Page 127 of Love in the Wild

Gage squeezed his eyes closed. He couldn’t think about Rome yet. He had to find Hadley.

“There!” Mr. Benson shouted beside Gage.

Gage opened his eyes and followed the direction where Mr. Benson pointed.

Hadley lay on her back on the ground with her eyes closed. Travis was crouched beside her, holding her wrist in his hand.

37

GAGE

Gage’s heart jerked to a halt. Please let her be alive. Please let her be alive.

Travis lifted his head and turned to them. The expression on his face didn’t reveal anything as he waved them over.

Gage broke into a run, keeping his attention locked on Hadley as he jumped over anything in his path.

God, please save her. I need her. Please.

Travis lifted a hand to stop Gage before he got too close. “Don’t move her until more paramedics arrive. We need to make sure she doesn’t have internal bleeding or punctured lungs.”

Gage fell to his knees at her side. “Is she okay?”

“I don’t know. She’s conscious, but she’s in a lot of pain. She’s trying to stay very still.”

Nothing about her looked okay. Her long hair was wet and stuck to the ground and her shoulders. The skin just below her eyes was dark, and her closed eyes were slightly squinted in pain.

“Talk to me, sunshine. Please say something.”

Her eyes opened, and a rush of air fled from his lungs. Just seeing her bright-green eyes brought his dying soul back to life. Something in his chest hitched. Her pain clawed at his insides, sending everything in his gut roiling.

“She might not want to talk,” Travis said. “She landed mostly in the water, but I think her back hit one of the river rocks.”

The river. She’d fallen into the river. Looking around, most of the river had large rocks and boulders in it, forcing the water to rush around the obstacles. If she’d landed mostly in the water, Rome had pushed her well into the middle of the chasm.

Rome. He lay frozen on the rocks with his blood being dragged along with the rushing water.

Travis handed Hadley’s wrist over to Gage and stood. “I should go check him out.”

Gage tried to keep his grip on Hadley’s hand light, but his own hands were shaking. Focusing on the steady pulse against his fingers, he swallowed hard and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m okay.” Her words were soft but sure as she blinked her eyes and focused her gaze on him. “I didn’t fall on anything. I got pushed into a rock after. It’s not that bad, but Travis said I should stay still until the other paramedics get here.”

“You’re not okay. I can’t believe I let this happen. I should have been there.”

“It’s not your fault. You can’t just stop living your life to watch over me all the time.”

Gage closed his eyes. Where had he heard that before?

Thea. He’d failed her too. He’d opened his heart to someone despite knowing it was a risk, and now the ones he cared about were hurt–taking his punishment.

“I would. I would do anything for you. I’m sorry,” he whispered as he rested his forehead against their clasped hands.

Hadley gripped his hand. “Stop. I love you.”

Gage shook his head. The mistakes he’d made were all gathering, ganging up on him for one big payback. “That’s a mistake. I don’t have anything to offer you, and all I’ve done is cause you pain.”

“Stop it,” she whispered. “I get to make my own decisions, and I choose you. I choose us.”

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