Finding Our Course (Finding our Way 3)

The heartbeat under my head speeds up, and the hand on my head moves to my neck, rubbing lightly.

It feels so real; my eyes fly open, and I jerk back. Bryce stares at me with complete clarity. He scans my face, and his blood pressure starts to rise. The monitor beeps loudly, and I shout out.

“You’re awake!”

He nods and then winces.

“Do you recognize me?”

“How could I not?”

“Tell me before the nurses bombard us. Who do you think I am? Give my full name.”

“Devon Marie Harris soon to be Randolph.”

Relief washes through me, and my head falls to his side. “Thank you, God!” I exhale as two nurses come in.

The next ten minutes are a blur as Bryce is checked over and the doctor is called. We give him a condensed version of the accident and what his injuries are. His eyes stay locked to mine the entire time. I’m frozen in place, scared to move. Finally, I snap out of my trance and reach for the phone.

Quickly, I call Sheila and then text Nate and Quinn. The nurses finish and leave, saying a doctor is coming. Bryce reaches his good arm to me.

“Come here.” He pats the bed.

I crawl in carefully and attach myself to his side. “Please don’t fall asleep again. Don’t leave me,” I beg.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

My hands frame his face, and I lean my forehead against his. “You terrified the shit out of me. Don’t ever do it again.”

He nods and grips my wrist. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

My Bryce, always thinking about me. His words hit me hard, and I start to cry. “I thought I lost you! Never again, Bryce. Do you hear me? Brain surgery, broken bones, possible amnesia! We were all worried sick.”

“Shhh, baby, calm down. I’m fine.”

“You are not fine! You’re hurt!”

“The only thing hurting me right now is your tears.”

I swipe my hands across my cheeks and take a deep breath. “You’ve been in a coma for over a week. Give me a break.”

“Okay,” he says sympathetically. “Two minutes—let it out.”

“Glad to see you decided to wake up and join us.” The doctor’s voice stops my freak out. “It’s been a while.”

Bryce’s eyes slice to the door and flash with annoyance. “Are you the one hitting on my fiancée?”

I swing my head to the middle-aged man and back to Bryce in disbelief. “Bryce!”

“Quinn said the doctor was trying to sweep you off your feet.”

As soon as he says it, I start laughing. I shake so hard, I fall off the bed and land on my ass on the floor. The doctor tries hard to hold his smile but ends up chuckling along with me.

“What the fuck is so funny!” Bryce yells.

“Young man, she’s a pretty little thing, but I’m happily married with five kids.”

“Maybe it’s another doctor then,” Bryce adds, not impressed.