Page 133 of The Billionaire's Virgin

There was an oxygen mask over my mouth and nose, but I realized I could remove it easily. Once I had, I felt a little freer. I opened my mouth to speak, but only a croak came out. I struggled to get those first words out, but the moment I made a raspy sound, Reed jumped awake and stared at me.

“Taylor,” he breathed, as elation filled his face.

I smiled. “Hey there,” I said.

It sounded like I’d swallowed a frog, but I didn’t care. It was so nice to be awake. It was so nice to feel like I had my feet firmly planted in reality after days of dreaming. It was so unbelievably nice to see Reed.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead with pressure that betrayed how relieved he was. “Hey, you,” he whispered to me. “How are you feeling?”

“Good,” I replied.

“Do you want some water?”

“Yes, please.” I nodded as best I could.

He held up a glass to my mouth, and I sipped slowly. I felt a little better after that. “I need to get the doctor in here, okay?” Reed told me.

I wanted to stop him, but he was already gone. I had wanted it to be the two of us for just a moment longer. A few seconds later, Reed reappeared with a doctor and two nurses in tow. They checked my vitals and asked me to do a few basic tests to make sure my brain was functioning okay. When they were satisfied that I was okay, they left after what felt like a lifetime and Reed and I were left alone again.

“Where’s Jenna?” I asked immediately.

“She’s gone out for lunch with Megan and Jennifer,” Reed replied. “They were here all morning. I just texted and told Jennifer that you were awake.”

I nodded. “She’s okay… Jenna?”

“She was shaken,” Reed replied. “More so because you were shot… but she’s doing well all things considered.”

“And Sofia?”

“She was taken into custody and detained without bail this time,” Reed told me. “My lawyers are confident that she’ll get a decent sentence; she’s got kidnapping, stalking, and attempted murder under her belt.”

“Attempted murder?” I repeated, in surprise.

“Taylor,” Reed said, cupping my face with his hand. “She tried to kill you.”

“I don’t think that was ever her intention,” I said. “She just wanted me out of the way.”

“I don’t care,” Reed replied. “I’m going to make sure she’s locked up for good long time.”

“She needs therapy.”

“She’ll get it in prison,” Reed replied. “Don’t feel sorry for her; her father will make sure that jail life is comfortable for her.”

I smiled. “I wasn’t feeling sorry for her.”

“You could have fooled me.”

“I dreamt a lot…”

“Any good dreams?” Reed asked.

“The good ones always involved you and Jenna,” I admitted. “Sometimes… I even heard your voices.”

“That was probably snippets of reality getting through to your subconscious,” Reed said. “You may have heard us.”

“What’s happening in six months?” I asked.

Reed frowned. “What?”