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“Ev?” I whispered, but she didn’t stir.
“Ev?” This time, I placed a hand on top of hers, drawing reassurance from its warmth. How close had I come to losing her today? “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Wyatt?”
She was awake! A huge weight lifted off my shoulders. “How are you? What can I do?”
“Could I have drink, please?”
I picked up the cup on the nightstand and brought the straw to her lips. “How do you feel?”
She took a few sips before answering. “Not great. But I’m better than I would have been if Lukas wasn’t there. It’s okay, Wyatt. I’m safe.”
I hadn’t even realized the tears were falling until she reached up and brushed them off my cheeks.
“Get used to seeing this face,” I murmured, “because I’m never leaving your side again.”
“Well, that might be tricky with visiting hours almost over.” She tilted her head and gave me a tired smile. “Have you seen Lukas yet?”
“Not yet.” But I planned to. Whatever issues my brother and I had would have to take a back seat.
“I’m sorry for not telling you about our meeting. I was going to wait until after you got back from FanCon. We just talked. He told me about your agreement.”
I stilled, hating that she’d had to find out the truth this way. “I shouldn’t have agreed to his plan.”
Everly gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “It doesn’t matter now. You chose me over your movie deal. That’s what’s important. I know I was angry with him in the past. But I think you should talk to him. Lukas misses you, Wyatt. And he regrets everything that happened.” She let out a long yawn and blinked slowly. “Sorry, the medication’s making me tired.”
I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Get some rest. I love you, Ev.”
“I love you too.” She yawned again and closed her eyes. “After this is all over, let’s travel the world, shall we?”
“You can count on it.”
When I reachedLukas’s room, I paused outside, unsure what to say once I entered. The last time we talked, I’d told my brother I never wanted to see him again. That conversation now seemed a lifetime ago. As upset as I was that he’d disregarded my feelingsandcheated on Everly, my brother saved her life. Thanks to his actions years ago, I’d lost the opportunity to confess my feelings to Everly sooner. But if it weren’t for his actions today, I might have lost her forever.
I knocked on his door and stuck my head into the room. “Knock, knock.”
“Come in.” The rasp in Lukas’s voice put me on alert. “You can tell me the truth. How do I look?” Beside him, a machine beeped steadily.
I sat in a chair next to his bed, trying not to stare at his leg wrapped in a cast.
A lump formed in my throat. “Not too bad.”
“Liar. If you think I look beat up, you should have seen the car. My big head put a dent in it for sure.” The smile on his ash-gray face wobbled and fell. “Thanks for visiting. I hope you realize how sorry I am, Wyatt. I never should have forced you into that awkward position with Everly. Shoot, I shouldn’t have even dated her in the first place. That was a real douchebag move.”
Lukas’s breathing was labored, and he spoke slowly, as if producing each word physically pained him. I swallowed hard and blinked. My larger-than-life big brother had never looked so human. Or so miserable.
“And I’m sorry I didn’t get Everly out of the way in time. If only I’d been a little faster, I could have—”
“No.” While I’d accept his apologies for past behaviors, I wouldn’t let him beat himself up over this. “You saved her. If you hadn’t been there—” My voice caught in a sob as the horrible alternative to today’s events struck me.
“She’s safe,” Lukas murmured. “And don’t worry about me, bro. Tomorrow I’ll call my agent and ask him to start booking me roles in horror movies.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, and all the tension I held inside released in one burst of laughter. “Seriously? You’re thinking about work at a time like this?”
Lukas chuckled but then sucked in a breath and groaned. “That was a bad idea. Remind me not to laugh for a while. It feels like eighty Tindor demons are simultaneously slicing my ribcage with their obsidian blades.”
My expression turned to one of astonishment. Had my brother just referenced characters from my books? “You read my StarFire series?”
“Course I did. I can’t go around recommending books I haven’t read myself. You’re an amazing writer, Wyatt, and I apologize for not telling you that sooner.” Lukas paused for a moment before adding, “Although, if you wouldn’t mind a request for the plot of your final book, I think Baylor needs a redemption arc. I get that he betrayed his brother and the entire kingdom, but I still believe the guy could change, don’t you?”
I stared into my brother’s hopeful eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I do. And don’t worry. Girls really dig that half-dead mummy look.”
Lukas closed his eyes and grinned. “You always were a numbskull. How did I put up with you all these years?”
Love you too, big bro.
