Page 121 of Never the Same

“I don’t know if I can.” Tristan’s mouth tightened as if he didn’t want to say more before adding, “And it’s already been a week since you were given the first drug. I don’t think we should risk waiting any longer to give you the antidote.”

“Don’t give it to me,” I decided. “I’d rather keep this week than regain my other memories.”

Jason spun around, anguish warring in his expression. He snatched my hand, threading our fingers together. “Absolutely not. Don’t you dare choose me over your entire life.” His eyes, fierce and burning, pinned me hard. “I’ll never forgive myself if you do that.”

Everything inside me hurt as I stared back at him, unsure what to do or say. “After Gwen and Easton are out of surgery and okay, I’ll, um, give you all my answer then.” That was the best I could offer for now.

My dad surprised me by not arguing, and my family quietly filed out of my room.

Jason sat on the edge of the bed and held my hand. “I won’t let you do this.” His chest rose with a heavy breath he kept caged for too long before letting it go. “You’ve fallen for me, I know you have. And it can happen again.” His mouth tugged into the faintest smile. “I’m being presumptuous, but—”

“I am falling,” I admitted, the words trembling out of me. “You brought me back to life, even without my memories. And I know this week did the same for you.”

He gathered me in his arms, pressing my cheek to his chest. His heartbeat thundered steady and strong beneath my ear, the only anchor in a world unraveling.

“I can’t forget,” I begged, clutching him, digging my nails into his back. “Please.”

A ragged breath tore from him. He held me tighter, hiding his face in my hair. “You will find your way back to me. You’re stronger than any drug.” His voice wavered as he rasped, “And you can be sure I’ll be a pain in your ass until you remember us.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

Reed

Ten hours later, the seventh floor of the hospital continued to hold its collective breath. The low hum of the fluorescent lights, the footsteps echoing down the hall, and the steady rhythm of beeping from screens in the nurses’ station were the only constants. Everything else remained suspended as we waited for Gwen to open her eyes.

I rested my back against the wall in the hall, keeping my distance from where Easton hovered outside Gwen’s room alongside his sister, Juliette. His face was battered, mottled with bruises, his arm in a sling, crutches tucked underneath him to take the weight off his bad leg. But he’d survived, and he’d heal with a few months of PT.

Now we needed Gwen to wake up and for the doctors to deliver good news, preferably before her father, Wyatt Pierson, arrived, which would be soon.

I’d been with Hollis all night and morning, sleeping in the bed with her at her insistence.

Her brothers had shown up about fifteen minutes ago, fortunately when I was sitting next to her and not in her bed, so I’d wandered into the hall to give them privacy. I assumed they planned to talk to her about Lyra.

I swiveled my ball cap backward and shoved away from the wall at the sight of Constantine returning with our coffees. His son balanced the tray while Constantine pushed a baby stroller.

I stole a look at Illiana asleep as Constantine handed me my coffee. “She’s—”

“A gift from God,” Constantine finished for me while freeing a cup from the tray for himself.

“I’ll take these two over to Mom and Uncle E.” Colin, who was practically a copy-and-paste version of his dad, gave me a tight smile, then took off.

With one hand, Constantine pushed the stroller back and forth, just enough to keep his daughter asleep, while sipping his coffee. “Easton’s never going to forgive himself for this.”

“It wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t make a controlled landing in the middle of the forest after taking a direct hit, and—”

“His skill is the only reason they didn’t die on impact,” he cut me off, setting his coffee in the stroller’s cupholder. “But he’s not going to listen, not with Gwen in that room fighting for her life.”

Those last words burrowed under my skin like an itch I couldn’t scratch. Fighting for her life. I barely knew her, but the thought of losing her hit harder than I expected.

“Juliette’s got everyone she knows all over the world praying for her. She’ll make it out okay. She has to,” he said with conviction.

I focused on Easton with his sister and nephew. Juliette was clearly trying to calm Easton down and reassure him everything would be okay and that this wasn’t his fault. He should’ve been in bed, but he’d ignored the doctors to be out there waiting by Gwen’s room.

“Is Carter almost here with Wyatt and the others?” I asked.

Carter, Jesse, and Griffin had gone to the airport to pick everyone up. I wasn’t sure who was on the plane with Wyatt, but I had a feeling quite a few worried people had traveled with him.

“Yeah,” he breathed out. “And I have a feeling Wyatt’s going to misplace his anger on someone the second he gets here.”