Page 102 of Take My Name
Wouldn’t that be poetic?I’d rather die here alone than face the heartache I’ve been avoiding all day.
“What’re you talkin’ about? I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
He talks to someone, requesting immediate help, but the reality is we’re a few miles from the stables. Even if an ambulance rushed here, it’d take them thirty minutes to arrive and find us.
“Lilith’s hurt,” I barely mumble.
“Lilith? Yeah, she took off when I rushed over. I texted Colton already to come find her. He’ll call Dr. Warner to examine her injury.”
My vision goes blurry and it gets harder to suck in a breath although my heart’s racing.
“Bodie.”
“I’m right here.”
“Tell her I love her,” I force out the words with all the energy I have left.
“Warr—”
Darkness takes over before he can finish shouting my name.
There’s a theory that when it’s your time, your favorite or most cherished memories flash through your mind, but I didn’t realize I’d be able to hear her voice and feel her touch before I go.
Talk about torture.
chapter eighteen
Maisie
Tryingto focus on reading and returning emails when all I want to do is go back to Warren’s is brutal. But I’ll have a much better time knowing there isn’t a pile of work waiting for me.
Assuming he’ll want me to stay.
Each day since I’ve been home, my mom’s brought up something about the wedding. One day, picking out the Save the Dates, another was about the music, and today the shoes.
That’s partly why I flew down here, so it was easier to make decisions with the coordinator, but my heart’s no longer in it.
I need to tell Hayes, but doing it over the phone feels wrong and disrespectful, especially when he’s coming in two days.
As I’m closing my laptop to take a snack break, Hayes sends me a text—the first since our last conversation.
Hayes
Hi, darling. I’m struggling to get these last chapters finished and decided to rewrite a couple before writing the ending. I don’t think I’ll be done before Saturday, but I still want to see you in person, so I rescheduled my flight for Tuesday. I want to be able to have a clear head when we talk and I will once my book is turned in.
I don’t have it in me to even be surprised.
Hayes
This doesn’t mean I’m not going to fight for you. I’ve been thinking a lot the past twenty-four hours and told my publisher I’m cutting the book tour short, so when I get there we can plan our honeymoon. I’d rather spend that time with my wife and I should’ve considered that months ago.
Okay, nowthatdoes surprise me.
Twisting my engagement ring, I contemplate how to respond, but before I can, a new message pops up.
Bodie
Hey, Maisie. This is Bodie. Warren got hurt at the ranch. I’m in the ambulance with him now on the way to the hospital. I don’t know what’s going on between y’all, but he told me to tell you he loves you before he lost consciousness, so I figured you should know.
