“I’ll give you some privacy,” Dr. Sterling offered, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.
I moved toward the bed on trembling legs, lowering myself into the chair beside him and grabbing his hand.
I brought it up to my mouth and pressed a soft kiss to his skin as I watched his chest rise and fall.
For the first time since I walked into that chapel and saw him restrained and gagged, I finally allowed myself to breathe.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Henry
An aching sensation crept over me, dull at first. Like my body didn’t belong to me.
Then it grew stronger and stronger as it traveled through me.
A sharp pain in my abdomen.
Dryness coating my throat.
A steady beeping nearby.
I tried to open my eyes, but even that required a Herculean effort, a bright light making it impossible to discern anything other than muted shadows.
For several long moments, I had no idea where I was or how I got here.
Or why my body felt like it had been split open and stitched back together.
Then snippets of memory flashed before my eyes.
The chapel.
Ariana stabbing Josiah.
The gunshot.
Abigail pointing a pistol at me.
Ariana sobbing as she knelt beside me.
After that, there was nothing.
I forced my eyes wider, doing my best to focus through the fog clouding my brain. Little by little, the room came into view. Not completely. But enough for me to make out a figure nearby.
Ariana sat curled in the chair near a window, her legs tucked beneath her, a book in her hands. Sunlight spilled across her frame in soft golden streaks, illuminating the light waves of her hair, making her look like an angel. Her brow furrowed slightly as she read, completely absorbed in the pages.
And just like that, every ounce of panic inside me eased.
I could have watched this woman read for the rest of my life.
During those early days, I remember pretending to work while secretly watching her read instead.
The way her entire face transformed with every emotion. How her breathing quickened during tense scenes. How she’d sit straighter when she reached an exciting part, like she couldn’t physically contain her anticipation.
And then there were the emotional scenes…
Christ.
Those were my favorite.
