Page 110 of Theirs

“That’s what scares me, I need you. I need your sunny disposition and Camila’s sassy attitude. I've learned that—” Her lip trembled. “I’ve learned my world is more colorful with you guys in it. You have given me hope for a brighter future and I will chase it like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

She cupped my cheek.

“I’ll chase it with you, carry it when you're tired and I’ll make damn sure we get that colorful future you want,” I said, bringing her in for a kiss that felt like seeing the sun after a rainy day.

It was almost overwhelming, but I loved that it made me feel alive.

“I can’t promise it will always be sunshine and rainbows,” Camila said, catching our attention with food and drink in her hands. “But I promise that for all the hard and bad days we have, we will have sunny skies full of good memories and being together.”

Genevieve trembled, holding out her hand to Camila who was putting the food down. She came to us and Genevieve yanked her the rest of the way. We held each other for a moment, healing whatever fractures we had, and I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be without the circumstances that had brought us here. Our peace was shattered the moment a doctor came into the room.

“Ms. Noble?”

Genevieve tensed and I held her tighter, hoping it was the news she needed because her sister was everything, and I couldn’t bear her losing someone else.

33

Genevieve

The moment the doctor said my name, I wanted to throw up. His expression was not helping either. I couldn’t lose Cheryl, she had been my rock, my safe haven, my best friend for so long I didn’t know if I could live without her.

Luke squeezed me as Camila sat next to us rubbing my back while I tried to brace myself for the bad news that was coming.

“Ms. Noble, your sister made it out of surgery, but she isn’t out of the danger zone yet,” he said matter-of-factly. “She has lost a lot of blood, we’ve had to remove her spleen?—”

My breathing grew more labored as he talked and all I could think of was losing Cheryl. What would I do without her? How would I survive it? Who would I go to for advice when I wanted something sweet and talk about our problems over ice cream and cheesy romance flicks?

My palms grew sweaty as a buzzing in my ears intensified and my vision started to get fuzzy at the corners. There was pain in my chest, making me wonder if I was having a heart attack. I grabbed my chest trying to breathe, but it felt like nothing was getting to my lungs. I couldn’t lose her.

“Look. At. Me.” A stern voice made me flinch as I looked into Camila’s beautiful face. “Evie, breathe.”

What the hell was happening?

“Focus on me. Take a deep breath with me,” Camila said, cupping my face as she breathed in.

I followed her instructions, each time it was easier to take a full breath of air.

“That’s my good girl,” she said with a small smile. “Another one.”

I took a deep breath, feeling Luke behind me. He was also breathing with me, keeping me close and together they anchored me. My body was shaking a little, but now I could breathe as I took in Camila who was leaning down to look me in the eyes.

I lied when I told Luke I hadn’t heard anything. I heard almost everything and I didn’t miss the most important part. They were falling in love with me, it was on the tip of my tongue. I wanted to tell them that I loved them even if they might not believe me. I really did love them, not because they were here with me, but because of everything that had led up to our time together. The quiet nights at home, the dinner dates, the scenes we did together and all the little things that made me feel appreciated had brought us to this point.

“Are you ready for information about Cheryl?” she asked softly.

“When can I see her?” I shifted on Luke’s lap.

“They said she will be in the ICU in an hour,” Camila said.

“I can see her, right?” I leaned against Luke.

“Yeah, you can, they just need to get her out of surgery and into a room,” she said, running her hand through my hair, inching herself closer to me until we were touching foreheads. “What do you need?”

“You and Luke,” I whispered, as a tear rolled down my cheek. “I just need both of you. Please don’t leave.”

“You have us, Evie,” Luke said. “We will be here for as long as you need us.”

His voice broke at the end as he held me closer, leaning his head against mine.

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