Page 76 of When You Saved Me

Bright white light flooded my vision as I cracked my eyes open.

Everything hurt.

I thought I groaned, but I couldn’t be sure because my ears felt like they were full of water.

I blinked again. Squinting my eyes tight enough so that the light didn’t hurt too much, but wide enough for me to see that I was in a car.

Panic seized my chest as I realized what happened.

Crash.

Fire.

Explosion.

Deacon.

Tears came and there was no holding back the aching sob that wracked my body—making everything hurt worse.

“Deacon!” I tried to scream, but thetightness in my throat strangled the effort I put in, making his name sound quiet and gargled.

“I’m here.” Deacon’s voice came through like he was far away, but then I felt his hand squeeze mine, realizing he’d been holding it the entire time.

“I’ve got you, Charlie. I’ve got you.”

Something about the way he said it made me relax. Like there was nothing else I needed to worry about.

The heaviest fatigue I’d ever felt before settled so deep in my body, I could feel it in my bones. Flashes of light and darkness flickered through the window.

He has me.I’m safe.

I’m safe.

I’m safe.

The words replayed over and over again in my mind until I closed my eyes and let the darkness come again.

Chapter 27

Deacon

“Sarah!” I cried into the phone.

“Deacon, what’s the matter?” Her voice was sharp with concern. “What’s going on?”

“I…” With me back against the wall outside of Charlie’s hospital room, I slid down until I hit the floor.

I can’t do this. I can’t lose her. I can’t fucking lose her!

“There was an accident. Charlie…” Just saying her name out loud had my chest hurting so badly, I thought I was going to fucking die.

“Where are you, Deacon?” There was a rustling sound on the other end of the phone, like Sarah was getting out of bed or something.

“Hospital.” The single word burned in my throat.

“We’re on our way.”

“Thank you, Sarah,” I whispered into the phone. It was all I could muster before I broke down and let the weight of everything that happened consume me.

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