Calamity Jena (Invertary 4)

“You’ll get him, right?”

“I promise.” There was absolute confidence in those words.

Jena let out a relieved sigh then winced at the pain it caused. The room was closing in on her. The air becoming increasingly stuffy. She had to get her mind off it—before she went insane.

“You’re sure Abby’s okay? And Katy? Was their house damaged?”

“They’re fine, princess. The only person who was hurt was you.”

She barked out a tight laugh, jerking her ankle and making it throb. “They’re going to start calling me Calamity again, aren’t they?”

“They never stopped, princess.” His voice was soft. His worry clear. He was trying to distract her. She appreciated it. With her eyes closed, she could almost imagine she wasn’t trapped underground. That she was cuddled in the dark with Matt.

“They’re moving the digger across now. You’ll feel some rumbling, and some dust will fall once it starts, but don’t worry about it. Magenta says you’re safe, and she knows what she’s talking about. She’s dug up some old plans of the mine and there’s definitely an air shaft above you somewhere—that will help us to get to you. We have a drill attachment for the digger. You’ll be out in no time.”

“Will it make a hole big enough for me to climb out?”

“Of course it will.” To Jena’s anxious ears that sounded an awful lot like a “probably not”.

“The doc wants to know if you’re allergic to anything,” Matt said.

Jena half laughed, half growled. “Dark underground spaces.”

“Funny.”

“No, nothing. I’m not on any medication. Except the pill. Which is probably something we should have talked about before we had sex without using condoms.”

There was silence, then lots of muffled laughter.

“Jena, there are a lot of people around here and they can hear you.”

She wiped a hand over her eyes. She didn’t care about eavesdroppers. Invertary was full of them anyway. You couldn’t sneeze without someone knowing about it. She blinked back a bout of sleepiness. How was it possible to be in pain, yet so incredibly tired at the same time? She wanted Matt. She wanted his arms around her. She wanted his strength and comfort. She wanted his deep brogue whispering in her ear. If she had anything left in life, she’d give it all to have him with her. Touching her. Soothing her.

“Tell me you love me again,” she said. Please don’t be the last time I hear it. Please.

“You’re trying to embarrass me, aren’t you?” He didn’t sound like he minded.

Jena smiled through a sudden sharp pain. “No, I just want to hear it.”

“I love you, Jena. And I’m keeping you.”

She laughed, but it sounded strained. “You had to add that last bit, didn’t you?”

“Because it’s true. I can’t wait to get you out of there, princess. I’m never going to let you out of my sight again.”

For once, Jena wanted nothing more. All she wanted was Matt. The man she needed. The man she loved. A sigh left her at the acknowledgment of something she’d known for weeks.

“Now, can we stop talking about personal stuff in the middle of a crowded field?” Matt said. “Or is this payback for Magenta’s turn in the mine with Harry? It wasn’t my fault the whole town turned out to listen to them make out.”

Jena had no idea what he was talking about, but made a mental note to ask Magenta when she got out of the mine. If she got out of the mine. She wiped her damp forehead. She couldn’t decide if she was hot or cold. Weird.

“I need to tell you something else.” She took a deep breath, forgetting that her ribs were damaged. The pain robbed her of breath, making her action pointless. “I love you, Matt,” she said.

There was a whoop. Then a growl.

“You say that now? Princess, your timing stinks.”

She swallowed hard. “You’re not wrong there. I wanted you to know now. In case…” Her eyes welled up. The tears fell. She hiccupped back a sob.