Page 18 of Promise Me

“How do you feel?” he asks, grabbing his phone and typing as he talks to me.

“Fine. Shouldn’t you be at a game or something?”

“What?”

“Sadie!” My brother rushes into the room, takes my hand, and kisses my forehead. “Thank God you’re awake. Are you okay? How do you feel?”

“I’d feel better if I knew what was going on. What could have possibly happened to bring the Hudson Asher all the way back to Lovers? Won’t your supermodel girlfriend miss you if you’re away for too long?”

Hudson clucks his tongue as he watches me. “So, you’re absolutely fine is what you mean,” he snaps.

I glance between him and my brother.

“What happened?” I’m getting a weird vibe here, and I don’t like it.

“What happened was you fell and hit your head. I found you, called an ambulance, and ensured you were cared for before I left. Yet you still act like I’m the devil himself and will take any opportunity to knock me down.”

“Jesus, Hud, she’s in a fucking hospital bed,” Linc says with a scowl. “Can you not right now?”

“That’s it? I fell and hit my head,” I ask, ignoring Hudson's full comment.

Years later and we pick back up right where we left off.

Yay.

I was a fool to think we could be adults and actually be friends one day.

“Yeah, Sadie, but that was two days ago,” Linc adds.

“Two days ago?” I ask, this time with more panic as I try to sit up. “But Mom's funeral is this weekend. What day is it? Did I miss it?”

Linc lets go of my hand and backs up as if I just slapped him. His eyes widen as he slowly looks at Hudson, who looks as white as the sheets in this room.

“What? Did I miss it?” I ask again.

Tears prick at my eyes. I can’t miss my own mother's funeral.I can’t.

It’s enough that her illness took so many moments from us for years, yet now something else is going to take the very last one I will get.

“I can’t breathe,” I say quickly, touching my chest. “I can’t … I can’t ….”

Linc rushes out of the room, screaming for a doctor, while Hudson moves to grab my other hand and hold it to his chest.

“Breathe with me. In. Out. Feel my chest as it moves.”

My eyes lock onto his as his words sink in.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

Our gazes never break.

“That’s it. Good. Good. In. Out.”

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