Fever (Breathless 2)

“Look, I was doing you a favor,” Jack said angrily. “You should be glad that I’m out of the picture.”

“You disgust me,” Jace seethed. “Unbelievable. This isn’t about me. I don’t have to like you, but Bethany loves you and I love her. I want her happy. That’s all I care about. And you dead would not make her happy.”

Pain and regret filled Jack’s eyes. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. You have to know I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

“You fucking offered her drugs before!”

“That was different. She wouldn’t overdose on them. She never did. She only took them when she needed them. I just wanted to make sure she had what she needed.”

“She doesn’t need that shit. Ever,” Jace snapped.

“Is she going to make it?” Jack asked fearfully.

“Jace, man, you need to come,” Gabe said from the door. “She coded, man. They’re trying to get her back now.”

Jace fell to his knees, grief crushing through his heart. “No!” he roared. “No! I can’t lose her! Goddamn it, no!”

Ash looked stricken and pale. Mia was suddenly there, her arms around Jace, but he was numb. Couldn’t feel anything but overwhelming devastation. Jack stumbled back, Kaden shoving him into a nearby chair with a harsh command not to move. Gabe moved forward, his face a mask of regret and sympathy.

“No,” Jace whispered, his voice choking off in a sob.

Then he lurched to his feet, only knowing that he had to get to her. He wouldn’t let her go this way. She had to fight! For her. For him. For the both of them.

He pushed away from Mia’s restraining hold. When he got to the door, both Ash and Gabe tried to hold him back. He threw them forcibly out of his way, desperate to get to Bethany. She couldn’t die. Wouldn’t die alone surrounded by medical staff. Around people who didn’t love her the way he loved her.

He ran toward her room and pushed inside the door, ignoring the urgent commands of the nurses for him to leave.

“Bethany!” he cried, the blood leaving his face when he saw them trying to resuscitate her. “Don’t you give up!” he said fiercely. “Don’t you dare give up, baby. You fight, damn it! You fight!”

His gaze was locked on the tube they’d reinserted into her lungs. The doctor doing chest compressions. The oxygen being pumped into her body. The medication being inserted into her IV line.

But the one thing he focused on to the exclusion of all else was the flat line running across the heart monitor, only jumping with the compressions being performed.

“Don’t leave me,” he said brokenly. “Baby, please don’t leave me.”

“Sir, you have to leave,” one of the nurses said in a low voice filled with sympathy and understanding. “I know you want to be with her, but you have to let us get her back. You’re in the way here.”

“I’m not leaving her alone,” Jace said fiercely. “I need to be with her so she understands. So she knows how much I love her. I won’t let her die alone. I won’t let her die, period!”

“If you want her to live, then get the hell out so we can get her back,” one of the doctors snapped. “That’s what you can do for her. Let us do our jobs.”

“Man, come on, let them work,” Ash said quietly. “They’ll get her back. You have to believe that. Best thing you can do is to get out of their way.”

Both Ash and Gabe grabbed Jace and forcibly pushed him out of the room.

“Bethany!” Jace roared just as the door was closing. “Don’t you fucking give up! I love you, goddamn it. Fight!”

• • •

The tension in the small waiting area was through the roof. Jace sat, head in his hands, his shoulders slumped. He’d replayed every single memory of Bethany in his mind. From the time he’d seen her across the room at Mia’s engagement party. Every smile. Every laugh. Every time they’d made love. When he’d put the choker around her neck the second time. The night she’d been drunk and so damn cute and the way she’d lustily made love to him. And the pain and sorrow in her eyes the night before when he’d hurt her unforgivably.

“Jace.”

He glanced up to see Mia sitting beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged tightly.

“She’ll be okay. She’s strong. She’s defeated insurmountable odds. No way she’ll go down over this.”

Jace crushed her to him, holding on just as tightly. He buried his face in her hair and just held on. He was losing his grip on his sanity. He was slowly breaking. With every minute that passed with no word, he died a little more himself.

“I can’t lose her, Mia. I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t,” Mia said fiercely. “She’s stronger than that, Jace. She’ll make it.”

Jace lifted his head and over Mia’s shoulder, his gaze locked on to Jack, who sat in the corner, face buried in his hands. Anger crushed through him all over again. It took all his restraint not to go over and take him apart with his bare hands. He was furious that Jack could have been so careless with Bethany. It didn’t matter that Jack hadn’t intended to hurt her. It had happened and now he could lose her. If that happened, Jace wouldn’t rest until Jack paid for what he’d done.

“Love you, baby girl,” Jace whispered against Mia’s hair. “Thank you for being here and for believing in Bethany.”

“I love you too, Jace.” Her voice was filled with sorrow. “I love Bethany. She’s perfect for you and you’re perfect for her.”

“Not perfect for her,” he said in a muffled voice. “I’ve done so much wrong, Mia. I’m gutted by all I’ve done wrong with her. If she pulls through this, I just pray she’ll forgive me.”

“Honey, listen to me,” Mia said, pulling away. She put her hand to his face and cupped his jaw. Her eyes were so full of love and understanding. “We all make mistakes. Look at the mistakes Gabe made. I was so furious with him. I was devastated when he pushed me away. I’ve never hurt like that in my life. You know that. You saw me. You and Ash took me away at Thanksgiving and you saw how I was that whole time. But you know what? He made it right. And no matter what he did, it didn’t change the fact that I loved him. I may have been hurt and angry, but it didn’t mean that I didn’t love him. She loves you,” Mia said softly. “And that didn’t change because you hurt her. You’ll get the chance to make it right, Jace. You have to believe that. It’s what she needs right now more than anything. Faith. We have to believe that she’s going to pull through this, and you need to believe in your love.”

“Thank you,” Jace breathed. “You’re right. I know you’re right. She’s going to make it. She’s a fighter. She’s damn sure not a quitter or she would have quit long before now. And I’m going to be right there with her every step of the way. I’m not giving up, just like she won’t give up.”

Mia smiled and then leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “I like you in love, Jace. She’s good for you. I’m glad you’ve found that special someone. You deserve it for all the years you sacrificed to take care of me.”

Jace caught her hand and held it between them, anchoring himself in family and the unconditional love surrounding him. “It was never a sacrifice, Mia. I don’t have any regrets. I was waiting my entire life for her and now I’ve found her. I’m just glad we’re both happy now and have a very bright future to look forward to. Can’t wait for you to give me nieces and nephews to spoil shamelessly. I can’t wait for my own children to do the same with.”

Mia’s smile was breathtaking, lighting up her entire face. “That’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it? Us building families together. One big family.”

“Yeah, it is,” Jace returned softly.

“Mr. Crestwell?”

Jace whirled to see a doctor standing in the doorway.

“You can come back and stay with her now if you like.”

Jace surged to his feet, fearing the answer to his next question. “Is she okay? Did she . . . make it?”

The doctor’s expression was relieved but grim. “We got her back and we managed to get most of the drugs from her system. She’s resting comfortably now. She probably won’t come around for a while, but you can sit with her if you like.”

There was no question. He would stay with her until she woke again and he’d never leave her side.

Before he left, he turned his hard gaze on Kaden and then nodded in Jack’s direction. “You make sure he doesn’t go anywhere. I haven’t yet decided what’s to be done about him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jace hurried back to Bethany’s room. It was much quieter than before. His breath caught in his throat when he walked through the door and saw her on the bed, lying so pale and still.

He took a seat by her bedside, pulling the chair so he was right next to her head. She looked extremely fragile, like a porcelain doll, so still and quiet. He reached up to tuck a strand of hair away from her cheek and let his fingers trail down her skin.

The only sound was the heart monitor and the steady rhythm of her heart. She still wore a cannula, which fed oxygen into her nostrils. Other than that, she didn’t stir. Her breaths were so light that he leaned forward to reassure himself she was still breathing.

He pressed his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes as he savored the reassuring sound of the heart monitor. She was alive. She was breathing. Her heart beat. It was enough. No matter what happened from here on out, it would always be enough that she was alive and in his life.

“Come back to me, Bethany,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”

Chapter forty-one

Bethany’s dreams were tormented. Or maybe she was awake, but she couldn’t seem to make her eyes open. But she’d had the most horrible dream that she’d been in a hospital and Jace had been standing over her, fear blazing in his eyes. And then he’d told her that she’d overdosed. That she’d taken drugs and tried to kill herself!

Her heart hurt. Did he really think she could do something like that? And why couldn’t she seem to wake up so the horrible dream would go away?

She wanted Jace. Wanted him to hold her and to soothe the horrible ache in her chest. To tell her he’d never believe something so terrible of her. But then, he didn’t trust her yet. The other night had taught her as much.

She tried to open her eyes again and shake away the heavy veil that weighed her down. It hurt. God, it felt as though someone had driven a stake through her head. But she struggled on, determined to break free of the fog surrounding her.

Her eyelids slowly fluttered, each blink beating like a hammer. She dragged her lids upward and for a moment, utter panic swamped her. It was dark and unfamiliar and the smell—it was so sterile. Like a . . . hospital.

She glanced frantically around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She was in a strange bed. Not very comfortable either. A rhythmic beep-beep sounded loudly in her ear, making her wince.

“Jace?”

It came out more panicked sounding than she’d like, but she was scared and alone and she wanted Jace.

Then movement beside her, making her startle, and then Jace was suddenly looming over her, his eyes filled with anguish and relief.

“Bethany, baby, you’re awake. Thank God, you’re awake.”

His voice was clogged with emotion. It sounded as though he’d been crying. There was so much relief and worry all packed into those simple words that she was stunned and more befuddled than ever. What had happened? What was wrong?

She licked dry lips and swallowed. Her tongue was thick and like sawdust in her mouth.

“I had the most horrible dream,” she whispered. “What’s wrong with me, Jace? Where am I?”

He pressed a kiss to her brow and she could feel him trembling against her skin. Almost like he was desperately trying to maintain his composure. Then he took her hand, squeezing it in his. It was then she realized there was an IV in her arm.

“You were very sick, baby. I almost lost you. Thank God you came back to me.”

Maybe it hadn’t been a dream. Oh God, did that mean he thought she’d tried to kill herself? Hysteria rose in her throat and she made a strangled sound. She began to shake violently and Jace enfolded her in his arms, holding her tightly against him.

“Shhh, baby, it’s going to be all right now.”

“I didn’t do it, Jace,” she said vehemently. “Please, you have to believe me. I didn’t take anything! I wouldn’t!”

He stroked his hand down her hair and rocked her back and forth in his arms. “I know you didn’t, baby. I know.”

She went still and then pulled back so she could see his face. “You do?”