AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She squeezes my arm and walks alongside us.
I give one last look at her grave before we get in the truck, and my mouth twists into a painful smile. “Bye, Mom.”
I can finally breathe again when we enter Jade’s hospital room. All I’ve wanted since we left this morning was to be with her again. I never thought I’d be able to make it through my mother’s funeral without Jade holding my hand, but when she told us she didn’t think she could do it, that it reminded her too much of the assault, I just decided to get it over with.
I know my mom didn’t disappear. She would never leave me behind. We were close, we loved each other. She was my only parent, and she would have given her life for me. The relationship I had with her is nothing like the one Elliot had with his dad.
I was still holding on to the fact that she might come back one day, but after Jade told us everything…I knew.
I knew I had to say goodbye to her, even if we didn’t have a body.
“Ethan,” Jade beams as she sees us enter. She tries to get off her bed before the nurse drags her back.
“Jade,” the nurse scolds her. “You’re going to have to get used to not walking away from the oxygen container. It can rip out the nasal cannula.”
Jade frowns, like she forgot about the tube in her nose that’s hooked over her ears. “Sorry,” she mumbles.
Nurse Waltz gives her a small smile. “We’re discharging you today. At least show me you’re going to survive more than ten minutes out there.”
Jade chuckles, sitting on the end of the bed. “I will. Promise.”
Elliot and I walk to her, each dropping a kiss on her cheeks.
“Ugh. Some of us can’t even get one, you know?” Nurse Waltz huffs.
“Yeah, but better one of very good quality than two average ones.”
Elliot fakes a gasp. “How dare you?”
“How are you?” she asks me, playing with that stupid half Lego heart I wear around my neck.
Elliot wears it too. Funny how almost losing her made us appreciate her ugly gift.
“Better now that I’m with you.”
She’s dressed already, ready to go home. Someone knocks on the door, and Alex Delacroix enters.
“I’ve got two hot teas,” she cheers. She looks up at both Elliot and me. “Oops. Not enough, clearly. I didn’t realize you guys were back already.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I grab the cup for Jade and give it to her. “Here you go, Mi Cielo.”
We owe everything to Alex. The second she learned about Jade being shot, she was at the hospital. And when Jade was well enough to be transferred, she insisted on sending her to a clinic in Stoneview.
Jade has been recovering here since she woke up from her surgery.
And Alex paid for everything. Even the hospital in Silver Falls.
They said she was lucky. The bullet hit the lower lobe of her right lung. Far from the heart and important vessels.
Still, she was in surgery for four hours. She was asleep for thirteen hours. In intensive care for five days. Recovering for six weeks.
And all this time, Elliot and I could barely be contained. Usually, when one loses it, the other is there to limit the damage.
Yeah, that didn’t happen when Jade was hurt.
The only person who stopped us from burning the town to the ground is Kay.
You killed Zara and Xi left you alone. Now you have to accept Tamar wanted her revenge and leave her alone. We have enough problems as it is.
