Page 44 of Memories with Fire

“Go. Keep me updated. I’ll stay up.”

I don’t bother with a goodbye, ending the call as I make my way to the ambulance. “Yeah, that’s me. How is—what the hell happened?” I screech, my voice shooting up four or five octaves to a very unbecoming pitch when I see Hailey sitting on a stretcher, oxygen over her face, hyperventilating.

Jumping into the back of the ambulance, I kneel down beside the stretcher, taking her face in my hands. I expected to see a frantic look in her eyes, but they’re just wide and scared as she stares at me. She’s trying to suck in a full breath, it’s just not coming to her like it should. I look at the paramedic.

“She’s having a bit of a panic attack,” the woman says. “I tried to give her something to calm her down, but she wouldn’t take it. Just asked for you.”

“I’m right here,” I tell her, running my thumbs over the parts of her cheek that aren’t covered. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

My words seem to help because the next breath she tries to take is a full one. I nod encouragingly at her, sliding my hands down along her neck, then her arms, which are covered by a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, until I reach her hands. Taking them, I bring them to my lips, pressing a kiss to the back of each one before I just press my mouth against her fingertips, leaving them there as I stare at her, waiting for her breathing to fully return to normal.

It doesn’t take long.

“There we go,” the paramedic says cheerfully. “Sometimes all it takes is a familiar face.”

“How is she?” I ask, glancing at the woman.

The paramedic nods in response. “Looks pretty good. A few scrapes and bruises, but her vitals are good. I’d still like her to go to the hospital, though.”

“I’m fine,” Hailey says, pulling the mask down.

I push it back in place, agreeing with the paramedic. “I think it’s a good idea. Just go make sure nothing internal is going on.”

“Luke, I’m a paramedic, I think I’d know,” she retorts, frowning at me.

“The only thing that means is you make the worst patient.” I bite back a laugh when she scowls at me, noticing how she doesn’t deny it.

“Fine, but do I need to go in the ambulance?” she whines.

I raise myself high enough to press a kiss to her forehead. “Please just do it for me. It would make me feel a lot better. You know you can refuse, but I’ve already aged twenty years today. This might give me five back.”

Hailey spares the paramedic a glance, then sighs and nods her acceptance of the situation. “Fine. I’ll go.”

“I’ll be right behind you in the Jeep,” I promise her, giving her one last kiss to the top of the head as I get to my feet.

Jumping out of the ambulance, I realize the second paramedic on scene is standing at the door, and has probably been there for a few minutes. She smiles at me.

“I’ve taken care of her before,” she says, which has me frowning. “She was in worse shape then. Might be where some of the anxiety comes from. We’ll make sure she’s okay for the ride to the hospital.”

“Huh,” I grunt dumbly because I’m not sure what else to say, but something about it itches my brain, like there are pieces I’m not putting together. “Take good care of her. I’ll be following you guys.”

The second, older lady nods reassuringly to me and closes the doors while I turn and head to my Jeep. I don’t like knowing Hailey has been in the back of an ambulance prior to this, for something other than work. Then again, I’m sure there’re a lot of things that Hailey has been through in the last ten years I wouldn’t like to know.

CHAPTER 15

HAILEY

“I don’t wantto go home,” I tell Luke, turning to look at him.

At the same time, he’s angling toward me and says, “I don’t want to be without you.”

I bite my lip to keep from laughing while he breaks out into a huge grin, causing his dimples to spring to life. We’re sitting in his vehicle after spending a few hours at the hospital in Santa Rosé. The doctor gave me the all clear after doing a thorough evaluation that included some x-rays and a couple of other tests. Besides a few bruises, a couple of cuts, and being sore for the next couple of days, which he says could be on the rough side, I’m perfectly healthy.

I’m also really lucky.

What happened still doesn’t feel real. I feel like I’m walking through some kind of dream, or nightmare, waiting to wake up and find out it was all in my subconscious. It wouldn’t be the first time I had a horrible nightmare involving a car.

I know it isn’t, though. In every nightmare I had, Luke was there. Dead. Lifeless green-blue eyes would stare at me, expressionless, with zero dimples pointed in my direction. My mom used to tell me that it was my mind’s way of telling me that the relationship was gone, that I was just in mourning. That’s exactly how it felt.

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