Page 69 of Rejected Pretend Mate

We landed at the bottom, and everything was happening so fast. A couple of EMTs grabbed April and started hooking her up to machines. I ran my hands through my hair, staring at them.

She was pale, and the EMTs were talking so quickly that I could hardly keep up. I just watched, feeling my life slip through my fingers.

"How long was she out for?" One of them asked as they did compressions on her.

"I don't know," I said. I didn't. She could have been out a few moments, I got off the phone, or she could have been out for a minute.

"You have to save her," I said, taking her hand. She was cold. "She… she's my everything. You have to bring her back!"

"April!" I could hear Riley yelling, and I turned, spotting her running towards me. I quickly stopped her before she could get in the way.

"What happened? Why was she still inside?!" Riley started to scream, trying to reach for April.

I didn't know the answer, but the rock told me someone was stopping her from getting out, and I knew it was Ivan. Meaning he knew where we were living.

Riley started to cry, clinging onto me. "She can't die! She's my best friend!"

I held Riley close and stared at April. She had to be okay. We still had too much to do, so much life to spend together. She hadn't seen the house yet. I hadn't seen her reaction to it. We still hadn't fucked in every inch of it and shared moments.

We were supposed to have children and grow old together. It couldn't all end now, not like this.

And suddenly, April gasped loudly for air. Her lungs rose, and her eyes flicked open slightly.

I suddenly felt like I could breathe again, and Riley's nail dug into my arm. "April," she cried, and her legs gave out.

Cayden rounded the group, his eyes on us. He walked over, his eyes zoning in on April. He paused next to us, and the color still hadn't returned to his face.

"She's okay," one of the EMTs said. "But we need to bring her in. She needs to be looked over. She's inhaled smoke. And while she will heal, smoke inhalation is serious."

Cayden grabbed her hand, tears in his eyes. "April, why didn't you leave the apartment?"

I walked over, grabbing his shoulder. "Not here," I said, looking at Riley. She needed him, and April likely didn't have the lung capacity to speak.

"We have room for one person to drive with us."

"I'll go," I said, handing Riley to him. I took April's hand, and her eyes snapped to me. She looked out of it and was afraid. I gave her hand a squeeze. "I have you. You're okay. Just focus on breathing."

She blinked, and I pulled her hand up, kissing it. "I have you."

The drive to the hospital was fast, and we were in a room within a few minutes. I held April's hand as they hooked her up to IVs and then had her get x-rays of her chest. April shook the entire time, and I kept her hand tightly in mine.

It was late, and the sun had set by the time the doctor came back with good news.

"She's okay. We want to do another X-ray before she leaves because of how much smoke she inhaled. We want to make sure everything is clear."

I nodded and watched as April sank into her pillow. The doctor slipped back out, and I looked at her, pulling her hair back. The color had returned to her face, and she looked more like herself.

"You're okay," I whispered to her.

"I was so scared," she whispered back. "He locked me in there."

I knew it. I had thought it, but for her to say the words ignited a rage I didn't think was possible. I wanted to hunt him down and skin him alive. I wanted him dead, and I wanted to hear him scream until he died.

"I'm sorry," I said, pulling myself up and crawling onto the bed. I pulled her into my arms and inhaled her scent. "I'm sorry, April. I'll make this better."

I wasn't entirely sure how we were going to fix everything, but I knew something would have to change. And something would.

Chapter 27 - April

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