Page 130 of Indigo Sky

And that right there was the truth, regardless of what anyone else wanted to tell me.

She wouldn’t have been there if I had just lied about what Nate and I had done years ago.

And now, this—all of this—was on me and my inability to just let it go.

Wendy and Saul woke up at some point. Saul grumbled something unintelligible as Wendy hurried to wrap her arms around me, cooing whispers of reassurance that everything would be okay. But what the hell did she know?

“Hey, Saul?” Kate said.

It was the first thing she had said since I’d begun to break down—or at least, it was the first thing I’d heard.

Wendy handed me a wad of tissues, and I wiped angrily at my face.

Fuck, why couldn’t I keep my shit together for longer than a few minutes?

“Yeah, baby girl?” Saul asked, hurrying to her side like a doting father.

Howard. Where was her dad? God, was he okay?

Asshole. Of course he’s not okay.

“Can you guys give us a few minutes?”

Saul hesitated, but Wendy was already heading for the door.

“Saul,” she commanded with a harsh bite.

Saul glanced at me, hesitation in his hardened glare. I thought he’d ignore his wife, thought he’d insist on staying, but then he nodded. “We’ll just be out in the hall.”

There was a warning in his voice, telling me to proceed with caution. He didn’t have to worry about me though. I was already well aware that I had no claim to her time or energy. I didn’t deserve it.

They left, the door clicked shut, and all the oxygen was squeezed out of the room.

I hung my head, not knowing what to say. Not knowing if I should be the first to say it … whateveritwas. There weren’t enoughsorrys on the planet, and I wasn’t sure the words existed to cover how much I despised myself for what had happened. Talking seemed pointless, futile, but I would accept whatever verbal lashing she felt I deserved. It was the least I could do.

“Revan,” Kate said, her voice suddenly so loud above the beeping of her heart monitor.

“Yeah?” I answered, unable to look at her.

“Come here.”

I took a step closer, rounding the bed toward the chair. I wasn’t sure if I should sit, wasn’t sure if she wanted me here that long. But I stood beside it.

“No, I-I mean …”

The sheets rustled, and I looked up to watch as she shifted, moving over in the bed.

“Can you …” Her voice cracked; her breath hitched with a quiet sob. “C-can you just … h-hold me? Please?”

I looked at the empty space beside her on the bed. The IV line taped to her hand. The bruises on her face, her arms, her neck. I trembled with the fear that I’d snap her in half if I so much as breathed on her, let alone put my arms around her battered body.

“I-I don’t want to hurt—"

“You couldn’t possibly hurt me any more than I am,” she cut me off. “Youwouldn’t.”

I already did, I thought, but I didn’t say as much while I swallowed against every other protest and inched my way closer to the bed.

Then, I carefully sat down, eased back against the uncomfortable pillows, and extended my arm for her to nestle in against me. She sniffled and offered a smile that didn’t come close to touching her eyes, then tucked herself against my body.

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