Page 143 of Warrior

His gaze moves past me. “I wasn’t expecting… that person. The nurse said family was on their way, and now you’re here?”

“Yeah, well?—”

“Did you drive Elora?”

I stop. “What?”

“Elora,” he repeats. He cranes to the side, as if expecting someone else. “Did you drive her here? I imagine she might be a mess, hearing I was in the hospital… I didn’t want her to worry. I told them to tell her I was fine.”

I don’t think my lungs are working properly. “You told the nurses to tell Nyx…?”

He eyes me. “Were you training at Olympus together? Is that why you came, too?”

He thinks she’s alive.

He thinks she’s going to walk into this hospital room.

My stomach heaves, and I swallow my nausea.

This cannot be real life.

“Saint,” I say faintly. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Why?”

“Just—”

He freezes. The blood drains from his face.

Okay. Okay, it was just a momentary thing. Confusion due to the concussion. I step forward, ready to comfort him about his lapse, but he just grips the blankets pooled at his waist. He shakes his head once, eyes wide, then grimaces.

“Please tell me she wasn’t in the car with me, Artemis.” His voice is hoarse. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her. God, I don’t even remember getting in the car, or the accident. Is she okay?”

Is she okay?

Well, she’s not suffering. Not like me.

He’s actively pulling my heart out.

He doesn’t know she’s dead.

His gaze slides past me again. “Did you sneak in here? Or lie about being family?”

“No.Saint.” My eyes burn.

“You and her just fought at Olympus the other night. She kicked your ass and made some comment about a girl in a flower mask shaking things up for the guys.” He seems oblivious to my growing horror. “We went home. Fucking hell, Artemis, how much time did I lose? A day?”

“Two years,” I breathe.

Give or take.

He stills.

I can’t fucking move, either. We’re locked in a stare, and I just wish he could read my mind and get with the program.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he demands. “Is this some sick joke?”

How the fuck do I do this?

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