Page 216 of A Love Like Venom

He shakes his head, shrugging it off like it means nothing. But it doesn’t. It means everything. “I’ll protect the both of them with my life. I promised Reed. Now I’m promising you.”

“He will be proud of you.”

He looks away. A tick works in his jaw. “Yet I failed him. I failed you. Just like I failed my brothers in combat.”

“Hey, you didn’t fail anyone. Things didn’t go according to plan but that is not your fault. I’m alive. Grace and Connor are alive thanks to you. And when Reed wakes up because he will, you’ll see you haven’t failed him either.”

“When you serve you’re told to protect. To save as many people as you can but they don’t tell you how many you lose. And that’s on you. You failed to protect them. You failed to save them. Sometimes it makes you wonder what you’re fighting for.” His voice seems so far away. And I can tell whatever it is that he’s fighting it’s been a long battle. One that started on one of his tours and hasn’t ended. It followed him home. It followed him here.

“You fight to honor them, Oak. You find the will to live for them. Otherwise their deaths meant nothing. And they can’t mean nothing.”

“I know you’re right,” he sighs heavily then continues, “I’m just tired of losing a battle I’m never going to win.”

Behind the big strong rough exterior he’s suffering. “If you can’t fight for yourself then you fight for someone else. Do you understand?”

He doesn’t respond at first. He lets my words sink in. As the hospital door opens and he turns to see who it is his face changes.

Grace walks in the room and her eyes shift to his. Something passes between the both of them. Something profound. He breaks the eye contact first but as he does he says to me, “I understand.”

I hope with everything that I have in me that the battle Oak is fighting will end for him soon. And I hope that he lets someone in, to help him, to show him he’s not alone. And I hope he’ll allow Grace to be that person for him.

He rises from the chair before giving my hand one last reassuring squeeze. Before Grace meets us he whispers, “Thank you.”

“You aren’t just Reed’s brother, you’re mine, too. We are family. I’ll always be there for you like you are for us.”

“He was right about you. You really are an angel.”

“And you’re a good man.” He doesn’t respond back but I don’t expect him to.

As he passes by Grace she puts her hand on his muscled bicep. He stops and looks down at her. Before she lets him go she hugs him. She can’t even wrap her entire arms around him because of his width. It only takes him a second for him to hug her back and as he does tension releases inside him.

“Thank you,” I hear her say to him.

He stares down at her rather affectionately. Then he places a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You never have to thank me.” She smiles up at him, one that reaches her eyes. They let go of each other and she watches as he leaves the room.

She walks back to me like nothing happened between us. Like I didn’t try to fight her to get to Reed. She sits down in the chair and holds my hand with a warmth that has tears pressing at the back of my eyes.

Grace really is the epitome of wearing her heart on her sleeve. So kind and caring.

“I’m sorry,” I begin but she doesn’t allow me to finish.

“It’s okay. I understand. Truly, I do. I was just so worried about you, Alice. It’s been three weeks.” Her voice cracks at the end. “Three weeks of not knowing. Three weeks of wonderingwhen you would wake up.” She finally allows the tears to fall down her face.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m just so relieved. So happy and relieved that you woke up. Don’t do that to me again, Alice. Promise me you won’t come close to dying on me again.”

“I promise.”

“Good or I’ll kill you myself,” she jokes lightly and it causes me to have a ghost of a smile. She wraps me in her arms and holds tightly. Despite my body screaming in protest I let her. She needs this and truth be told I do, too.

After awhile we both let go but she keeps her hand in mine.

A knock happens at the door followed by a deep baritone voice that is vaguely familiar. “Can I come in?”

I give a questioning glance to Grace and she responds, “Sheriff Crow.” I nod my head at her and lean back on the dreadful hospital bed. “Come in,” she tells him.

He comes in the room and for a usually confident man his steps are hesitant. He regards me carefully. When he meets my eyes they soften a bit and he offers me a smile. As I take him in he looks just as rough as Oak and Grace did. Deep dark circles are under his eyes. Green eyes that are dull. His stubble has grown to an uneven beard. Even his shoulders are slumped.

---