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“Why are you telling me this?” Why does everyone just want to hurt me?

He looks over at Savannah as she gives him a go to hell look, and he sighs. “Because if you love him half as much as I love Savannah, then you need to let him know.” He speaks to me but keeps his eyes on Savannah.

I bite my bottom lip nervously. “What if he doesn’t care how I feel?” What if he tells me he’s changed his mind? That it’s not love he feels for me?

“You have to try.” I look up at Savannah. “I know you better than you know yourself. And although I’m pissed at Blane, I agree with him. You’ll never know what you’ve lost unless you know what he’s willing to offer you.” She smiles softly. “At least give yourselves a chance to try.”

I nod my head at her. “I gotta go,” I say turning away from them and walking to the garage. I pause when I open the door and see his Corvette is gone and I don’t have a car here. I turn to ask Blane if I can borrow whatever he drove to get here when I see Case’s keys to a truck hanging on a nail on the wall. They go to the exact same black GMC parked in the garage. It has to be Case’s because I know it sure as hell isn’t my brother’s. Making up my mind, I grab them and close the door behind me. Not even caring that I’m still dressed in Case’s clothes and haven’t had a shower.

***

I walk around the hospital for over forty-five minutes trying to find Brecken’s room. Every nurse I ask looks at me with a confused expression when I ask for Brecken. So I quit asking and just start looking. I know he’s in the ICU, but I never thought that could consist of so many rooms.

So I was extremely excited when I opened a door and there he was lying in a bed. But my excitement fell when I saw Case wasn’t in there with him.

“He went to get some coffee,” Brecken all but whispers when he looks over to see me.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” When I looked in here, his eyes were shut.

“You’re fine. Don’t get much sleep in here when the nurses come in to poke at you every thirty damn minutes,” he mumbles.

I smile at how good he looks for someone who was just shot. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been shot in the chest,” he growls

I chuckle. “Well, you look good,” I offer. He has several machines hooked up to his chest, an IV in his right arm. The machines chirp loudly, and I can see how hard it would be to get some rest in here.

“Thanks. But I have a feeling you didn’t come here to see me.”

“I need to talk to Case,” I say looking at the floor.

He chuckles and then hisses in a breath at the pain it causes him. “He won’t shut up about you.” I look up at him. “Another reason I can’t get any sleep.”

“Is he telling you how much he hates me?” I ask softly.

“Stupid girl,” he whispers with a smirk. “He loves you.” His eyes slide to mine. “And you love him.”

“I don’t know him,” I say in denial.

“What is there to know?” he asks in all seriousness.

“Well, for starters, his real name.”

“Why?” he asks as if that’s crazy. “It’s just a name.” I go to say something, but he continues. “Plus. He already told you that,” he says matter-of-factly.

I narrow my eyes on him. “Does he tell you everything?”

“Yes,” he replies simply.

I run a hand through my hair. “Well, that’s not enough,” I reply sharply. “He hasn’t told me about his family …”

“He doesn’t have a family,” he replies as he tries to sit up in his bed. I walk over to him and help him adjust his pillow, as he gets comfortable.

“Yes, he does,” I say once he’s situated. “I saw the picture. I’ve tried to ask about them before and he shuts me down. And his sister … I saw her in a picture at his house.” I sigh heavily. “Who doesn’t want to talk about their family?”

“Nicole.”

The name makes my skin break out in goosebumps and I stare at him wide-eyed. “What did you say?”