Sacrifice (Heart of a Wounded Hero)

I feel a headache coming on, and I lift my hand and rub it across my head back and forth. "I know you're right. And I know what you're trying to do here. But the point of the matter is she deserves more."

She takes her clipboard and sets it on the table next to her, and then scoots to the end of her chair. She leans forward, her elbows resting on her knees. "Don't you think that's her decision?"

She stares at me, waiting for it to sink in. When I don't say anything and don't give her an answer, she blows out a breath and then picks up her clipboard again, scooting back into her seat.

We talk about my injuries and the medications and what to do if the nightmares return. When my time is up, I'm out the door and back into Tommy's car quickly. I'm a little anxious to get back to my house because I know that I need to have a conversation with Ella. It's time. We almost get to the house before Tommy asks me, "What's going on with you and Ella?"

There's no way I'm going to go into detail with him. But I do feel I should tell him. "She deserves more than me, Tommy. I'm just going to leave it at that." He pulls into the driveway and shuts off the car and looks at me.

He wants to say something, but I hold my hand up. "It's the truth. I'm a shell of the man that I used to be. Look, man, thanks for coming to get me."

I'm out of the car and waving at him through the front of the windshield before even realizing that there’s another car in my driveway. I don’t recognize whose it is, and it makes me wonder if there’s someone here visiting Ella. As soon as I open the door, I look around, hoping to see her, but I'm floored when I see Harper sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing here?"

Chapter 12

Ella

When Bryce and I finish eating, he says he has to stop at his office. I tell him it's fine, and I stay in the car while he runs in. My mind automatically goes to Logan and Harper. I can't help but wonder what is going on. Logan should have gotten home already. Every possible scenario goes through my mind. What will I do if I walk in and they're in the bedroom together? I don't think that Logan is like that. And I hope he's not, but of course my mind goes there.

The truth of the matter is I just want him to be okay. I know that he's hurting. Grief is a horrible thing to experience. And I know that everything that happened between us last night is making everything murkier. I would fight for him in an instant. If I thought there was any chance that he could be mine, I wouldn't stop until he was.

But the fact of the matter is I haven't talked to him and have no idea what he's thinking after last night. Was he drunker than I thought he was? Does he have regrets right now? Is he wishing that it never happened?

By the time Bryce gets back out to the car, I have myself all worked up with negative thoughts. As if he can see exactly what I'm thinking, Bryce shakes his head. "I'm telling you, I know my boy, and he's not going to fall for Harper again. Think about it. He was in the hospital for thirty days, and she never visited him. She lived an hour away and never came and saw him."

I sniff my nose, overwhelmed, thinking of the devastation he must have felt. "You're right, Bryce. I know that you are. I just can't help but ..."

He shakes his head and slams his hand onto the console between us. "I'm telling you, it's all going to work out okay."

I nod and sit back in my seat, putting my seatbelt on. He starts the car and takes off toward Logan's house.

When he pulls into the driveway, I ask him, "Are you coming inside to see him?"

He puts his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand on the back of my seat, turning toward me. "No, I think that the two of you have a few things you need to talk about, right?" He gestures to the driveway. "It looks like Harper is gone."

I look at the empty spot of the driveway and then toward the house. Nervously, I tell him, "You're right. Thank you, Bryce, for everything. Logan is lucky to have a friend like you."

He laughs as if he knows something I don't. "No, I'm lucky to have a friend like Logan. Give me a hug and then go in there and go for it. You're going to regret it if you don't."