Page 158 of Sweet Hate
That would have been it.
I’ve had close calls in the past, but nothing like this. We barely made it out before the fire swallowed it whole. My vision fades under a tidal wave of suffocating agony and still I force one foot forward, and the next after that.
I need to get home.
I need to get to Haven.
Beckett’s worried expression is the last thing I see before everything goes black for the last time.
53
HAVEN
It’s been ninety-six hours since my entire world shattered around me. Four days.
How has it only been that long? It seems like weeks.
Clasping Axel’s hand in mine, I stare at my man through tear filled eyes. His gorgeous face is hidden behind an oxygen mask. There’s a bandage around his head, hiding his beautiful hair.
The doctors kept him in a medically induced coma while they assessed the swelling on his brain. They don’t think it’s a problem, but they won’t tell me with any certainty if he’ll be okay when he wakes up. They just keep saying it’s too soon to know.
They removed the breathing tube yesterday, leaving him only with the mask, and are apparently adjusting his medication to see if he wakes up on his own today or tomorrow. Apparently, the fact that he can breathe on his own is a promising sign.
But he hasn’t moved since they brought him in.
Looking him over in the hope I can spot even so much as a finger twitch, my eyes snag on his bandaged chest. He broke multiple ribs when he fell through two floors. My guy must have been in so much pain.
I lookback at his unmoving bruised face, and sharp pain lances through my heart. I just want toscreamat him to wake up. I’d give anything to see him open those shiny blue eyes and smile up at me.
I rest my forehead on his hand, the warm skin almost fooling me into thinking he’s okay. That he’s here. But he isn’t. He doesn’t smell like himself. His signature leather and citrus scent is nowhere to be found amongst the hospital odors, the gag inducing food and overpowering disinfectants. This isn’t my Axel, and I hate it.
He could have died. I know his job is dangerous but seeing him like this is like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
Beckett had called Lucas because he didn’t have my number, and my world stopped when Lucas came bursting into the bakery to tell me.
“There’s been an accident—Axel…hospital.”
I’m sure there were other words in there, but that’s all I heard before I collapsed to the ground.
Those words will forever haunt me.
His mom, Grams, and our friends have been taking turns to be with me. Axel's crew stood vigil in the waiting room for hours on end before we sent them home, promising to call if anything changed.
Three of them stayed—Max, Beckett, and Cap are outside alongside Axel’s Mom, Grams, and Lucas.
I asked for some time alone with Axel, so his mom and grams have gone to pick up some food from the diner although I’m not hungry.
I tighten my grip on his hand.
“Axel, babe, please wake up. Please,pleasewake up.” My voice trembles as I grip his hand tighter, willing some part of him to feel me.
“I need you, Fireman.” The nickname catches in my throat.
“You aren’t just their hero, you’re mine, and we’ve only just found each other again, dammit.”
Leaning in, I press my forehead gently to his, wishing I could breathe in his comforting leather and citrus smell just for a second.
“You don’t get to be the one to leave me now. No fucking way.” Tears blur my vision, threatening to spill over.
