Chapter 19
11 was pouring in the morning. The skies were a sullen gray, and the streets were slick with water, Jennifer dione home after grocery shopping, and after some time, she started feeling apparently better, mare rectident and grounded. The conversation with Byron had really left her feeling hopeful Bit by bit, things were beginning to make seran again.
she hummed softly to the nines being played in her car as the heater warmed her cold fingers and she carefully sometimes an accident could just happen without any mistake from anyone,
From nowhere, the truck had come
(steering wheel. She wasn’t speeding. She wasn’t distracted But,
Even better anything, Jennifer was seeing the headlights too late. Trying to beat the red light, a delivery truck skickled on the wet roads and crashed into the intersection, She slammed on the brakes, bei heart leaping into her thanat. The sound of metal crashing into metal filled the air, and jenniler felt her body jerk forward, run with the seatbeli. Her head hit the steering. wheel hard, and everything went black
Byron was in his workshop when hh phone rang, Almost, he didn’t pick up – I was working on a cabinet and didn’t like interruptions. But something told him to answer. “Hello?” “Is this Byron Hart?” the voice on the other end asked. “Yes, who’s this?” “This is temorial General Hospital. We have Jennifer Lane here. She was in a car accident, nothing Ide–threatening bur we thought you should know. You’re listed as her emergency contact.” For a moment, Dyren er por how to breathe. “Which hospital?” he asked, prabbing his keys. His hands were shaking
Aaron got to the hospital, he rushed through the sliding doors, totally ignoring what the receptionists had to say and headed straight to the ER. “Jennifer Lane,” he told the nurse at the
she said, pointing. He didn’t wait.
Byron’s heart stopped as he stepped into the room. Jennifer was in propped up, forehead bandaged, arm slung in. She looked pale. There were tiny cuts across her face and braises were langan he check
But her eyes were open
sherited her pate upon him.
“Hey,” the whispered, his weak volen.
Byron rushed to her side and knelt beside her bed. “Jen. my God, air you okay?”.
She smiled family. “I’ve been better.”
“What happened?”
**TTuck ran a red light. Hit on the driver’s side. They said I was luckycould’ve been worse.”
Byron allowed hand, fighting to stay together. He held her uninjured hund delicately. “I thought I lost you.”
Dennifer’s maille vanished. “You came
“Of course I did You could’ve died. Ten I don’t think I could take that.”
he closed her eyes. “It was scary one second, I was driving next everything just hurt.”
Dyson stayed there with her and gently stroked her hand. He looked down at her differently now. This was not just care; it was fear. The fear of almost losing he had locked down every wall had tried to put up between them.
A few minutes later, the doctor came in. “She’s got a mild concussion, bruised ribs, and sprained wrist. We want to keep her overnight for observation, just to be safe.”
Byron moded. “I’m staying ”
“You don’t have to.” Jennifer munimated
The doctor smiled and lett.
Don wheeled over a chair to the side of her bed and sat down. “You scaled me, Jed
“I scared myself “”
They sat in silence for a while. The only sound in the room was the soft teeping of the heart monitor.
“bynen?” she said suddenly.
“Don you mean what you said? That you don’t want to be someone I can
down with?”
He looked at Int. “Yeal, but aber today I realized something Life is too short to keep doing what we have. You could’ve been taken from me in a second, and all this time I’ve been holding luck.”
Tetsuiter blinked, waiting
“I love you,” he said, voice trembling “I have loved you so long I’ve forgot when it started And today, when they told me you were buck.can’t pretend anymore.”
Train welled in her eyes. “I love you too.”
The smiled tgh his own tears. Then maybe just muşter.
Jennifer spent her night in the hospital, whille byconstayed next to her allihough. He helped her at up, bought her water, and even helped her set her pillow straight while the nurse man busy. They talked about everything little things, big things, things they liever had the courage to say liglere
I was in the silence of the night when Jenner stitches and reaches to his lund. “You stayed,” she whispers
51 always will.” he replies
And for the first time since the accident, she feels safe.
The following morning, Jennifer was discharged with struction to test on helped her in dressing, his touch gentle but his attention focused. Then he walked her out to the chy, slowly helping her into its passenger seat.
*1 will drive,” he said as he slid into the driver’s seat.
Tewas dibing her home when she turned her head to look out the window,
cane incontent, and everything changes. I keep thinking, what if iL WEER WOLIN
“But it wasn‘),” Byron said firmly. “You’re here. That’s what matters”
teen flying by in masses and stage,” the said after m
I was afraid to mome forward Eval everything, even letting it go with Devlin at first, there was still.
part of immatraid to think she didn’t deserve anything better.”
