Page 86 of Calling a Cease-Fire

“Go,” he said in a firm tone.

“What?” I looked up at him, trying to discern what he was telling me to do.

He looked back at me like I was the densest person he’d ever met. “You need to go to the hospital.”

I shook my head. “I—I can’t.” As much as I wanted to, he wouldn’t want me there. Not after what happened.

“Yes, you can.” He narrowed his eyes. “You need to be there when he opens his eyes so you can tell him you’re a goddamn fool and you love him too. Then pray he forgives you.”

Love? That wasn’t possible. I started to shake my head…but stopped. Did I love Zack?

The thought of not being with him, of losing him, literally felt like it was tearing my heart in two.

Is that what love felt like? Not being able to imagine life without someone else? I was sure I’d never been in love before. But I also had no idea what it actually felt like.

I did know I was so freaking happy when we were together. The happiest I’d ever been.

But love was forever, and I wasn’t sure I could do that. If I could, though, I wanted it to be with him.

“Mia.” Charlie’s stern tone pulled my attention back up at him. “I know you’re going through it all in your head. Trying to talk yourself out of what you know to be the truth. Just embrace it. You guys will figure out the future together. Whatever that looks like.”

I glanced up at my friend. One who knew me well, who listened and understood. Gathering my stuff, I bolted from my seat. “Thanks, Charlie.”

I’d never run so fast, flying through the building, jumping in the car, and then speeding across town to the hospital. I checked in with the girls at the front desk, their faces also lined with concern, then hurried to the room they told me he was in.

As I turned the corner, Nicole stepped out of his room and headed toward me. My steps quickened as jealousy boiled over, and I embraced it. He wasn’t the only one who could be possessive. I needed to tell Nicole he was mine and pray our friendship would survive it. If not, I’d deal with that later too.

Because I couldn’t hide it anymore. I just hoped I wasn’t too late.

“Hey, Mia.” She raised a brow as I stopped in front of her. “Here to see Zack?”

I nodded, and taking a deep breath, I blurted the words I needed to say. “I love him.”

Her lips turned up in a knowing smile, and with a gentle voice, she said, “I know.”

“You do?”

She nodded, and for the first time I took in the scrubs she was wearing. She wasn’t visiting him, hoping for more than friendship, she was working. Fuck. I really was in love with him.

“I suspected something was going on with you two at the twins’ birthday party. But watching you together after the fire, at the hospital. It was obvious that you had serious feelings for each other.”

How the hell did everyone else see it so clearly and I’d been so blind? “You’re not mad?”

“No.” She tilted her head. “Why would I be mad?”

“Because you like him.”

She shrugged. “He’s hot. Who wouldn’t make that move? But honestly, he was never really into me. You two, however, are adorable together.”

My face must have made an involuntary weird expression. It was hard to turn my visual subtitles off, especially when I was upset.

She muffled an obvious chuckle. “Still getting used to the idea?”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“Well, he’s awake.” She tipped her head over her shoulder. “But heads up, Adam and Lyla are in there.”

Owen must have called in some volunteers since they would be a man down—well, two—and let Adam come check on Zack.