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I choked down a protein bar.
As the light of dawn was breaking, the door to the waiting room opened, and my family spilled in. Mum and Dad, both travel weary and exhausted. Summer and Toby, with matching expressions of concern. Connor, still clad in his park ranger uniform and scowling at his surroundings as though they offended him. And lastly, Grace, with her arm around a deathly pale Blair. The only one absent was Nate, who must be dealing with Tyler and the paperwork associated with the arrest.
I stood up, and Mum enfolded me into a hug. The others gathered around, expressing sympathy and asking for an update.
“She’s stable,” Max said, and I was glad for it because I wasn’t sure I could talk. I just soaked in the comfort of their presence. “We haven’t been able to visit with her yet.”
“We got here as soon as we could,” Mum said. “But we thought we’d better pick Blair up on the way so he could see his sister.”
“Not that I deserve to,” Blair grumbled. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was Tyler all along. He is—was—one of my best friends. We were staying together. I should have picked up on something. If not that, then I should have at least put up a fight when he drugged me. Kennedy needed me, and I let her down.”
“No, you didn’t,” I said, touching his arm. “You did the best you could. He caught you by surprise. You trusted him. There’s no shame in that. I was the one who left her there. I should have insisted on taking a shift off.”
Blair shook his head. “You left her with me. She should have been safe.”
“Boys,” Grace interrupted. “Stop with the self-blame. You can’t change what happened, and Kennedy wouldn’t want either of you beating yourselves up about it.”
I opened my mouth. Then shut it. She was right. Blair met my eyes and gave me a slight nod.
“Family of Kennedy Carter,” a voice called from behind us.
“That’s us,” Summer exclaimed, waving a hand in the air.
The nurse’s eyes widened a fraction. “She’s unconscious but able to receive visitors. I’d ask that no more than two of you enter at once. She needs her rest.”
“Let’s go.” I tugged Blair. “We’ll see her first,” I said. “I’m her partner, and this is her brother.”
“Okay. Come this way.”
She led us down a corridor and into a small private room. I wondered if they’d isolated her from other patients so there wouldn’t be anyone trying to sell photographs to the press. I forgot sometimes what a big star she was, but if anyone leaked what had happened—as they were bound to—the media would be buzzing for weeks.
Any questions or concerns about the media fallout faded as my gaze landed on Kennedy. She lay motionless against a sea of white, her body covered by blankets, the surgical nightgown she wore hiding her gunshot wound. She looked as though she were simply asleep and might wake at any minute. Blair went to her other side, and we each took a hand. I watched the soft rise and fall of her chest, relief filtering through my veins. She really was alive.
After a while, we left and let the others sit with her. When everybody had taken a turn, Dad offered to book a hotel room so we could catch up on much-needed sleep. I didn’t want to leave Kennedy alone, and neither did Blair, so we waved the others off and both settled in the lumpy hospital chairs. At first, I couldn’t look away from Kennedy, but after a while, the rhythmic beeping and whirring of the equipment around her lulled me to sleep.
When I woke, I lurched upright, desperate to reassure myself everything was fine.
I jolted in shock. Kennedy’s eyes were open, slits of blue peeking between her eyelashes. Her lips moved, forming my name. My heart gave a painful thump.
ChapterFifty-One
KENNEDY
Everything hurt.
My body felt lethargic, as if my limbs didn’t want to work, and there was a dull throbbing in my shoulder. But none of that mattered when Liam’s gorgeous face filled my vision, his eyes glued to me, his forehead crinkled with concern.
“Liam?” I didn’t know what I was asking. Perhaps where we were. It clearly wasn’t the tussock-covered hills outside the cabin Tyler had taken me to.
“You’re okay, sweetheart.” He kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes, soaking up the small gesture of affection. Whatever had happened, it seemed like all was right with the world again. I was here. Liam was here. And wherever “here” was, it appeared to be safe. “I love you, and everything is okay.”
“W-what happened?” I croaked, my throat dry and a little painful.
Liam grabbed a water bottle from a cabinet nearby and held it to my lips. “Drink.”
The cool fluid trickled into my mouth, providing welcome relief.
“Thanks,” I said when I’d had enough. “Where are we?”
