Page 97 of Unbound
"Come on," Elijah said finally. "Let's go back to the waiting room. Diana brought soup and she's threatening to force-feed it to you if you don't eat something substantial."
"I'm not hungry."
"I don't care. You're no good to Jesse if you collapse from malnutrition. Besides, someone needs to keep Diana from staging a one-woman intervention about your eating habits."
"Yeah," I said, feeling steadier than I had in days. "Let's go face the soup brigade."
As we walked back toward the waiting room, Elijah added quietly, "And Adrian? When Jesse is ready to hear it, you should tell him about everything you're doing to help with the legal case. The research, the coordination with lawyers, the way you've called in every favour you've ever earned. He deserves to know how hard you're fighting for him."
"Maybe someday."
"Definitely someday. Because this isn't guilt anymore—this is love. And he should know what it looks like when someone loves him enough to move mountains."
I was dozing in the chair beside his bed on the fifth day when movement woke me. Jesse's eyes opened, clearer this time. He saw me, and recognition flickered across his features.
"Adrian?"
His voice was hoarse, broken, but present. I nearly sobbed with relief.
"Yeah. I'm here. You're safe."
He looked around, processing slowly. "Hospital?"
"You're in Montana. We got you out. You're safe now."
The information seemed to take forever to penetrate. "How long?"
"Almost a week since we brought you here. Eight weeks at Restoration Ridge."
His eyes filled with tears. "I wanted to die there."
My heart shattered. "I know. I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."
Jesse was still weak, his voice fading in and out, but he needed to talk. Needed to understand.
"How did you get me out?"
I explained everything: the federal case, the medical evidence, the court order. Professor Okonkwo and teams of lawyers had fought for weeks. Public pressure, media coverage, everything we could throw at the system.
"Rebecca helped. She testified, gave us information."
"Where is she?"
"In the waiting room. Everyone is. Your family. Your real family."
Jesse closed his eyes. "I don't have a family anymore."
"Yes, you do. They're all here waiting for you."
Jesse looked past me, scanning the room. "Where's Max? Did he get out too?"
I froze. "Max?"
"The other guy there. He kept telling me you were coming. That I had to hold on." Jesse's voice was getting more anxious. "They didn't leave him there, did they? Adrian, we have to go back for him—"
"Jesse." I kept my voice gentle. "There was no Max at Restoration Ridge."
He stared at me. "What?"
