“G-Glad—Glad you’re o-okay?—”
His eyes flutter closed.
And I’m left on the ground, blood on my hands, as the man who saved me passes out.
CHAPTER 24
ETHAN
This was supposedto be a pleasant dinner, an official introduction to Natalie and an announcement of our child. But instead, my family is gathered in the hospital.
I’m by Natalie’s side who is pale-faced, her expression stricken as the doctor tends to her.
“Superficial injuries,” she assures us. “The baby is fine. You just have some scrapes and bruises, and it’s going to hurt for a bit. Since you’re pregnant, though, I cannot give you any pain medication. But you’ll be fine in no time.”
“What about Roland?” Natalie looks at her anxiously.
The doctor exchanges a look with me before saying gently. “Your friend is still in surgery.”
Natalie flinches.
I rub her knuckles gently. “He saved you.”
I see the distress on her beautiful face. “Ethan... That car. It wasn’t speeding by. It didn’t lose control. Itaimedfor me. It could’ve swerved. There was room. It didn’t.”
Fury pulses through me like a living thing.
“Someone tried to kill you,” I say coldly, anger thrumming through my veins.
Natalie’s hand just tightens around mine. “They would have hit me if Roland hadn’t shown up when he did. I—He has to be fine. I don’t think I’ll be able to bear it if something happened to him because of me. What was he even doing there?”
Her eyes are shimmering with tears.
I stand up. I can’t sit still. Kissing her forehead, I tell her, “Caleb and my parents are here. I’ll have them sit with you. I need to make a call.”
She nods, squeezing my hand once before I slip out of the room.
Just down the hallway, my entire family has taken over the waiting area. My mother is talking softly to my father. Jake paces, and Caleb is seated beside Megan. Nick is sitting beside his very pregnant wife whose arms are crossed tightly over her chest.
“How is she?” My father is the first to see me.
“Natalie’s okay. The baby’s okay. Roland’s still in surgery.”
There’s a ripple of visible relief—and then fresh tension. Everyone looks shaken. Roland isn’t just a friend of the family. He’s Dad’s oldest friend. Practically an uncle to us.
“She said the car aimed for her,” I reveal.
Jake stiffens. Megan sucks in a breath.
Elisha snorts. "Maybe it was just a drunk driver.”
Nick gives her a sharp look. “Don’t.”
She throws her hands up. “I’m just saying! We’re all sitting around here, and this place smells like antiseptic. I’m eight months pregnant. I’m uncomfortable. I want to go home. The girl isn’t dead. The kid isn’t dead. So why the hell are we still here? You promised me a nice dinner.”
I bristle and take a step forward, but my youngest brother is already on it.
“Elisha,” Nick says tightly. “We’re here because Natalie nearly got killed. Can you not?—”
