Page 93 of Branded

“That sounds perfect to me,” I tell him.

“Good. Now, I’d better go tell that boyfriend of yours you’re awake. He’s been pacing the waiting room for hours.” He laughs as he exits the way he came.

I nearly sit straight up, and I think I would have if I were able. “What? Isaac is here?”

Olivia nods. “He was the one who called me. He and his station were the first on site, sweetie. He pulled you free.”

My bottom lip begins to tremble and wet, hot tears fill my eyes as I try to process it all.

“Is he okay?” I ask in a husky tone, my dry throat and impending cry making it even deeper.

“I’ll go get him and you can see for yourself.” She bends to kiss my forehead before leaving me alone for a few moments to prepare myself. The last time we spoke, it was in anger. I have so many things to say, so many things to take back.

I can hear the loud footfall, like someone is running down the hallway before it stops just outside my door… and pushes it open.

He’s backlit, of course, just like Dr. Wilder was, but that doesn’t last long.

He takes another step into the room so the small light shining from the bathroom reveals his face to me. He’s filthy, covered from head to toe in a thick layer of mud and dirt.

We are completely alone with a giant elephant in the room and a desperate need to just be near one another. It’s a living, breathing being: our feelings for one another. I was foolish to ever think for one second I’d ever be able to live without him.

“You saved my life,” I tell him simply.

“I would have given mine to make sure I did.”

I shake my head. “Don’t say things like that to me. I can’t even think about that.”

He takes another step closer. “Sawyer, you don’t seem to understand, I love you that much. Hell, maybe I didn’t even understand it until I saw you in that car. I would have laid down my life, done anything, to get you safely out of harm’s way.”

I purse my lips together as tears begin to fall. “I shouldn’t have left you. I should have just listened to you.”

“And I should have told you the truth from the moment I found out, but I didn’t. I don’t want to live with the weight of woulda, coulda, shoulda on my shoulders, and I don’t want you to either. I just... I love you Sawyer. It’s simple really. I love you.”

“Please come here. Please don’t stay so far away from me.” I reach for him with my uninjured arm.

“I don’t know where we stand, baby,” he says, as he sits down in the chair right by the bed and cups my face gently in his hand. “That’s why I stayed out there and let Olivia be here with you. I didn’t know if you’d even want to see me, but now that I have you within reach again, I’m not giving up. I’m here. I’m right here with you, and I’m not leaving until you tell me to, and if that’s what you still want, I’ll go. It’ll tear me into pieces, but I’ll go.”

I swallow the knot forming in my throat. “I was so angry at you. So angry and hurt that I was blind. All I knew was I felt so... embarrassed and confused. I felt like I had done something wrong to my brother by falling in love with you. I know that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s how I felt. For five years, I healed through letting my anger toward you—a person I didn’t know—build. Then you were placed in my path to teach me a lesson, I think. You see, you’re my hero. You were my hero then, that day in my house, and you were my hero tonight. You didn’t let my brother die. My brother’s choices killed him. Blaming you was easier than blaming him.”

He rests his hand on the side of the bed, hiding his face from me, but I can hear the sound of him crying, even if he doesn’t want me to.

“I saw that car and thought you were gone.”

“I could have never been gone. You wouldn’t have let that happen.” I touch his head. “Look at me.”

He lifts his head and uses his very dirty sleeve to wipe his face. “Don’t tell anyone I cried. Especially Caleb,” he tries to joke.

“Your secret is safe with me on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You kiss me and tell me you love me. As long as we have that, I think we can handle anything.”

Chapter 26

Isaac

It’sbeentwoweekssince I thought I lost her twice.

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