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After lying on the floor for hours, his mouth was going dry, his shoulders were starting to ache, and he had to pee. But none of that mattered. Her breathing was finally slowing down and she was far less restless than when she’d first called out to him.
Luke wasn’t sure if he’d actually helped her or if she’d just slipped into an unconscious state. A knot had long since formed in the back of his throat as emotion clogged his every pore. After she’d been quiet for a long while, he stopped and waited. Not sure if she’d start spiraling again or remain in her restful state.
A few minutes later, he was still lying on the floor when he heard a soft whisper in his mind. Luke? The sound of her sweet voice was nearly his undoing. He opened his eyes and saw her hand resting on the edge of the bed. Instinctively, he reached up and carefully intertwined his fingers with hers.
Right here.
A long silence followed and he was about to start chanting again when he felt her smile brush up against his thoughts.
Thank you. I’m pretty sure you saved my life.
Luke swallowed, a cold shiver working its way down his body. What was that?
I’m not sure, but I think the murderer probably managed to hijack my mind while he was high on something. I’ve never done drugs, but maybe it was Speed or something.
Fuck! Luke shuddered at the thought of how vulnerable she was to someone who wasn’t even anywhere near her.
I was so sure it was going to kill me. I’ve never had anything like this happen before and until you, I didn’t have anyone who could’ve helped me through it. I didn’t even recognize your voice at first. I just heard that word and clung to it with everything I had. It wasn’t until things slowed down a bit that I heard it was you.
Her admission made him wince with how close he’d come to losing her. He couldn’t imagine a world without her in it. I’ll always be here when you need me. He rubbed her fingers gently, then sat up and cradled her hand in both of his, warming the cool skin with his much warmer touch. He had a feeling she was still hurting and he wished there was something more he could do for her. What do you need? What can I do to help you right now?
I just need to rest. I’ll be okay. I already feel better. Stronger. I still can’t open my eyes because the world will likely be spinning like a carousel, but if you give me a little time, I think I’ll be okay.
Luke pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. He pulled himself up off the floor and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, watching as her breathing evened out. Her hair was mussed, her skin glistened with sweat, and he could tell the sheets and her pajamas were soaked through. It wasn’t until he heard his cell phone buzzing from his room a while later that he finally stood and left her room on shaky legs. He was late for his shift and it was likely his captain calling to chew him out.
When he got to his room, he sank onto the bed and reached for the phone. He had no idea what he’d tell his captain, but the missed call turned out to be from Caden. Luke pressed his name on the screen to call him back.
“Hey,” Caden answered. “I was thinking maybe we could grab lunch. My day is pretty light and -.”
“I’m not going in today,” Luke interrupted, swallowing past the knot in his throat, almost not recognizing his own voice. He hated taking more time off than he already had, but there was no way he was leaving Orly alone in her condition.
“What happened?” Caden asked, picking up on Luke’s weariness.
Luke dropped his chin to his chest, as he relayed the events of the last several hours to his friend. When he was done, there was a long silence on the line. “You still there?” Luke asked.
“I have no words,” Caden said. “Don’t worry about lunch. I’ll bring food to your place. And don’t be surprised if I’m not the only one who shows up.”
Luke nodded, not trusting himself to speak. His friends had always rallied around each other whenever someone was hurt or had a particularly rough day. He didn’t expect them to do the same for Orly, but then again, he should’ve known better. These were his friends, and she was his woman. Of course they would come and he loved them all the more for it.
After ending the call, Luke went back to check on Orly. Seeing she was still sound asleep, he took the opportunity to shower and dress for the day. He called into work, letting them know he was going to take a personal day, then went downstairs long enough to make a cup of coffee and bring it back upstairs. He didn’t want to disturb Orly, but he couldn’t bring himself to be away from her for any longer than he absolutely had to be.
He spent the next few hours sitting on the floor of her room just watching her sleep, wishing he could do more for her. When Caden messaged him that he was pulling into his driveway, Luke went downstairs to open the door.
“How’s she doing?” Caden asked, bringing in a bag of Chinese food from a local place they both liked.
Luke ran a hand over the back of his neck. “She’s been asleep since we last talked. I can’t imagine how much all that took out of her. It lasted for - hours.” His voice cracked as he remembered the agony she’d been in and how he’d barely been able to get her through it.
“She’s strong,” Caden said. “She hasn’t survived everything she’s gone through to let something like this bring her down. Especially not when she’s got you in her corner now.”
“And not just you,” Blake said, as he and Garrett came in through the door Luke hadn’t closed yet.
“Damn right,” Garrett said. “You know she’s got all of us, and when she wakes up and sees we’re here for her, she’ll know it, too.”
Luke was at a loss for words. “Thanks. You guys being here means a lot and I know she’ll appreciate it.”
“Let’s get this food set up. I’m sure she’ll be hungry when she wakes up,” Caden said.
“Yeah,” Luke agreed. Though he had no idea what state she’d be in. He went back upstairs to check on her while his friends put out the food. Orly hadn’t even moved in the time he’d been downstairs. He wanted to touch her, to reassure himself she was alright, but he was afraid of waking her. She needed her rest. So he went back downstairs and joined his friends at the dining room table, knowing he’d hear her when she woke up.
