Page 32 of Jared's Redemption

“Amelia?” I’m nearly too afraid to ask. Jared nods, his eyes red with more unshed tears.

“You saved her, Luna. Not a scratch on her. Your mother just went home to get some sleep. She hasn’t left your side.”

My throat aches as relief fills me, and I nod to myself.

“Hate hospitals.” I grumble, making him shake his head with a laugh. He sits on the edge of my bed, brushing a strand of hair off my face while I try to move my body. My body is a mix of sore and fuzzy, which I assumed is from pain medication.

“How bad?” I ask. He holds a foam cup with a straw up to my lips as I take long sips to coat my sore throat.

“You died, Luna. You died in my arms.”

The admission makes my blood turn cold as I look closer at him. There are dark circles under his eyes and his unkept beard is longer.

“He was a mess.” Isabelle says, walking in with two cups of coffee and hands him one. “He threatened a doctor at gun point. Told him if you died, then he did too.” She says, tsking him before standing at the foot of my bed. I snort a laugh, sucking a sharp breath through my teeth at the pain in my ribs.

“You saved my baby. I will forever be in your debt.” Isabelle says as she steps up next to me, brushing a featherlight touch across my cheek before placing a gentle kiss on the top of my head. The act catches me off guard as I bite my lip, blinking back tears. We sit in silence for a moment while I gather my composure and look over at Jared.

“I’m surprised they didn’t kick you out?” I say, and he rubs a hand over the back of his neck. Jared takes a drink from his coffee, avoiding looking at me.

“They did. So he bought the hospital.” Isabelle says, snickering behind her hand when he shoots her a dirty look.

“How can you afford to buy a hospital?” My voice is high pitched with shock as he shrugs.

“Don’t worry about it. All that matters is that you’re okay.” He says, gently cradling my hand in one of his.

“Where is the doctor?”

“I asked him to give you two some space, figured you’d want to hear from a friendly face.” She says, taking my other hand.

“What?”

Jared shoots Isabelle a pissed off look before softening his eyes to look at me.

“You’re beautiful, Luna. Even when your life was on the line, you tried to protect Isabelle. You saved our Amelia,” Jared starts, dropping his eyes, but not before I glimpse the regret. “I should have been there to save you.” He says, as Isabelle pulls a compact mirror from her purse and holds it up.

I cringe, just as the person in the reflection does the same. She stares back at me in her misery, part of her cheek marred with angry red marks that crawl up onto the scalp and meet her pale hair. My lip trembles and tears spill from my shimmering eyes as I try to turn away. Jared grips the side of my head that’s not scarred by burns and jerks me to stare at him.

“Don’t do that. Don’t hide from me,” He pleads. I barely notice Isabelle slipping silently from the room, the click of the door closing behind her as a sob breaks my chest.

“Look at me.” I cry, looking down at the crumpled blue hospital gown I wear. Bandages wrap around both of my upper arms, and a pillow props up my left leg that also feels swathed in a wrap.

“Lunatic, you need to realize that I see you. I see every inch of you, and I love every part of you. These scars, they match my own.” He says.

Chapter 23- Jared

It was time for me to confess. Confess my sins to the only salvation I have ever prayed for. As I looked into the eyes of a woman on the edge of breaking, my heart was torn. Flashes of fire surrounding us, the universe sick with its sense of humor. Watching Luna fight, her dying breath was a roar of fury, stronger than a thousand men.

I can still see Steffen, holding the gun to her face while she smiled like an angel of death. Begging her to open her eyes, I pleaded with any God who would listen for her life while Steffen screamed and thrashed as his blood pooled around him.

The image of me leveling my gun at him and pulling the trigger, even with her life dangling in his hands, haunts me.

She was in danger no matter what decision I made, and I knew this was what she would want. His body fell to the ground, and she fell with him. Forcing myself forward through the flames, shutting out everything except her lifeless form in the dirt. I felt her take a final, shuddering breath in my arms.

But she came back when I laid her in the snow and pressed my mouth to hers, forcing air into her lungs. Slamming my hands onto her chest, pushing through the feeling of her bones breaking under my palms. I had to force myself to keep going as her blood oozed from the gunshot to her side.

Until she wheezed, a choked scream of pain making her body jerk under me.

“Jared?” Luna says my name softly, bringing me back to this moment. The worst day of my life was three weeks ago, and she was here. Alive. And she deserved to know the truth.

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