Page 186 of Reckless Storm
Keeley laughs quietly but there’s a sadness to it. “I’m staying. You’re my friend, and Reed and Zane are part of the team so that makes them like family. I’m exactly where I need to be.”
Zane?Shit. I hadn’t even thought about him.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Keeley questions before I can ask about Zane.
“Ah… Oh… I don’t know. A little part of me wishes I was in denial.”
“That’s not healthy for either of you, but I’ll go along with anything you want. Take your time.”
“No, you’re right. It might be better to talk. I think I’m still processing what happened.”
“I’m happy to wait. I’m here to listen whenever you’re ready.”
My mind drifts back to last night, and a shiver runs through me.
With a racing heart, I rush to tell the operator what happened, giving her all the information I can while trying not to panic.
“I’ve dispatched the police and an ambulance,” she reassures me. “The ambulance is a couple of minutes away and—”
I stop listening and turn to Reed, grabbing his hand to fill him in. “An ambulance is coming. Just—” He flops forward and my heart stops as I drop the phone, a whimper escaping as I catch him in my arms, his dead weight forcing me to lower him to the ground.
A sharp pain registers in my arm but I push through it.
“Reed.” I shake him, but he doesn’t move. “Reed,” I cry out, louder this time, and my voice quivers. “Reed, baby. Wake up. Help is coming. You have to wake up. Reed!” I scream his name and grab his face, all rational thoughts leaving my mind. “Please. Please.”
Searching his body, I’m careful not to move him, when I notice the sheer amount of blood he’s lost and my body convulses as I sob uncontrollably. “Reed. I need you. You have to wake up.”
I’m not sure how much time passes before someone pulls me away, and I try to fight but the grip is too strong. “Let go of me,” I scream. “He needs me. Letgo.”
The grip on me tightens as I thrash against my captor, and on a deeper level, I know I should be scared, but I can’t bring myself to care. I just need to know Reed’s okay.
“The ambulance is here, Hayley. We need to move.” I vaguely recognise the voice and stop moving, my body going rigid. “I’ve got you. I’m here.”
“What did I do? He has to be okay. I can’t lose him.”
“You didn’tdoanything. This isn’t your fault. He’s in good hands.” I register the voice and my movements still.
Zane holds me as tears cascade down my cheeks, pooling in my mouth and I watch on in silence. But when the EMTs cut through Reed’s shirt, I cry out again. “Nooo. Please, Reed. Wake up.”
The world slows as they lift Reed onto a gurney with all sounds ceasing to exist other than the faint words of comfort coming from Zane. “Shhh. It’s okay. Shhh.”
One of the EMTs walks over but I don’t register what he’s saying, my mind still on Reed. Where it should be.You have to wake up. Please. You have to.
I lightly pat the bandage on my arm where the knife struck me, and when I focus on Keeley again, she’s wiping tears from her eyes. “Have you seen Zane?” I ask, needing to get out of my head.
“Not yet. The nurse that came in before said he was sleeping. He lost a lot of blood himself and—”
“He what?” I sit up straighter, my eyes flashing to the door.How did I not know that?“Is he okay?”
“He’s okay, Hayley. Are you?”
“I’m fine. Never better.” I fake a smile and Keeley frowns. Physically, I’m fine. My wound is barely a scratch. I was so focused on Reed that I didn’t even feel it at the time.
And I hate that.
How is that fair when the two people that came to my rescue are lucky to be alive?
“You’re far from fine.” Keeley cuts into my thoughts, grabbing my hand again for attention. “I’m going to let that one slide,” she says with a frown. “But you’re allowed to be hurting, Hayley. You—” I yawn and when Keeley sees it she cuts herself off. “You need to sleep. You’ve been through so much and you need to look after yourself.”
