Stealing Her (Covet 1)

What the fuck had I been thinking?

That she would leave him?

That she would love me?

She squeezed his hand tight and then pressed a kiss to his wrist. His fingers didn’t so much as twitch; he almost looked dead.

I was torn between wanting him to snap those eyes open and wanting the machine to stop.

That’s where I was at.

All because I wanted what was his.

I tugged off my beanie and wrestled with throwing it against the shiny white tile. I deserved to be in that bed, not him.

He had everything to live for sitting next to him holding his hand.

“I’m so sorry, Julian,” Izzy whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I didn’t know, your dad didn’t want anyone to know, me especially, so when Bridge took over I just thought you were acting crazy.”

Great, now I was crazy.

“We need you to wake up, Julian. We need you to wake up and fix this before Bridge fires you, alright?”

At that, I laughed a little. “Can’t fire the CEO, Izzy.”

“Shhh, I’m trying to threaten him.”

God, she was incredible, strong, beautiful.

I walked over and put my hand on her shoulder. “Your fiancée . . .” It physically hurt to say that. “She’s right, Julian, I will literally kick your ass if you don’t get up out of this bed soon and help me take over the company. I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, and you could wake up poor as shit, and we both know how much you like your sunglasses collection.”

I could have sworn I saw his mouth move, was that a smile? Did he hear us?

“Fight, Julian, alright?” Izzy stood and kissed his cheek.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

It wasn’t my moment to witness.

It wasn’t my life.

“One day you’re going to ask me what happened between me and Bridge, you’re going to want to know how a month and a few days could completely change a person’s outlook on life, you’re going to ask where you went wrong, and you’re going to hate both of us.” I sucked in a breath as she kept talking. “You rescued me when I was a girl . . . and then we grew apart. Life happened, and the girl you rescued turned into a woman, a sad, lonely, resentful woman. Bridge saved the person I was starting to lose, the person I’d always wanted to be. He makes me feel like myself, he makes me feel safe, and loved, and cherished. I hope one day you can forgive me, forgive us, for falling in love while you were dreaming . . .”

I was rooted to the ground.

Unable to speak or do anything except stare at her in shock as tears rolled down her face onto Julian’s lifeless body.

And then she turned to me. Tears filled her eyes as she walked into my arms and sobbed. “I’m the worst human being on the planet.”

“No, I think I took the trophy on that, Izzy.”

She clung to me. “What are we going to do? We can’t just . . .” She pulled back. “I mean he’s going to wake up, I know he is, and when he does . . .”

My stomach sank. “Izzy, you don’t have to do this, not now, you just found out he was in a coma, you don’t have to make any decisions.”

I was too distracted by the sadness on her face to hear the door open.

Or to turn and see that it wasn’t a nurse or the doctor, but my own father.

“What a vision, both of my sons in the same room together, with a girl who must have a magic—”

“Finish that sentence, and I’m throwing you out the window,” I said through clenched teeth.

Dad held up his hands. “Knew you weren’t sick.”

“Oh, I’m sick alright,” I spat.

“Isobel.” He eyed her up and down. “Wasn’t one son enough? You had to take two? Greedy little thing.”

I caught her as she lunged for him. “Not worth it.”

“I own you, both of you.” He grinned. “Better get back to work, Bridge. Wouldn’t want any speculation about our new CEO.”

I hated that he was right.

Things had to appear normal.

For Julian.

“I’m doing this for Julian.” I didn’t sound very convincing.

“Funny.” Dad had a gleam in his eye. “Because one might say you’re actually enjoying the challenge. Taking over his life shouldn’t have been so seamless for you, Bridge, and yet look at you. I had two board members call me this morning just to say they’re impressed, heard you fired Amy . . .”

I rolled my eyes. “This isn’t the place.”

“Amy?” Izzy’s head jerked in my direction. “The flirty rude one?”

I nodded.

And then I received a hug from her while my dad snorted something under his breath. “Nobody finds out about this, Izzy, or it’s your head that rolls.”

“Fine.” She paled. God, I hated how afraid of him she was.