Page 140 of Catch the Sun

A feeling sinks into me.

A jab of awareness. An elbow to my gut.

I turn around slowly when a flash of copper hair catches in my peripheral vision.

And I freeze.

A cloud of disbelief swirls around me as my eyes meet with familiar dark green.

I gasp. Choke. Teeter, sway, and shake.

He stares at me from the edge of the kitchen, heavy emotion glowing in his gaze. His voice hitches as he says with a smile I haven’t seen since I was fifteen years old, “Hey, Piglet.”

The last thing I hear is my own wailing cry.

Then my mother’s arms are around me, catching me as I go down.

Chapter 33

Ella

Jonah sits beside me on the couch.

Jonah.

Sits.

Beside me.

On.

The.

Couch.

Mom holds a tissue over her mouth and nose, seated on my opposite side, stroking my hair back as my body shivers violently through the earthquake.

“I told you to wait in the kitchen,” Mom scolds, her voice a distorted garble. “I wanted to ease her into it. She’s still fragile, Jonah.”

“I’ve waited years. I couldn’t wait any longer.”

This is a trick.

This isn’t real.

I’m still in a coma.

Holy shit—I’m still in a coma.

I pinch my skin, pull at my hair, stomp my feet.

Wake up, Ella.

Wake. Up!

The scenery doesn’t change.

I tilt my head left and Jonah is still next to me, his arm draped over the back of the couch, his expression creased with affection and concern as he rubs my back and tells me it’s okay.

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