For her.
“Only if she wants this too. She has to say it herself. And it has to come from her without any influence from you, Clay,” I warn him with a pointed look. “If she truly wants this, and it makes her happy… I am willing to try.” Clay’s grin spreads from ear to ear, and he starts to approach me, but I hold up a hand to stop him. “If you ever pressure her or hurt her, I swear, I’ll kick your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit for weeks. Got it?”
He moves quickly, brushes my hand aside, and pulls me into a tight hug. “I promise we’ll make her incredibly happy. We’ll give her all the joy she’s missed out on all these years.”
I hug him back fiercely, feeling tears well up. “Fuck, I missed you, asshole,” I whisper.
“I missed you more, dickhead.” Clay laughs out loud.
“Shh, my head hurts.” We release each other and turn to see Carolina holding her head, her face scrunched up in pain and blinking slowly. Her voice is so faint and raspy that I can barely make out her words. “What happened?”
She looks up at me with those golden eyes, and it’s suddenly easier to breathe again.
SEVEN
The room is too bright.
It feels like my head might explode and my mouth is full of cotton.
I glance around and see Sophia sitting beside me, smiling down at me. When I turn to the guys, Joshua quickly moves to my other side, bending down to kiss my forehead. His sudden move makes me flinch, causing a spike of pain. But as soon as his lips touch my skin, I find it easier to breathe, and the pain fades.
“I love you. I love you so fucking much,” he murmurs against my skin.
There’s a dampness against my skin, and when I look at him, tears stream down his face, even though he’s smiling. “Joshua,” I whisper, reaching out to touch his cheek, and he closes his eyes, a sob escaping him.
“No one will ever hurt you again,” he mutters. “I’d die before I let him hurt you again.”
Suddenly, what happened comes back to me in a rush, and the heart monitor beside me starts beeping faster.
“Kitten,” Clay’s soothing voice reaches me from the other side of my bed, and as I turn to look at him, the sight of darkcircles under his eyes, brimming with tears, tugs at my heart. “You’re safe. Breathe.”
I try, but panic surges through me, and my breathing becomes erratic.
I feel like I am still falling.
“I’m going to get a doctor,” Sophia declares, her voice filled with urgency as she hurries from the room.
Xander stands at the foot of my bed, gently holding my feet. I meet his gaze as he says, “Just breathe,” and slowly exhales.
I match my breathing to his rhythm, and gradually, my panic subsides. He gives my feet another reassuring squeeze once I’m breathing normally.
“How’s your head? What hurts?” Joshua asks, placing a hand on top of my head. The warmth emanating from his palm provides an extra layer of comfort as if his touch has the power to chase away the shadows of fear that just plagued me.
Just as I’m about to respond, Sophia returns, two people in scrubs in tow.
“Well, if this isn’t the Christmas miracle we’ve all been hoping for,” the doctor says, smiling warmly at me.
“Christmas?” I glance at Joshua in panic, and he nods in response.
I quickly scan the faces around the room, my heart racing once again.
“Chiara is with Leo. She’s fine,” Xander reassures in a deep voice.
I inhale deeply, exhaling slowly.
She’s okay.
“Miss Costa, I am Dr. Martinez," the doctor introduces herself, stepping to my side. “You certainly gave us quite a scare.” She shines a light into my eyes, prompting me to blink. “Follow my finger,” she instructs. “Good, your pupils are dilating quickly. How are you feeling? Do you know who you are?Recognize these people?” The doctor gestures to those around me.
