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Seth puts a hand out, her sobs tearing at him. “Sal, don’t cry. I’ll get the dog. Okay?” He stands, and after a final, agonized glance at Sal, he lopes toward the house.
Jace takes off too, striding toward the approaching cops.
“Luke.” Sal’s soft whisper has him glancing down. Her tears have ebbed, and now her green eyes stare up at him. An unspoken conversation passes between them, a ripple of fierce, unfaltering love. In that instant, he knows what she wants to say, knows that she’s afraid to say it.
“I know,” he whispers, his voice thick. Hot tears fill his eyes, overwhelmed by how close he’s nearly come to losing her. “I know about the baby, Sal.”
Her eyes widen. “You do?”
“Seth told me.”
“I’m sorry,” she says haltingly. She shakes her head, her brow crinkling. “I should have told you. I ... I ...” Her emerald-green eyes flutter, losing focus, her head lolling in his arms.
“Shhh,” he says, stroking her hair. He can see she’s hanging on by the barest thread, fighting to stay awake for him. “It’s okay, darlin’. Stay still.”
She opens her mouth to say something more, but then the paramedics are there, taking Sal from his arms.
“Be careful with her,” Luke demands hoarsely as she’s whisked away from him.
He shoves himself up, desperate to get back to her, to fight his way through the crowd. He can see Sal, searching for him as she’s eased onto a stretcher, a warm blanket tucked around her.
“Luke ... where’s Luke ... ?” Her shaky voice carries. Her pale arm reaches for him, only to suddenly fall limply to the side. The effort exhausting, Sal lets out a barely audible sigh and then goes very still on the stretcher, finally giving in to the dark fog of unconsciousness.
Luke closes his eyes.
Let her be okay, he thinks, unable to consider any other alternative. Let them both be okay.
