Page 57 of Beneath the Sapphire Sky

Jack let out a mirthless grunt of laughter. “The ones in the general vicinity, at least. I don’t want to interfere—”

“Then don’t.”

“—but you were pretty harsh, sis. He didn’t deserve that.”

Belle closed her eyes against the wave of unhappiness and shame. “I know,” she whispered.

It wasn’t Dante’s fault that she wanted more from him than she thought he was prepared to give. It wasn’t Dante’s fault she’d let herself fall for him.

She pulled out from under Jack’s arm and leaned against the cold glass of the ICU room and stared at the gentle, reassuring, rhythmic rise and fall of her mother’s chest.

“I don’t know what to say. I was horrible to him.”

“I’m sorryusually works. It’s a start, at least.”

She rested her head on the glass. Her warm breath misted against it. She wiped at it distractedly.

“I’ve been so selfish. I made it all aboutmewhen all he’d done was try to be there for me. I didn’t stop to think how he’d be feeling, how it would bring back all those memories of losing his own mum. I didn’t give him a chance to speak.”

Jack leaned his back against the glass in front of her and stared at her. “Yeah. I can guarantee he feels bloody awful about all of it. You guys never fight. Nothing serious, anyway. Taking a shot at him about his relationships? That was low. The guy hardly ever goes out with anyone anyway; it’s not like he’s a manwhore.”

Despite herself, Belle let out a short laugh. Dante was anythingbut.

“I know.”

Jack rubbed his arms. “Yeah. That title goes to Raph. Seriously, though, you owe him an apology.”

Belle rubbed her eyes, suddenly weary beyond words. “How do I make it up to him? I hurt him, Jack. I really hurt him.”

Jack lifted her chin and sent her a wry smile. “One step at a time.”

*

Belle pressed herhand to her stomach and closed her eyes at the nervous butterflies flocking in her belly and hit Dante’s contact number.

She breathed through the nervousness while she waited for the call to connect. Her mother was comfortable; she was sleeping now.

She was safe.

She breathed deeply to speak when the line connected, then let it out on a sad sigh as it flicked over to voicemail.

“You know what to do. Leave me a message and I’ll get back to you.”

A shortbeep, then the crackle of static.

“Dante? I-it’s me. Please, I…” She shook her head at her own lack of eloquence. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I can never thank you enough for what you did. I’m so sorry for what I said, for… all of it. I didn’t mean it. I hurt you and…” She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m just really sorry.”

She bit her lip and looked out the window at the city skyline. “I know you might not want to talk to me right now, and I understand that, I really do. I just hope that you can forgive me. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

She ended the call and stared sightlessly at the city.

Had he not answered because of what she’d said, because he didn’t want to talk to her, or was he still out with Mac and the teams, sorting things out, cleaning up?

She supposed it didn’t really matter. She’d hurt him. He was entitled to be angry, upset. She was the one who needed to fix it. He’d done nothing wrong.

*

Belle sat holdingher mother’s hand while the doctor finished his check-up. Jem looked around the room, bewildered.

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