Page 55 of Tangled in Vows

But he doesn’t ask any of those things.

Instead, he says, “Felix isn’t behind this, Hurricane.”

“Why?” I frown at him. “He has to be.”

His chest expands on a deep inhale, as if he’s trying to gather the courage to tell me something important. A myriad of emotions flitting across his face, confusing me even more—pain, worry, despair, and fear.

The air stalls in my lungs as I hop off the chair and rush around the island. My stomach clenches uncomfortably, and without thinking, I crowd Holden. “What is it? Tell me, please.”

His gaze is unfocused, his eyes two empty pools. “It can’t be Felix because he’s dead.”

Chapter 18

Holden

Day 579 without you: I saw you on TV today. You seemed happy. And so beautiful, it hurt.

The color drains from Olivia’s face so fast, my reflexes kick in before my brain fully registers her legs are giving out on her. One second, she’s standing in front of me. The next, she’s in my arms and I’m walking us to her bedroom.

I’m sure the only reason she isn’t fighting me right now is because she’s in shock. I hate that I caused it, but I also can’t be sorry for how she’s melting into my embrace, her curves perfectly molding against my body like I was made to form a protective shield around her.

That’s all I can think about. To protect her. To keep her safe. My primary mission from the moment I met her.

“Hurricane?”

She buries her face in my shirt but can’t hide the quiet sniffle.

“You okay? I know you don’t want to talk about him, but considering the circumstances, it’s necessary.”

“He’s really . . . dead?”

Her voice cracks at the end, and I hate doing this to her. To us.

Talking about Felix opens a whole can of worms I shouldn’t even be near. It only multiplies my constant worry over losing her again, of wondering what will be the final straw for us this time. The thought constricts my throat painfully.

Just give her some space. You knew she wouldn’t just welcome you back with open arms. She is this way for a reason. Because of your actions. It might take longer for her to warm up to you this time, but anything worth doing is worth doing slowly. And Olivia is definitely worth it.

“He’s one-hundred-percent dead.” I march across her room and lay her in the middle of her king-sized bed, brushing my hand over her damp hair.

Her skin is pale and clammy, her breathing a tad shallow and rapid, and she’s slightly trembling.

Stormy followed us upstairs, letting out quiet whimpers like she knows exactly what’s happening. The Alaskan malamute nudges Olivia’s leg with her snout, whining several more times until Olivia pats her head gently.

“I’m okay, baby. All good.”

Stormy doesn’t seem satisfied and jumps onto the bed, curling up against Olivia with one paw at her side. Olivia places her hand on Stormy’s paw, as if that contact helps them both. And maybe it does.

From what I’ve seen so far, Olivia has a lot of people in her life, but no one but Stormy once the stage lights are off. Evie is her only real friend, and even that relationship isn’t what it could be because of my connection with both women. If it wasn’t for the strain between Olivia and me, all of us could have hung out together over the years, maybe even taken a fun trip or two. Instead, Olivia and I avoided being in the same place, inevitablyputting a lot of extra stress on Evie. I’m the proverbial wedge in their relationship.

“Let me elevate your legs, Hurricane.” I grab several pillows and put them under her legs to help increase the blood flow back to her brain.

Once satisfied, I get my phone and call Dr. Harvey, Phoenix’s family doctor of decades. I know it’s probably overkill, but my go-to is better safe than sorry with Olivia.

I relay to him what happened with a shaky voice. The words keep flying out of my mouth, and my chest tightens from the lack of oxygen. “Please, Doc. What can I do? Is she okay? How can I help her?”

“Everything’s okay, Holden. We’ll make sure she’s all right. You said her breathing is fairly normal, and she hasn’t mentioned any pain, correct?”

“Yeah, no pain. Her breathing is a bit faster, but okay, I think.” I rake a hand roughly through my hair until it slips from the hairband and falls around me in a curtain.

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