Page 274 of Saving Her

“It’s all right.” I shoot him a forced smile. “I’m okay.”

I am.

Really.

I can handle this. I can face my parents.

I’ll walk right up to them and say hello. We’ll hug… and cry… and…

Oh, God. I can’t do this. I can’t see them without losing myself. Without releasing my thin grip on stability.

“Sir, you need to rest,” the nurse demands. “Sir, please.”

I blink out of my panic to see Luca flinging back the covers in an attempt to climb from the bed.

“Stop,” I beg. “Please. I can do this.”

It’s a lie.

I can’t do this. I don’t know how.

“I’m coming with you,” he growls.

“No. I should do this on my own.”

It’s another lie.

I need him. I’llalwaysneed him.

But there’s no escaping this reunion. And I owe it to my parents to have it take place in relative privacy.

“Trust me.” I give him a genuine smile. “It’s time.”

His hand clutches tight to the bedsheet, the intensity in his features never wavering. “You sure?”

I nod.

“I love you,” he vows. “And I’m right here if you need me.”

The swooping roll of my insides returns. “I love you, too. With everything I am, I love you.”

Sebastian clears his throat, the sound awkward as he rubs my arm. “You don’t have to do this now. As far as Mom and Dad are concerned, they’re here because I needed to see someone about this pulled muscle in my thigh.” He winks. “They’re not expecting you. They still don’t know.”

The chance of escape brings relief. Temporary, misguided relief.

I can’t put this off forever.

“I’m doing this.” I nod to convince myself. “Take me to them.”

My pulse beats erratically in my throat, the rhythm and severity increasing as Sebastian leads me from the room and into the hall.

The ward is quiet, the early morning hour making my surroundings desolate.

“Do they know what happened last night?” I ask.

“No. Once I left the party, Keira took them to their hotel. They’re just as clueless as they’ve ever been. But your car accident is starting to hit the news. I caught sight of a sketchy video on the television an hour ago.”

My legs grow heavy with each step, the building throb in my veins becoming too much.

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