AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Burning building. Got a burn on his arm and I’m pretty sure a shattered knee. You should get an x-ray on it as soon as possible.” The woman nods along with each word the older man speaks, jotting every bit of information down in a notebook, while I get wheeled through the doors.
There’s commotion everywhere, probably having something to do with the storm, but I close my eyes and let it all fade away. The shock of the moment must be wearing away because the pain seems to have gotten ten times worse and I’m struggling to breathe, my head fading slowly into unconsciousness.
Everything is starting to blur as I come to a stop in the middle of a room, the woman coming to stand in front of me with a frown on her face. I watch as her lips move, but can’t make out a single word she’s saying, then my eyes slowly fall shut. I’m pretty sure she calls my name, but that’s the least of my worries right now. All I can seem to care about is that this sleep is giving me the sweetest relief.
No more pain right now. Heavenly.
* * *
That heavenly feeling comes rushing right back as I open my eyes, a bright light shining into them and I squint against the intrusion. “Shit,” I mutter, lifting my hands up to block the sun.
When I wake fully, I come to the realization that I’m definitely not outside, but in a white room, and Nathan’s sitting next to me. He comes over to the side of the bed and it doesn’t take long for the lights to dim, eliciting a sigh of relief from myself.
“That better?” Nathan asks, a frown on his face and brows creased together in worry.
I nod, then glance at the door when there’s a soft knock. Jesus, do they have a damn camera in here or something? A nurse walks in with an apologetic smile, then checks my vitals before reaching a hand out to my arm — which has a fresh bandage wrapped around it. “Mind if I get a look at it?”
Instead of answering her, I simply outstretch the arm to her and let her do whatever she needs. It’s when she touches the sensitive flesh that I flinch from her grasp, startling her, and Nathan immediately holds my arm still while she continues her assault.
“Sorry, sir, but this is necessary to make sure it heals properly.” While she inspects the damage, her gaze finds mine and she shakes her head. “You’re lucky, you know?”
I shrug, not really believing it, then look over at Nathan. “What’s the verdict on my knee?”
He sighs, waiting until the nurse finishes up and walks out before answering. “Not too great, Dad. Shattered and you’ll most likely walk with a limp for the rest of your life, but it’s better than not having a leg at all I guess.”
Nathan’s not wrong — things could’ve been a lot worse. Not breathing any longer, for instance, that would really suck. “What did Jankins say about the horses?”
He shrugs. “Not much, just said that we could keep them there as long as we needed to. I’m getting the other barn situated for them though, so they’ll be back in no time.”
I arch a brow. “How long have I been out?”
“A few days. I was starting to worry, but things seem to be perfectly fine and normal.” There’s a machine sitting next to the bed that catches my attention and Nathan clears his throat. “That was for your breathing, there was a lot of smoke in your lungs. They want to monitor you for a few more days, to make sure the effects of the smoke inhalation won’t cause too much damage.”
Great, I’m still stuck in this hell hole. I roll my eyes, but keep my mouth shut. Anything is better than being six feet under right now. I would’ve hated to leave Nathan alone to clean this mess up. “How much you think the rebuild will cost?”
“Why don’t we worry about you getting better first? We have plenty of time to worry about costs.” Judging by the way he darts his gaze away from mine, I’m willing to bet he already figured it out and doesn’t want to tell me.
Even after sleeping the days away, I let out a large yawn that catches Nathan’s attention and he lifts from the bed — seems as though I’m too tired for questioning. “I’ll let you rest. I’m headed back to the house for a shower and some rest of my own.”
Before I can object to him leaving, he walks out the door and nods to the nurse who was in here moments ago, leaving me alone to think about the money we’ll need. Could it really cost so much that it will end up hurting us? The bags under Nathan’s eyes don't give me much hope.
What the hell am I going to do?
Chapter 2
Sydney
I can’t help but roll my eyes at the sight of Heath standing outside my office, a satisfied smirk on his lips as he trails his gaze down my body. I’m not sure what I ever saw in him — thank goodness that’s over.
His ego is bigger than most men I’ve come in contact with, and that’s saying a lot in our line of work — real estate. He’s got his hair perfectly shaven, the same exact way he’s gotten it done for years, and not a speck of hair is framing his face. It’s nerve-wracking. Just once I’d like to see what he’d look like not so put together, but in the two years I was with him, I never got the opportunity.
A shame, really.
It wasn’t long ago when he would meet me outside this exact office, ready to take me out to dinner before dropping me off at home. At first, the conversations were easy and light, which is what made me agree to more, until things got quieter and quieter the further into our relationship we got.
There was one night, when he was waiting for me and never bothered looking up from his phone to greet me, that I’d decided enough was enough. Instead of leaving with him that night, I told him things weren’t working out and went to my house. If he thought I was going to stand around on his arm while barely getting any attention, he thought wrong.
I give him a forced smile and come to a stop, folding my hands in front of me to block his view as much as possible. “Heath, what can I do for you?” It must be important if he’s bothering me before I’ve even gotten through my door.
