“Yeah… I’m sober for me now. For my life, the life I want with you.” I set the chip back on the small table. “The life we have fought so damn hard for.”
We didn’t know what our life would look like now. Would we still be hiding out in Nate’s house, or finally be able to go home? Would we spend the rest of our lives waiting for Levi to resurface? Until they found him, there was no way to know.
“Do you think they’ll find him?” she asked quietly, practically reading my own thoughts.
I sighed. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
“If they don’t, what then?” Her brown eyes met my own. “Do we hide at Nate’s house forever? Do we leave our jobs and our lives behind to hide?”
I shrugged. “Youaremy life. As long as you’re there, I’ll be okay.”
She smiled, her nose scrunching at the motion. “I think your head is more full of water than your brain right now.”
I laughed lightly. “Maybe, but I mean it. You’re all I’ve ever wanted and all I’ve ever needed. If I have you… I’m set.”
She sighed and stood. “Scoot,” she instructed, motioning with her head. I shifted to the side of the small hospital bed and pulled back the covers.
She sat next to me, her head leaning on my shoulder.
I sighed deeply, grateful to have her with me. The beeping of the machines was a steady staccato with the hustle and bustle of the hospital spilling through the closed door. The sun had set hours ago, and I expected it would start its ascent back into the sky any second.
A new day, a new start, and in so many ways, it felt like a new life. For so long, I felt like I had been living on borrowed time. I had given up on life itself and was ready for it to be over—ready to give in to my addiction—but I made one choice. One choice that altered the trajectory of my life.
I had stood at that intersection after the divorce and hadn’t understood that it was also a crossroads for my entire life—for my future. If I had made a different choice that day… well, I knew I wouldn’t have her.
The love of my life. The woman who would breathe air back into my lungs and who would jump off of a fucking bridge for the hope of being able to save my life. The same life I had been so willing to give up if it meant she was safe and alive.
It was the same predicament that had initially led to our divorce: my willingness to sacrifice anything for her life, her joy, and her future, and her willingness to save me from myself. The same reason for our divorce is why we are alive today and together.
The difference? We are now different people. I had hit my rock bottom, finally losing everything and nearly myself. For the first time in my addiction, I didn’t have Sarah to rely on. I had to build myself back up, and damn, was it hard. Sarah was different, too. She wasn’t willing to put up with my shit anymore,and she was less willing to compromise herself for those around her.
“I love you,” I said, breaking the silence.
Sarah looked up at me, her eyes glowing. “I love you.”
I caressed her cheek with my thumb, the small touch bringing me comfort. “Whatever happens next, we’ll figure it out.”
She smiled softly and curled against my body. We shouldn’t have fit in the small bed together, but we made it work, grateful to simply be close. For so long, there had been a divide between us—not just physical, but also emotional. I refused to let that chasm reform.
Sarah’s breath slowed and became heavy as she drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally taking over. We had been up all night between the tests and police interviews. I closed my eyes, not expecting to be able to sleep with the adrenaline from the events still pumping through me, but I was mistaken.
I must have fallen asleep, as I jolted awake to the sound of footsteps running toward our door.
The door flew open, revealing a panting Jackie on the other side. “They found him.”
I sat upright quickly, my brain waking immediately at the news. “What?”
Jackie nodded and came farther into the room. “He was on the riverbank with a nasty gash on his head. They’re bringing him here now.”
“He’s alive?” Sarah asked in relief. Jackie nodded as she sat in Sarah’s abandoned chair. “Thank God.”
Jackie raised a brow. “You’re happy the man who has stalked and harassed you for weeks now is okay? The man who kind of killed Fai?”
“Hey,” I protested. “I’m very much alive over here.”
Jackie waved off my comment. “Barely.”
Sarah rolled her eyes and laughed lightly at her comment before sobering. “I’m not happy with his actions and I would never condone them, but he needs help. It’s obvious, and now he can get that help.”
