Where am I and what the fuck happened to me?
A blurred memory finds me—pushing Felix out of the firing line of a bullet and taking the hit myself. The agony.
I feel no pain now. Whatever drugs I’m on must be good. There’s a floaty warmth humming through my limbs. I blink several times, trying to clear my vision and make sense of my surroundings.
Scanning the room, I’m even more confused at the sight to my left. Felix is asleep on a couch.
Perhaps Iamdead. Or dreaming. There’s no way Felix is here with me.
Though asleep, he looks far from peaceful, with his brows pinched. He’s twisted in an unnatural angle, too big to fit on the couch.
The longer I stare at him, the more confused I become. Has he taken me back to The Scarlet Mirage? Why is he sleeping at my side, on a couch too small for him, instead of his own bed that can’t be far? He can’t be concerned about me, not when he’s spent years pushing me away.
If Felix really is here and I’m not dreaming, his presence has to be for Harper’s sake. He’s watching over me for her.
Panic consumes me at the thought of Harper. Where is she? Is she safe?
I try to speak but my throat is dry and scratches like sandpaper. The sensation has me coughing, spreading a dull ache through my abdomen that makes me wince.
Felix stirs, his eyelids fluttering open. For a moment, he looks disoriented, until his gaze locks with mine and he’s suddenly wide awake, sitting upright within a second.
He shakes with laughter, the sound somewhere between relief and disbelief. “Man, am I glad to see you awake. About fucking time. How are you feeling?”
I don’t know if it’s because of the drugs in my system, but with each second that passes, I’m more confused by Felix’s behavior. None of this encounter makes sense.
“I’m fine. Is Harper safe?” My voice is raspy,barely there.
“Of course. She’s been at your side constantly, only stepping away for food.”
Thank god. “How long was I out?”
“Two days. The longest two days of my life. You really scared me, bro. I can’t believe you jumped in front of that bullet.”
“There wasn’t even one moment of hesitation in me. I’d do it one hundred times.”
As soon as I speak the words, the door opens and Harper walks in, holding two glasses of water. Her eyes are puffy, like she hasn’t slept in days. The sight of her makes me smile. A sleepy, barely there smile. I’m looking at an angel. She’s so beautiful and precious and…safe. That’s all I care about.
The moment her eyes land on me, the glasses slip from her fingers and shatter on the ground. Her chin trembles and a sob escapes her. “Tyler… You’re awake.”
Before I can react, she’s at my side, clutching my hands and stroking my cheek. Her touch is warm and I can’t help but lean into it. My vision swims for a second, the edges blurring. I can’t tell if it’s emotion or the drugs.
“I thought I’d lost you for good. When I saw you on the ground… All that blood…”
“I’m not going anywhere, Harper,” I croak.
“I know. It’s you and me—” She stops herself from finishing our phrase. Her gaze flicks to Felix and she smiles. When she looks back at me, there’s so much love and happiness in her eyes. “It’s thethreeof us, always.”
My gaze narrows with confusion. I must be extremely high on painkillers. Nothing has made sense since waking, especially the way Felix and Harper areacting. This has to be all in my mind. A coping mechanism.
Harper kicks off her shoes and curls up to me on the bed, careful not to jostle my bandaged abdomen or the tubes attached to me. “Is this okay?” she whispers, her breath warm against the bare skin of my chest.
“More than okay,” I murmur.
What the fuck is going on?
She snuggles closer, her body soft and comfortingly familiar. I breathe her in, the sweet scent like coming home.
My muscles tense when Felix joins us on my right, reclining on the mattress with both hands behind his head as he gazes at the ceiling.
