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I nodded eagerly, my heart lifting. Maybe she really had heard me this morning; maybe there was actually something in this talking-to-coma-patients crap that the doctors spouted.
“I’ll be there soon! Thank you so much for calling.” I grinned, disconnecting the phone and looking up at Jamie, who was watching me curiously. “My mom just woke up,” I gushed excitedly.
His face split with a grin as he pulled his car keys from his pocket. “That’s great news. Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
I nodded gratefully, the conversation between us immediately forgotten because all I could think about was hugging my mother and telling her I loved her.
Maybe, just maybe, things were looking up for the Pearce family now.
CHAPTER 21
ON THE WAY out of Jamie’s apartment, I called home and told my nana the good news about Mom. As expected, she was over the moon and almost burst my eardrum with the earsplitting scream of joy she emitted. Luckily, it was now after three p.m., so even Kelsey was home. Jamie was taking me to my house now so we could meet up and all go together. On the drive, I couldn’t keep the broad grin from my face. After everything that we’d been through, this news made a whole world of difference and uplifted my heart.
As we approached my house, I saw that my beloved green-and rust-colored monstrosity was parked in my drive. I frowned at it, confused. “How did my car get here?”
“I had someone pick it up from the convenience store and bring it back for you,” Jamie answered casually.
I patted my pockets, feeling the lump of my keys against my hip. “But how? I have my keys...” I turned to look at him in time to see a smile pull at his lips.
“Me and my associates don’t need keys to start cars, remember?” he joked.
My frown turned into a scowl of disapproval. “Right,” I muttered quietly as he pulled up at my house and killed the engine. “Well, thanks for the ride and for, you know, saving me from those guys even though it was your fault they were after me in the first place.” I smiled awkwardly. “I’ll see you around.”
I didn’t know what else to say, and that had sounded a lot more final than I had intended. We still had things to talk about; he still had explaining to do, but I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to hear it. It would be a lot easier for me if I just got on with things and didn’t dwell on the past.
As I reached down to unbuckle my seat belt, his hand stretched out, covering my knee. “Ellie, the Salazars might still be after you. I have people trying to find them. They shouldn’t be stupid enough to come and try anything again, but just in case, I need to have people watching you for the time being.”
I turned in my seat, regarding him curiously. “What do you mean, watching me? Like someone following me around? I don’t want that.”
One side of his mouth quirked up into a knowing half smile. “You haven’t seemed to mind it so far.”
So far? What is that about? “Huh?”
He looked away from me out through the windshield; his eyes fixed on my house. “Since the club last week I’ve had people watching you around the clock, just making sure you’re safe and that you’re not being followed or anything.”
I gasped as everything clicked into place. “The guy in the sedan! He was at my dad’s funeral, too!”
Jamie nodded once in agreement. “That was my friend Dodger. I’ve been taking a lot of the shifts myself, but a guy’s gotta sleep and eat...”
Jamie had been parked outside my house; he’d been that close the whole time and I hadn’t known? A little stab of something twitched in my gut. “You’ve been sitting outside my house watching me?”
“Well, that doesn’t make me sound like a stalker much,” he joked, smiling wryly.
I smiled too and shook my head. I couldn’t deal with all of this now. I had somewhere to be. “Anyway, whatever. Thanks again for the ride.” I put my hand on the door handle, cracking it open.
“Wait, let me put my number in your phone,” he ordered, holding out his hand for my cell. I frowned but reached into my purse and pulled out my broken phone, passing it to him. He punched in his number, then used my phone to call his own so he could store mine, too. When he handed it back, he smiled sheepishly. “You know, in case anything happens and you need to get hold of me.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Bye, Jamie.”
“I can drive you to the hospital if you want,” he offered as I stepped out and shouldered my purse.
I pointed to my little bug sitting in the driveway. “I got transport.” I closed the door and waved, expecting him to drive off up the street, but his car didn’t start; instead he continued to sit there and watch as I jogged into the house excitedly.
“I’m here. Who’s ready?” I called as I burst through the door.
Kelsey immediately bounded down the stairs, a huge grin on her face, and Nana came from the kitchen, her coat already on. I raised one eyebrow at Kelsey. “I’m telling Mom you had your sneakers on upstairs,” I teased, nodding down at her feet.
She didn’t answer, just threw herself at me and hugged me so tightly it almost cut off my circulation. I grinned and hugged her back before pulling away. “Come on then, let’s go.”
I stepped back outside again, noticing Jamie was still parked there. I sent a little frown in his direction, but couldn’t see inside his car because of the tinted windows, so I wasn’t sure he was watching. We all piled into my car and headed to the hospital. I noted, with some level of unease, that Jamie had pulled out behind me and was following along. Had he been serious when he said someone was going to have to watch me? Did he actually think those Salazar guys would come after me again?
When we arrived, we all speed-walked the familiar path through the hospital, my nana tutting in annoyance at the slow ambling of the noisy elevator as it took us to the correct floor.
My excitement to see my mom faded a little when we stepped into her room only to find that she was asleep. Kelsey frowned, her hand slipping into mine and squeezing tightly. “I thought you said she woke up?”
My eyes roamed the room, seeing the subtle differences from this morning. Although the heart rate monitor continued its steady rhythm, spiking and falling gently as usual, the IV pole didn’t have a bag attached to it and was pushed against the wall, the drip in her hand had been capped off, and no tubes were coming out of her mouth or nose.
“She’s just sleeping,” I whispered, stepping farther into the room and pulling Kelsey along with me. With her pressed against me so tightly, I felt the tension leave her body as she took in my words. I smiled over at her and nodded toward one of the chairs. “You and Nana sit, I’ll stand.”
I walked to one side of the bed, letting them occupy the two visitor chairs on the other side. We waited in silence for a good five minutes before we started whispering to each other, planning ways to subtly wake her up and considering the consequences. And then her eyes fluttered open and closed again, and it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I stepped closer to the bed as she fully awoke, her eyes settling on me.
She blinked a couple of times, her forehead scrunching up as if she was confused, and then her mouth popped open and she gasped. “Ellison?”
I nodded, beaming down at her. “Hi, Mom.”
A little strangled cry left her lips as she reached out and touched a tentative hand to my cheek. “Oh, Ellison! It’s so good to see you; I’m so glad you’re here.” Her voice was weak and hoarse from the breathing tubes.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I replied honestly.
Her hand moved from my cheek to my hair as she caught a lock of it between her finger and thumb. “You cut your hair since we last video called.” Her smile was warm and tender; her eyes shined with affection that I’d never really associated with my mother when I was younger. “It’s shorter than mine now. I don’t think you’ve worn it this short since you were a baby. You always liked it longer.”
Kelsey stepped to the other side, her hand re
aching out and taking Mom’s. My mom turned in her direction and her smile grew wider. “Kelsey,” she whispered, and then her eyes settled on Nana, who had stood up but stayed a little behind so Kelsey could get to the bed. “Betty, hi,” Mom greeted her.
“Hi, Ruth. It’s lovely to see you awake; we were beginning to wonder how long you were going to sleep for,” Nana replied, smiling softly at her daughter-in-law.
Mom tugged on mine and Kelsey’s hands, pulling them to her tummy as she held them tightly. “What happened? They said I was in a car accident.” She frowned, seeming confused about the whole thing. “But I don’t remember any accident.”
I nodded, silently grateful because no one should have to remember things like that. “You and Dad were in a car accident. You’ve been in a coma, Mom.”
