Page 91 of The Scars of Us

Just as I was about to speak, he mumbled, “Kaiya, I—”

His hand went limp, falling from my face as his eyes shut.

No.“Ryker! Ryker, wake up!” I shrieked as I lightly smacked his face, trying to wake him. “Don’t leave me!”

The stomping of multiple pairs of feet sounded behind me, but all I could focus on was waking Ryker up.

“Open your eyes! Damn it, look at me, baby! Please!” I desperately screamed.

I heard voices, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Hands grabbed me and pulled me away from Ryker as two people took my place next to him, sending me into a fit of crazed panic.

“No! Ryker! I need to be with him! Please! Don’t take him away from me!”

Thrashing wildly against whoever was holding me, I screamed until my throat was raw. I didn’t know how I was able to move due to all my injuries, but the only pain I felt was my heart ripping apart as I thought about Ryker being dead.

More hands gripped onto me as another person came into my view, but my eyes were so blurred with tears that I couldn’t see who they were. Despair sucked the air from lungs, suffocating me as I continued to struggle. Other sets of hands grabbed me, holding me still as I felt a sharp sting in my arm.

Still fighting, I kicked and flailed until my body began to feel boneless, my vision swimming as my eyes suddenly became heavy and dizziness swarmed me. I slumped against someone right before blackness blanketed me.

Annoying beeping woke me. I groaned as pain assaulted me everywhere, making me wish I’d stayed in the black void I’d been in.Where am I?

“Sorella?” a tired voice spoke. “Are you awake?”

“Ugh, why are you yelling?” I mumbled groggily.

A sigh of relief followed by a strained chuckle met my ears as a hand squeezed mine. I struggled to open my eyes, which felt like they had been sealed with superglue. I managed to open one as I turned my head toward where I heard the voice.

Kamden gave me a small smile as he stood and kissed my forehead. “Are you thirsty?”

My mouth felt like someone had stuffed it with cotton after buffing my throat with sandpaper. “Yes,” my voice cracked hoarsely.

Kamden handed me a cup with ice chips. When I finished, he set the cup back on the bedside table, I took in my surroundings—I was in a hospital room, which explained the annoying beeping of the machine hooked up to me. Memories of what happened with Kaleb rushed back, and I gripped Kamden’s hand tighter. “Where’s Ryker? Is he okay?” I asked as I fought back tears.Please be alive.

“He’s fine. He’s in the room right next door. They had to sedate him because he kept fighting to get to you—he ripped open his stitches.”

I exhaled a huge sigh of relief.He’s alive. Thank God.“When can I see him?”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to ask your doctor. You have some fractured ribs, as well as some small fractures in your right hand and face. He said your gunshot wound wasn’t that extensive; the bullet came out fairly easily. You were very lucky— Ryker took the brunt of the impact and slowed the trajectory, otherwise, it would’ve…”

Kamden choked, unable to finish his sentence. The tears I’d been holding broke free then, the severity of what happened almost strangling me. “He saved me.”

“He loves you,” Kamden said softly with a knowing smile.

My head snapped up to his, and I winced from the sharp throb that resulted. “He said that?”

“No, but no one takes a bullet for someone unless they love them. I saw how you protected him—you love him, too, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think I do,” I replied softly.

“You do. I can see it on your face.”

I changed the subject, not completely comfortable with discussing how I felt about Ryker with Kamden yet. I needed to talk to Ryker first, see if what Kamden was saying was true. “How about you?”

“I suffered a small concussion and some bruises, but nothing major like you.”

“Kaleb?” I hesitantly asked.

Kamden’s face tensed as his eyes watered. He shook his head, unable to voice what happened. I couldn’t imagine what he was feeling, but I knew it wasn’t good. My heart became heavy for him. He had to kill our brother for something that should’ve never been an issue between the three of us.

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