “Scale of one to ten, and don’t try to be brave about it.”
“Eight,” I admitted. Everything hurt, inside and out.
She nodded and reached for my IV. “Let’s do something about that.”
As warmth spread through my veins, I caught my father watching me with haunted eyes.
The medication pulled at me, but I fought to stay awake. I had to figure out how to fix this, had to find a way to protect my father. Had to?—
My purse buzzed. Shit, my phones.
Dad reached for it, but I snatched it first, ignoring the pain of the movement as I fished my phone out.
It shouldn’t have hurt so fucking much that Cole and Alek hadn’t texted me. I swiped messages away without reading them.
I slid my other phone out of my bag. No messages from Carter. I didn’t know whether to be terrified or relieved.
The monitor’s steady beep turned erratic.
“You should rest,” Dad said, his voice gentle. Too gentle. The same tone he’d used when he told me Mom wasn’t coming back. When he explained we had to sell the house. When he admitted the insurance hadn’t covered my second surgery.
“Eva!” Dad’s voice seemed to come from far away. “Breathe, sunshine. You need to breathe.”
My chest felt too tight, like someone had wrapped steel bands around my ribs and was slowly squeezing, and my vision narrowed into a tunnel.
“Blood pressure’s elevated,” Nurse Reyes murmured, checking monitors. “Heart rate unstable.” Her dark eyes fixed on my father. “Sir, I need you to step out for a moment.”
“No!” The word burst from me. “Please, Dad, don’t leave.”
“Please give me five minutes,” the nurse said, ushering my father out the door. The terrified look he gave me over his shoulder as he left me would haunt my dreams.
Nurse Reyes walked up to the side of my bed, her expression serious. “Eva, we will keep anyone out of this room if you need us to keep them out,” she said. “You’re safe here. I promise.”
My eyes shot to hers, and my heart thumped erratically. Itook a deep breath, and then another, calming myself, allowing myself to believe in the illusion of safety.
“I need to ask you some questions,” she said, “and I need you to remain calm while I do it, or I’m going to have to call in the doctor.”
Thud. Thud.What kinds of questions? Did she know about Jedediah Carter? Irrational panic filled me.
“Are you safe at home?” she asked, arresting my spiral.
What?
