Page 74 of Every Sunset
“Logan!” Max snapped. He sounded angry, which was so unlike him. “What the fuck is wrong with you? I get that you’re terrified about Madd, but we all are. Mom and I…we care about him too you know? You can’t just ignore my mom. Can’t you see how scared she is? She needs you right now!” Max cried.
Anna! What had happened to her? Was she hurt? And why wasn’t logan taking care of her? Why the fuck was he sat with me if Max was desperate enough to beg him to be with her?Max sounded distraught too and I worried he was hurt.I had to wake up!
“I can’t…” Logan uttered, and he sounded completely broken.Was I dying? It kind of felt like it!
“You said you loved her, Logan. You said you’d take care of her and now…” Max’s voice broke and it almost killed me. I was going to kill my brother for putting the kid through this when I woke up. “You blame her, don’t you? You won’t look at her because you think this was her fault?”
“I don’t blame her!” Logan growled. “I just…. I can’t lose my brother and if…if we hadn’t have met her…met both of you…”
“She told you!” Max cried. “She pushed you away to keep you out of this! She almost broke her own heart to keep you out of it, but you said you loved her! You told her, and me, that you would protect her! It’s not her fault, Logan. She didn’t do anything wrong. I won’t let you hurt her like this. She’s been through so much and now you’re going to break her heart too!”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, kid,” Logan scoffed, and I hated the way he was acting. He was so wrong. Max was right. None of what happened was on Anna, and if I’d have died in that water, I would have gladly accepted it to know she was safe, because I loved her. She was everything to me, and I thought she was to Logan too.
“Fuck you, Logan! I’ll tell you what I know for sure - the second Maddox wakes up and my mom knows he’s out of danger, I’m getting her the fuck away from you!” Max hissed.
“I just…I need time. Madd, he’s all the family I have. I need time to process this. I don’t want you both leaving though,” Logan sighed.
“You lied to us, you asshole! You told us you cared about us. My mom told you to stay out of our past, but you pushed. You didn’t let us leave when I said we should. You told her you wantedto protect her! You made us believe we had a future with you guys. I can’t believe I actually believed you!” Max raged, and he was right to. Logan was being a complete asshole and fucking everything up.
I was done listening. I pushed harder to open my eyes and finally they started to move, light fluttering in and out as I blinked a few times.
“Madd? Madd, you hear me?” Logan asked and I saw his silhouette move in front of me. My vision was blurry and fuzzy, but I knew it was him.
He squeezed my hand and I realized for the first time that he was holding it. I squeezed back and Logan let out a cry of relief.
“Come on, brother, wake the fuck up now,” Logan pleaded.
“I’m getting my mom!” Max cried. I couldn’t see where he was, but I heard a door slam and presumed he’d left the room.
“Anna?” I managed to force out roughly.
“She’s sleeping down the hall. Do you want her in here?” Logan asked. Finally my eyes stayed open and I glared hard at Logan before I could even fully focus on him.
“Asshole,” I growled, but it was followed by a coughing fit, since my throat was dryer than the fucking desert. Logan released my hand and instead appeared right beside me with a bottle of water. He tipped it to my lips and I took a few small sips.
“Just take it easy. That bullet did a real number on you.”
“What happened?” I asked as I lifted my head a little and looked around the small private room I was in. The light outside the windows was red, suggesting it was sunrise, or close to it. I wondered how many days I had been out.
“That fucker’s dead.”
“Anna…was she h-hurt?” I rasped.
“She’s okay. It’s you I was worried about. I almost fucking lost you this time, Madd,” Logan admitted. His eyes met mine and he looked exhausted. He was pale too, and his eyes were red. He’d obviously been crying.
“I’m still here,” I told him firmly as I moved my hand and patted his where it rested on the bed beside me. “It wasn’t o-on Anna. Don’t fuck up what we h-have.”
“I’m just so angry, Maddox. You’ve already been through so much, and now this. It’s my fault. If I’d never have rented the guest house to her…”
“No!” I cut him off. “Don’t. Meeting her was the b-est fucking thing that ever happened to us and you know it, ass-hole,” I ground out.
“Madd!” Anna cried as the door was thrown open, then she was rushing towards me. She was paler than I had ever seen her, and I could see how badly she shook from where I lay. She had bruises and cuts on her face and she was walking like every step hurt her.
Max walked in right behind her, and he grabbed her when she wobbled as she tried to cross the room. He helped her ease down into the seat beside the bed, then he was glaring at me, daring me to fuck things up too.I loved that kid!
“Madd, I’m so so-sorry,” Anna sniffled as she grabbed my hand and held it both of hers. Her pain filled eyes were locked on mine and I didn’t miss how hard she tried not to look up to where Logan stood beside me. “I never meant…I shouldn’t have stayed. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault!”
“No.” I moved my hand so it was wrapped around the both of hers and I squeezed them with all of the strength I had. “Don’t Anna. This wasn’t your fault. I d-don’t want to hear you blame yourself. You hear me?”
