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Her eyes opened slowly before she winced again, and I quickly jumped up and closed the curtains to dim the light in the room. When her blue eyes finally met mine, it felt like I took the first full breath I’d taken in days.
“Harry.” Her voice was still scratchy from lack of use, but God, it was so good to hear it. Before she could ask, I grabbed the cup of water the nurses had left in the room with a straw just in case she woke up and put it to her lips.
She took a small sip, and then another.
“Thanks,” she said, her voice a little stronger. “How long have I been out?” she whispered.
“Two days.”
Her eyes widened slightly. Then her gaze traced over my face— no doubt seeing the stubble I hadn’t bothered to shave and the shadows under my eyes from lack of decent sleep.
She squeezed my hand. “I love you, Harry.”
I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead, mindful of the bandage. “I love you too, Sam,” I said against her skin. “I love you so much.” All the fear I’d carried came out in a rush. “I was so afraid I was going to lose you.”
Her fingers tightened around mine. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me for life.”
I huffed out a watery laugh. “You promise?”
Her lips lifted in a small smile. “Promise,” she whispered, her voice still a bit hoarse.
The door opened and Carla appeared, taking one look at Sam’s open eyes before a wide smile broke out across her face. “Well, hello there,” she said, already moving to check the monitors. “Welcome back, Sam. You had quite a lot of people worried. Let me grab the doctor.”
She slipped out and returned a few minutes later with the doctor right behind her. He ran through a series of checks to assess if there were any neurological impairments. She could remember her name, the year, and where she was, but she couldn’t remember the accident itself, which the doctor said was normal. They’d run more tests, but the initial signs were strong.
When they left, the room went quiet again and Sam’s eyes found mine, but they looked heavier than they had a few minutes ago.
“Sleep,” I told her.
“I’ve been sleeping for two days. I don’t understand why I’m so tired.”
“Your body is recovering. Give it what it needs. It’s okay. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“You better be,” she murmured. Her eyes closed, and within seconds her breathing evened out and her lips parted slightly.
A few minutes later, the door opened quietly and two figures slipped in.
Jordan stopped at the foot of the bed, his jaw tight and his eyes red-rimmed. He looked like he hadn’t slept much either. Eric was right behind him, and his face crumpled the second he saw his sister sleeping.
“The nurse came out to the waiting room and told us she woke up.”
“She did. She’s just resting right now. She’ll be okay.”
They both seemed to sag with relief. They’d been here nearly as much as I had although they’d opted to wait in the waiting room instead of crowding Sam’s room.
Jordan leaned against the wall, his gaze locked on Sam’s sleeping form while Eric took the other chair next to her bed.
“Have you heard from your parents?”
“Just Dad,” Jordan said. “He asked if he should come. But I’m leaving it up to her. After what happened at the rink, this is her call. If she wants him here, then we’ll let him know, but he certainly doesn’t deserve it after how he’s treated her. Honestly, I’m surprised he offered at all considering we haven’t heard a word from Mom. Eric and I agreed we’re done trying to force this family back together. All that matters is that Sam knows we’re here for her no matter what.”
We exchanged a look that conveyed the gratitude I felt. He knew. He got it.
“I texted Foster, and he’s letting everyone else know that she’s awake,” Eric said before shooting me a smile. “I have no doubt they’ll all show up in the next half hour.”
I let my own smile lift my face. I had no doubt he was right. They’d bring food and flowers and converge on the hospital, making sure Sam knew how loved she was.
FORTY-TWO
