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She nods in understanding. “You told them Bryce was a fighter and he’s going to be okay.”
“He is,” I say absolutely, and Quinn’s face falls.
“You also said he wasn’t going to leave you a widow at the age of twenty. Then you hung up, walked to the truck, and went back to sleep for the last two hours.”
Suddenly, the car gets hot, and I can’t breathe. I start to hyperventilate, trying to remember the sound of Sheila’s voice or the conversation. Nothing comes to my mind. I lean over and put my head between my legs while Quinn climbs beside me, rubbing my back with soothing circles.
“This can’t be happening,” I chant over and over. “He has to be okay.”
“Shhh…” Crystal climbs over the console and comes to me.
We don’t talk as we drive, and I’m confused when Morgan pulls off at a rest stop. He says nothing as he parks and gets out, not minding the snow. Crystal leans me back, gives Quinn a look, and they slowly move away.
Morgan opens the door and extends one arm to me, not saying anything. I go to him, and in a second, I’m in his arms, stumbling to a covered area. Once we get there, he wraps me in a hug, his big body covering mine.
“Let it out,” he says softly.
I start to cry, really cry. Sobs wrack my body, and I cling to him as hard as I can. “He has to be okay,” I say. “He’s the strong one. He would know what to do. I don’t know what to do…”
“Yeah, you do. His family, your family, Bryce—they’re all going to need you to be strong. Brace for the worst and hope for the best. He’s hurt, and from what I hear, it’s serious. He needs you to be strong.”
“That’s not how we work!” I yell and hit Morgan’s chest. “He’s strong. I’m quirky, joking, fun. He’s the fighter, I’m the lover!”
He lifts my chin gently until I’m forced to look at him. I’m instantly calmed by the deep brown sympathy in his eyes.
“You love him?”
“More than anything.”
“Then find the strength and help him. Let it out here with me. Beat me, scream, question everything in the universe, but when we get to those hospital doors, you are solid. You understand?”
His words put everything into perspective. Bryce needs a strong woman, and that’s me.
I nod and step back, wiping my face. “How far away are we?”
“One hour with the weather conditions.”
“Okay, I can do this. Do we have any other news?”
“Quinn has all the information.”
He puts his arm around me to shield me from the snow and walks us back to the truck. I climb in and sit back between the girls.
Morgan is back on the interstate before I take a deep breath to clear my head. “Tell me what you know.”
“First off, Bryce’s parents and your parents are on a flight to Norfolk. According to the story your mom was told, last night around midnight, there was a small explosion in an engine room. Bryce was alone and the only one injured,” Quinn fills me in.
“Why did they think it was Nate?”
“Maybe Nate was on shift? Without actually seeing who was in the room, they assumed it was him. It was reported to the ship doctors that Nate Harris was involved in an accident and sustained significant and possibly critical injuries.”
“They didn’t fucking confirm?” I yell.
“This is a colossal mistake. Someone is in major trouble. They knew the identity mistake pretty quickly, but lines of communication were jumbled.”
“Jumbled? Did they use the term jumbled? A fucking Naval Officer is involved in an accident, and they screw up who it is? And they have the audacity to inform the wrong family? How is that even possible?”
“Devon.” She turns me to her and grips my chin. “Don’t lose focus. We’ll get the details soon. Right now, we need to talk about Bryce. Nate will fill us in soon.”
