Page 36 of Unspoken Love

The woman aimed her phone at Faye. Then there was one sharp high-pitched whine that caused Faye’s vision to gray. The sound was like an alarm rising in volume so loud that she’d do anything to escape it.

Then—the next moment there was nothing.

Complete silence.

Everything was just… gone.

Faye blinked rapidly, her chest tightening with panic. She tapped her implant. Nothing changed.

The woman was laughing and pointing at her with the camera, her lips moving a million miles an hour. She pointed her finger at Faye and then at the display case.

Faye turned slightly, looking toward Lena at the cash register. Lena had been helping other customers, but was now making her way over to her.

The whole world had gone silent.

Faye tried to focus. To slow her breath and heartbeat down.

The woman was still yelling at her, waving her phone and coffee cup around while her son’s face was glued to the game. She watched them, confused for a second, not understanding what was going on. For a split second, she couldn’t even think of where she was.

Everything was just too much.

Then the woman stopped talking and tilted her head, as if waiting for a response from Faye. Her phone was shoved in Faye’s face.

Faye was breathing hard and it felt impossible to keep her heart from bursting out of her chest. Then her vision grayed even more and tilted.

She lost her balance and gripped the countertop as if it was a lifeline. Her knees trembled, on the verge of buckling under her. The fluorescent lights overhead suddenly became too bright.

Lena’s hands touched her arm just as she felt herself falling.

Then darkness rushed in.

And this time, Nate wasn’t there to catch her. She landed on the polished floor of the Brew-Ha-Ha surrounded by the silence she could no longer escape.

Chapter Twelve

When Nate rushed into Dr. Stevens’ clinic, he barely registered the calming scent of eucalyptus or the soothing background music playing in the waiting room. None of it mattered. Not when he’d heard Lena sob that Faye had collapsed and that she’d been rushed to the clinic by Jacob Jordan.

Nate spotted Dr. Stevens behind the reception desk, flipping through a clipboard, and made a beeline toward him.

“How is she?” Nate asked, his voice tight, skipping any form of greeting. “Faye Wilson?”

Dr. Stevens looked up, slightly surprised for a brief moment. “She’s okay. She’s in an exam room but should be out soon. The episode passed quickly once we got her settled. She’s alert and talking.”

Nate let out a long, shaky breath and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “Thank God.”

“I checked her vitals and ran a few basic tests,” the doctor continued. “From what I can tell, it was a stress-induced overload from her cochlear implant. Loud environment, emotional stress—something triggered it.” He shook his head. “Her hearing dropped off completely for a while, which understandably caused her to panic. But she’s recovering and stable now. I’m having her set an appointment with her specialist in Portland.”

Nate nodded, the coil of fear still tight in his chest but starting to loosen. “Can I see her?”

Dr. Stevens motioned down the hall. “Room three. She’s been asking for you. She feared you’d overreact when you found out.”

Nate didn’t wait. He practically jogged down the corridor and knocked softly on the half-closed door. He stepped inside when she called out for him to come in.

Faye was sitting upright on the exam table, her legs dangling off from it. Her cheeks were still pale, and her eyes looked a little glassy, but when they met his, she managed a small smile. She had been looking down at her phone but glanced up and set the phone aside when he stepped inside.

“Hey,” she said softly as he crossed the small room and took her hand gently in his.

“You scared the hell out of me.”