Page 80 of Suddenly Yours

The nurse chatted cheerfully while she checked my vitals, then asked me a few questions—my name, the date, where I was. I answered them all, though the date took a little longer than it should have. She nodded, satisfied.

“I’m going to let the doctor know you’re awake,” she said. “You’ve got some broken ribs, cuts and bruises, most likely a concussion, but you’re very lucky. Very,” she added, touching my shoulder lightly.

I glanced at Missy. “I guess I’m hard to get rid of.”

She gave me a look that was half glare, half devastation. “Don’t joke,” she warned softly as more tears rolled down her cheeks.

The nurse left, and Missy immediately reached for her phone. “I’m calling Max,” she said. “He and Cora went to grab lunch downstairs.”

I barely had time to process that before she was speaking into the phone, her voice trembling slightly. “He’s awake.”

Shortly after, Max and Cora burst into the room. Max crossed it in three long strides, gripping my shoulder carefully.

“Jesus, man,” he said, relief written all over his face. “You had us scared.”

Cora smiled at me through shiny eyes. “We’re so glad you’re okay.”

“Define okay,” I muttered as I shifted slowly. Those broken ribs were the center of all my pain. That and my skin. It felt like I’d skidded along wet cement butt naked.

Max huffed a weak laugh. “Yeah, well, trust me when I say, the way your truck looked, it could’ve been much worse.” His expression sobered. “The police came by again this morning.”

That got my attention. Though I could remember bits of the accident, what led up to it was still a blank. Still, I’d had some time to think things through since waking up and doubted I’d just run myself off the road. “What’d they say?”

“They confirmed that Levi was not in town when the accident happened,” Max said carefully. “There’s no credit card use, no hotel or Airbnb reservations. They don’t think it was him.”

Confusion slid through the haze in my head. “Then what…? I skidded off the road myself?” I vaguely remember it raining. Could I have hydroplaned?

“No, they’re pretty sure you were run off the road. The tire marks on the road confirm that, as well as the paint and damage on your truck,” Cora said quietly. “But they don’t know by who.”

I frowned, trying to pull up any memory beyond leaving the job site and bits and pieces of the actual wreck. There was nothing. Just blank space.

“I don’t remember,” I admitted. “I remember locking up. Getting in the truck. Then bits of the accident, the truck flipping several times. That’s it.”

Max nodded. “The doc said that might happen. Rest, it will come back to you. We’ll get whoever did this.”

“You don’t think Levi hired someone…” Cora asked as she turned to Missy. “Do you?”

Missy shifted. “I wouldn’t put it past him. If he went as far as to destroy Cade’s business and mine, then…” She let the rest go unsaid, the heaviness of it floating in the quiet room like a ton of bricks.

A doctor appeared not long after that, and before I knew it, Max and Cora were ushered out so I could rest. Thankfully, Missy was allowed to stay.

The room felt quieter once we were alone again. Lighter.

Missy sat down in the chair and leaned her forehead against the mattress near my arm, her grip tightening around my hand like she was anchoring herself.

“I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered.

My throat burned and the pain medicine the nurse had given me caused me to float again. “You didn’t.”

Her shoulders shook. Then she looked up at me, her eyes searching mine.

“I love you,” she said softly. The words almost rushed out, raw and unguarded. “I’ve loved you for so long, and I was scared of telling you. Of ruining us. Of losing you. And now…” Her voice broke completely. “I almost did lose you anyway without you knowing how I feel.”

My heart swelled so hard it hurt more than my ribs.

I lifted my hand, slowly, carefully, and brushed my thumb across her cheek, catching a tear. “Missy,” I murmured, “I’ve known how you feel toward me since we were kids. I’ve known from the moment you kissed me. But I’m thankful that you finally said it out loud.” My words were slurring together. I was moments away from falling back into a deep slumber but needed to say one more thing.

She let out a shaky laugh through her tears and bent to kiss me again, pressing her forehead to mine.