Page 124 of Branded Hearts

Oh, God, please let him be okay. He has to be okay.

Bradley, you’re strong, you’re capable.

You can’t be one of those officers. You can’t be.

I start nervously rambling to myself in my mind. What if he’s hurt? What if he’s... No, don’t think like that. He’s fine. He’s got to be fine. But what if he isn’t? What if he’s lying there, needing help, and I’m just sitting here, useless?

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it together.

Come on, Amelia, breathe.He promised he’d come home.

I’ll see you back at home.

Home. He’d called this home.

The news reporter’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “We’ve just received confirmation that the two officers who went down are now regaining consciousness. Both are receiving medical treatment on the scene. One officer has a dislocated shoulder, a couple of cracked ribs, and the other has a broken Tibia.”

Relief floods my veins, and a tremor runs down my spine. Thank God, they’re going to be okay. But as the relief washes over me, a wave of panic quickly follows. What if one of them is Bradley? What if he’s more hurt than they’re letting on? The uncertainty claws at me, threatening to pull me under.

I force myself to focus on the positive—the officers are alive, they’re being treated. I cling to that, pushing the what-ifs aside. But the fear lingers, a reminder of just how fragile life is, especially in hisline of work.

Time is too short.

And the minute I see him, whenever that is, I’m going to tell him. He has to know. I can only hope he feels the same way.

My phone buzzes from beside me, startling me awake.

I take a minute to gain my composure, scanning my surroundings in confusion. Where am I?

Oh. My couch.

I must’ve dozed off for a little while. I grab my iPhone and see there are text messages from Xavier.

9.39PM

Another text came from Livnot long after.

10.00 PM

I check the time now which reads twelve oh one a.m..

But that was two hours ago! Yeah, that nap was definitely not a ‘little while’. So that means he would still be at home now. I check our text message history to find nothing from him.

My heart drops. No, it’s fine.

He’s at his home with his family, where he needs to be. Despite this, I can’t help but feel anxious. My eyes blur with unshed tears, threatening to spill over, but I blink them away, tilting my head back before they get the chance to.

I notice now that my TV is still playing in the background, but the sound is on low.Verylow. My mug is no longer on my coffee table. Okay, now I’m really confused.

When did I…

My thoughts are cut off when I hear shuffling coming from my bathroom, and I turn slowly.

Panic settles in as I hear the shuffling from the bathroom. My heart races, and I feel a knot form in my stomach. Who could be in there? I didn’t invite anyone over. I try to calm myself, telling myself it’s probably just a neighbour or something.

But deep down, I know that’s unlikely.

I slowly get up from the couch, trying to make as little noise as possible. I edge closer to the bathroom, my heart pounding in my chest. The door creaks open, and Bradley’s frame comes into view—his arm is strapped to his chest, and another bandage is wrapped around his midsection.

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