“Beauforts stick together!” I snarl. “Only, they don’t, do they? They tell the world one of their own died because they think he’s capable of hurting his own mother. Then they leave him alone, not caring what happens to him.”
Pressure builds in my chest, and I can’t hold it any longer. I erupt into full-blown sobs and storm out before they can stop me.
I can’t look at them, any of them. I can’t listen to more lies. I’m going to lose the man I don’t know how to live without because his family let him down.
As I push through the door, panicked voices shout after me.
“I’ll get her!” someone yells.
I run to the elevator and jab the button repeatedly. “Come on!” I sob.
Mal crashes into the hallway after me, stumbling to maintain his balance. His face is ashen. “Jude?”
“I can’t lose him! I lost him once, I can’t do it again,” I cry, jabbing the button over and over.
“Neither can we.”
Mal’s eyes widen as the elevator doors open.
I rush inside.
And slam straight into a solid body.
“Jude?”
I look up into eyes as blue as the ocean, then everything goes black.
42
SLADE
My heart hasn’t stopped tryingto break out of my chest since Jude passed out in my arms. Something about her voice on the call made me know I had to get back to her straight away. But I wasn’t quick enough, Mel said she’d already left for my father’s place when I got back.
I mop her forehead with a cool cloth and adjust the couch pillow beneath her knees, so her legs are raised above her heart.
Her eyes flutter open after what can’t have been more than thirty seconds, but I swear waiting for her to come around has felt longer than the past three years.
“Hey,” I coo softly as her focus returns and she tries to sit up.
I help her, repositioning cushions to support her as she leans back into the couch. I kneel by her feet and cup her face. Her father’s words from the restaurant swim in my head.She faints in enclosed spaces.It must have been brought on by stress this time. This is my fault. She’s been worrying about me too much.
“Don’t scare me like that, New York City,” I whisper.
She searches my eyes, and her shoulders soften, but then she glances around, remembering where she is.
Her expression hardens. “I want to leave.”
“You need to stay,” my father rasps. “And you need to tell us what you meant.”
Jude’s eyes widen as she looks at him over my shoulder. “What wasn’t clear enough? You know what you did.”
The grit in her voice when she’s only just awoken makes me smile inside. She’s a little hellcat determined to fight for me because she loves me. It’s almost more than I can handle, and I drop my head, gripping her thighs with my hands.
“Son?”
I turn, forcing myself to meet my father’s eyes.
“Until three days ago, you were dead,” he says quietly.
