Page 23 of Perfidious Passion

I sigh and bite back the tears that threaten to fall. "I know, D."

Fuck, we've gone through every emotion. I'm zoning out, running through every possibility in my head, and Dean hasn't stopped pacing and muttering under his breath for the past forty-five minutes. I've seen him continuously wipe tears away too. Aaron's angry now, shouting into his cell phone that probably needs to be charged.

"What if?—"

"NO!" Aaron shouts, making me jump and scowl at him over the back of the couch. His phone sits on the island in front of him, and he has a finger pointed at Dean angrily. "We arenotplaying the fuckingwhat-ifgame. Do you hear me?!"

I rise from the couch and step between them. "Aaron, hey. Calm down, please. We're all just scared."

His glare turns on me, but after a moment, his stiff posture sags in defeat. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"It's alright," my brother replies softly behind me.

I want to fix this. The need to erase the pain in my family's eyes makes me feel like I'm being crushed by the weight of something that doesn't even belong to me. Taking on their suffering just so they can smile again doesn’t bother me. I have to make everything okay.

Is this how Lilly feels?This awful, guilty urge to make everything as good as it can possibly be for everyone else but myself. Is this how it is for her? Fucking hell...Lilly, you can't possibly carry this pressure anymore.

When we get her home, we're working out all of our fucking issues. No ifs, ands, or buts. My woman won't carry this soul-crushing expectation on her shoulders any longer.

"Aaron—"

Dean cuts me off with a shout that sends straight adrenaline down my spine. "I'm getting a call!"

Aaron and I practically trample each other, getting into the living room. But we're just in time for Dean to answer on speakerphone. "Hello, this is Dean."

"Am I speaking with a Mr. Dean Walker?"

"Y-yes," my twin stutters, clutching his phone like the woman on the other end of the line will hang up on him.

"I'm calling from Silver Oak Regional Hospital." My blood runs cold. "You are Mrs. Lillia Walker's emergency contact."

"My-my-She's my wife," Dean whispers brokenly. "What's going on?"

I clasp my brother's arm to keep his shaking steady. It feels like my soul shifts and writhes until it's pushing through my skin and rising above me to watch as if I'm a bystander to this nightmare.

"Your wife was brought in about forty-five minutes ago. Mr. Walker, we believe it would be best for you to come see her."

"What happened to her?" I blurt, but if the woman hears any difference in our voices, she doesn't say anything.

"I am not permitted to say. Visiting hours are over, but due to her mental health and the nature of her case, Mrs. Walker's doctor is willing to grant you an extended stay with her overnight."

"Oh my god. Oh, I—Yes. Of course. Fuck. Of course! I'll be there as fast as possible!"

The woman’s voice on the other line turns soft and less matter of fact. "Please drive safe, sir. Your wife needs you in one piece."

"Where is she?!Lilly Walker, where is?—"

Aaron's cut off when a shrill voice echoes down the white hallway. "NO! Please, call them! I need them here with me!"

Like a lightning bolt shocking me into action, I bolt toward Lilly's voice, ignoring the shouts of the night nurses. "LILLY?!"

"CALEB?!"Lilly!

Like the heavens are opening up, I see a wide-eyed woman in a lab coat peeking out of a room ahead of me. But the godlikefeeling of being close to Lilly again crashes down right into the pits of fucking hell when I rush into her room.

Lilly lies in a bed, writhing and trying to kick the nurses away so she can get to me. Her arms fling out like she needs me to catch her, and I do, but not before I catalog the bruises forming on her left cheekbone and her red-rimmed eyes.

I try to be as gentle as possible, but the only way to keep her from falling to the ground after finally flinging the nurses off is to catch her face first against my chest.

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