AFTER…
JESS
The car felt stifling, the air too thick to breathe. I stared out the windshield, watching the ambulance ahead of us, its flashing lights bathing the night in ominous reds and blues. My hands trembled in my lap until Luke grabbed one, his firm grip grounding me just enough to keep me from spiraling completely.
“She’s going to be okay,” he said, his voice calm and steady despite the storm swirling around us.
I turned to him, my throat tight, my heart in pieces. “You don’t know that.”
Luke’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t respond, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand in quiet reassurance.
Laura had been shot. She had been shot–because of me. Because she tried to save me and the baby. The thought turned my stomach
And Sarah… God, Sarah had been a lunatic. A gun–wielding, delusional lunatic. She’d been in our house, in our lives. How had we missed it? How had I not seen how dangerous she was?
My breath hitched as the tears finally broke free. “When does it end, Luke?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “When do we get our happy ending?”
He didn’t answer.
The ambulance turned into the hospital, and Luke followed close behind, pulling into a parking space just as the EMTS wheeled Laura through the emergency entrance.
We rushed inside, my heart pounding as I scanned the waiting area. Josh was at the reception desk, his hands gripping the counter so tightly his knuckles had turned white. He turned as we approached, his face pale and haunted.
“They’re with her now,” he said, his voice hollow. “They said she needs a scan, but they wouldn’t let me in. I don’t know what’s happening.”
Before any of us could respond, a doctor in scrubs appeared, his expression grim. “Laura’s husband?”
Josh stepped forward, his body rigid. “That’s me.”
The doctor nodded. “We performed an ultrasound, and there’s free fluid in her abdomen.”
Josh blinked, shaking his head. “What the fuck does that even mean?”
“It means she’s bleeding internally,” the doctor said, his voice tight. “We need to take her to the operating room immediately to stop the bleeding. There’s no time to waste.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut. Laura was bleeding inside. They needed to operate. Laura could die.
I stumbled back, the edges of my vision blurring. Laura could die because she helped me.
1159
“No,” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of the realization. “No, no, no, no.”
Josh dropped to his knees with a strangled cry, his hands clutching at his hair as though trying to physically keep himself together. I stared at him, my own legs threatening to give out, my mind spiraling into chaos.
Luke’s hand was on my arm, steadying me. “Jess, are you okay?” His voice was soft, but there was an urgency behind it that made my stomach churn.
I shook my head, tears streaming freely down my cheeks. The ache in my stomach that I had been ignoring was now sharp. and insistent, demanding my attention.
“Babe, you look pale,” Luke said, his voice rising with alarm. “Sit down. Now.”
I didn’t respond. Something warm dripped down my leg, and I froze, a sickening dread spreading through me. Slowly, I looked. down, lifting the hem of my dress. The sight of blood streaking my thigh stole whatever air I had left.
“Jess, what’s wrong?” Luke’s voice cracked as he followed my gaze. His face went ashen, his eyes wide with panic. “Jess, babe! What’s happening?”
Josh snapped out of his daze at Luke’s shout, his head jerking up as he took in the scene. “We need help!” he yelled, his voice echoing through the waiting room like a desperate plea to the universe.
The world tilted on its axis, the fluorescent lights above swirling into a dizzying haze. My legs buckled, and Luke’s arms were
there, catching me before I hit the ground.
“Stay with me, Jess,” he said, his voice frantic as he cradled me against his chest. “Just hold on.”
Josh was shouting for someone, anyone, but his words were lost in the roar of blood rushing in my ears.
The world dimmed, the voices around me fading to a dull hum, and then there was nothing but darkness..
