Chapter 57
Rae
Asteady, rhythmicbeep pulled me from the haze. My eyelids fluttered, heavy and reluctant, feeling as if they had weights pulling them down. The world around me was blurry, distant, like a half-remembered dream. A dull ache throbbed behind my temples, and my body felt unresponsive, like I was moving through thick fog.
Slowly, I was able to open my eyes. Glancing around, I saw the sterile white ceiling and blinding hospital lights.
Where am I? What happened?
After a moment, I tried to reach up and rub the blurry feeling away from my eyes, but I felt a weight resting lightly on my hand. Feeling dazed still, I turned my head to see Caleb in the chair beside my bed. His head rested against the back of the chair, eyes closed. His hand was holding mine.
I watched his chest rise, slow and steady, with every breath he took. I tried to speak, to let Caleb know I was awake, but my throat was so dry. A small raspy sound came out, quieter than a whisper.
I gave his hand a faint squeeze and felt how sore my arm was. A small crease of a smile softened his face in sleep.
The monitors beeped steadily around us, filling the quiet room with their calm rhythm.
Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, not just from the dull ache inside my head, but from the hope I felt in this moment.
I was awake. I was alive. Caleb was here. That meant I was safe again.
A dull soreness tugged at my upper arm and side as I moved. There was a constant pulsing ache with every heartbeat—the sting from the wound Ethan had inflicted, now bandaged and protected. I shifted uncomfortably, the sheets cool beneath my skin.
My mind swirled with confusion. Memories of what happened, and how I got here, felt distant.
How long had I been here and was it over?
Answers felt just beyond reach, and I began feeling antsy. I needed Caleb to wake up.
I squeezed Caleb’s hand a bit more and his chair creaked as he stirred. His eyes blinked open, hazy at first, then focused as they found mine. “Rae?” His voice was rough, hoarse but filled with relief.
I tried to answer, but my throat still felt raw and dry. I started to tear up again. I wanted to talk to him but couldn’t, so instead, I gave his hand another weak squeeze.
“I’m here, Sunshine,” Caleb said softly, shifting closer. “You’re safe.”
I blinked back the tears, the knot in my chest loosening just a little. “Caleb...” My voice was barely more than a whisper.
He reached up slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair from my forehead. Then he reached behind him and picked something up. “When you fell, your glasses broke. I had Santana go to my house to pick up your spares,” he said as he unfolded them and placed them on my face.
I mouthed “thank you” to him, and he smiled at me with tears in his eyes. “I thought I lost you,” he confessed, voice thick with emotion.
I swallowed, the fog in my mind clearing a bit more, and the aches in my body were now more obvious. I tried to clear my throat, and it felt like a desert.
“Oh, you’re probably thirsty. Here. The nurse brought this in a bit ago since they thought you may be waking up soon.” Caleb picked up a cup with a straw and held it out so I could take a sip.
“I...I didn’t know...” My words faltered.
“Sshhh...You’re okay,” he said firmly. “Neither of us knew. You’re awake, and that’s what matters. I am so sorry I left you to go outside.”
I blinked up at him, slightly shaking my head, which I regretted instantly. I closed my eyes, feeling dizzy from just that little bit of motion. After a moment, I was able to open my eyes again. I looked back at Caleb, searching his face for answers. “What...What happened to Ethan?” My voice came out shaky and small, but I was happy I could finally speak.
Caleb’s jaw tightened and he stared into my eyes more intensely than before. “He’s not going to hurt you anymore.”
My heart pounded, every muscle tensing. There was an intensity in his eyes that I had not seen before. “Is he...?”
