Page 61 of Bleeding Hearts
“Okay, the scans are all clear. I think the plant wasn’t fully ingested because you threw up. That’s good news. The effects shouldn’t last too long. You only received a small dose of whatever it was, so I think we are out of the woods.” He lowers his chart and eyes us. “This dare could have had serious consequences. You could have died.” He looks at Lally. “Don’t play around with your lives like that. Alice is very lucky. We’ll keep her overnight, and she will be released tomorrow on the condition that she is okay, but she will need plenty of rest.”
“Of course. Is there anything else I can do to look after her?” Lally asks.
“Lots of fluids, that’s all.” He sighs. “You aren’t the first person who came in tonight with similar symptoms. How many people took part in this dare?”
We share a glance then look back at him. Neither of us can betray Risk. They would come after us. The dare was a lie Lally came up with.
“Fine,” he snaps when we don’t respond. “Rest here for now. We’ll be back soon.” He leaves, the door shutting behind him.
“Are you really okay?” she asks, turning to me, so I grip her hand with all the strength I have.
“I’m fine, I promise. I’m sorry I scared you.” I might have overreacted in the taxi, but I have never felt so close to dying as I did in that moment. I was so fucking scared, but she was with me the entire time.
She nods and looks down, but I see the tears in her eyes, so I flex my hand in hers. “Look at me, Lals.”
She sniffles and lifts her head, her eyes glassy with tears. I tug her against me, and she sobs into my shoulder. Rubbing her back, I close my eyes and force my tears not to fall. “I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “I’m so sorry.”
“Me too. I’m so sorry you were hurt, baby. I thought I’d lost you just like Tommy,” she sobs. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“Never,” I promise.
She wipes her face before kissing my hand. “I’m so sorry you went through that. I’m so sorry you joined this game for me and were hurt?—”
I try to interrupt her, but she shakes her head. “Don’t lie. You joined this for me and now you’re hurt. I’m sorry.”
“It isn’t your fault, Lals. I chose this, and I’m okay.” My tears finally fall down my cheeks as I comfort her, and when she pulls back, I kiss her hand. “Let’s not tell Alek, okay?”
“No, I need to call him,” she protests.
“He’ll ask questions, and he won’t stop until he has the truth. It would put him, Evan, and us in danger. It’s better this way. I’m okay, just a stomach bug.” She wears a brokenhearted expression, so I smile. “Please promise me you won’t tell him.”
“Baby—”
“Please, Lals. Promise me. I’ve never asked you for anything, but I’m asking for this.” I can’t put my brother in danger, and if he found out I was sick, he wouldn’t stop until he got to the bottom of it. He would run right at them and get killed.
They’ve already proven they are willing to murder to protect their game.
“I promise,” she whispers, and I relax, my eyelids growing heavy. “I promise, baby. Sleep now, I’ll be right here when you wake up, okay?”
“Okay,” I reply around a yawn, and within seconds, sleep claims me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Istare at her sleeping form. Alice looks so small and frail under the bright lights in the hospital bed.
Terror still clutches my chest, and I can’t breathe. I nearly lost her tonight. I’ve felt fear before, but nothing like when I ran with her in my arms. I could have been too late. I could have lost her, and it would have been my fault.
She joined the game for me, and it almost got her killed.
My panicked breathing is loud, so I try to even my breaths so I don’t wake her. I bury my face in my hands as a panic attack hits me—one I kept at bay until now.
I rock through it, struggling with my emotions as I try to silence them so she will never know. The idea of living without Alice . . . God, it destroys me.
I couldn’t live without her.
I’d follow her.
She’s become the most important part of my life. I shake my head as tears fall silently down my face. All of my memories of this last year, both good and bad, are filled with her, and the thought of my life being empty again kills me.
