Page 57 of The Cruelty of Thorns

She offered a reassuring smile. “He should be. All his vitals are strong. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t woken up yet.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her before hurrying back to the room. I was just thinking about turning on the TV to see if the noise would bring him around when I heard him moan. I sat forward and stared at him, waiting for any sign he was waking.

His eyes raced back and forth beneath his lids like he was having a bad dream. “No,” he murmured. “I don’t–”

I stood up and grabbed his hand, hoping the contact would chase away whatever dream had him in its hold.

His eyes fluttered then opened, staring blankly around the room.

“Ron,” I breathed with a relieved sigh. “Thank God, you’re awake.”

He looked at me without recognition and opened his mouth. “Thirsty,” he croaked.

I grabbed the pitcher on the cart next to the bed and poured some water into the glass then brought it to his lips. His hand closed around it and tipped it up, swallowing a taste then gagging.

“I’m sorry.” I set the glass aside and used a tissue to wipe the water from his chin before closing my hand around his again. He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled, then slipped his hand away from mine, pulling it close to his chest like he didn’t want to be touched. The gesture bothered me, but I didn’t say anything.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

He opened his eyes but didn’t look at me. “Where am I?”

“The hospital. Toby found you unconscious. We were all so worried–”

“Toby found me?” he interrupted.

“Yeah. He couldn’t get you to wake up, so he called 911. What happened to you?”

His expression grew harder, his voice cold when he replied. “I’m fine. You can go now and tell everyone I’m okay.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but I didn’t know what to say. Why was he acting like I was a total stranger? “I was worried about you,” I said in a small voice.

“Why? So you have something to gossip about?”

“What? No. I…care about you. I’ve been sitting here all day waiting for you to wake up.”

“You’ve done your good deed. You can go home now.”

I blinked back the tears welling in my eyes. Why was he talking to me like this? It was as if he was someone I had never met before. He looked away from me, like he was refusing to acknowledge my presence. I waited a moment, hoping he would change his mind, that maybe he was still confused from the blood loss, but he simply stared straight ahead, his lips set in a grim line.

Seeing I wasn’t going to get a response from him, I picked up my purse and grabbed my jacket, scurrying from the room. I wanted to get away so badly I plowed right into the nurse in the hall.

“Whoa, slow down, hon.” She looked at me, at the tears now streaming down my face. “What happened?”

I shook my head. “He woke up.”

“Well, that’s good, right?”

“I thought so, until he told me to leave.”

“He what?”

I sniffled miserably. “It’s like he didn’t even know who I was.”

She glanced past me toward the room. “Wait here. I’ll go talk to him.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m just going to go. I…I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

I brushed past her before she could stop me and hurried down the hall, catching the elevator as it dinged open on the floor. Somehow I managed to get through the hospital and out the front door while calling an Uber to pick me up. I sat on a bench out front and waited for it, unable to stop the tears from flowing.

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