Page 174 of Meet Me In The Dark
I can.
When they wheeled her away earlier, I just stood there. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe right. My chest felt like it might split open, but all I could do was replay every worst-case scenario until I was half-convinced I’d never see her again.
By the time they brought her back, I’d run through every way I could lose her. I’m still not sure I’vestopped.
She hasn’t moved since they settled her.
Part of me wants to shake her awake just to hear her voice, to see her eyes open, and know she’s still here. The other part of me wants her to stay under so she doesn’t have to feel any of the pain that’s waiting for her.
I’m not sure which urge is stronger.
Somewhere to my right, I hear a wet sniffle.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Madi, why are you crying?” My voice is quiet, but not exactly gentle.
“Because she just had her entire womb ripped out of her body, Julian,” Madison says, her voice wobbling.
I let go of Celeste’s hand long enough to stand. “Jesus. Come here. You too, Emmy.”
“I’m fine,” Emmy says, which is bullshit because she sounds like someone’s holding her together with duct tape.
I sigh. “For fuck’s sake, both of you come here, before you scare the other patients.”
They both curl under my arms and fucking sob into my chest.
“She’s going to be fine,” I tell them, trying to reassure all three of us at once.
“No, Julian,” Madison says, “she’s going to be menopausal.”
“We know that already—”
“It’s so unfair,” Emmy interrupts, voice thick. “We were supposed to be menopausal together. LikeThe Golden Girls, but hotter.”
“Yeah,” Madison jumps in. “And now when we’re hanging out of a window in our underwear trying to stop a hot flash, she’ll be free as a bird in your sex dungeon.”
“It’s not a sex dungeon,” I say flatly.
“Oh, right, sorry,” Madison says. “Sex lair. My bad.”
“Sex lair?” Emmy laughs through her tears. “That sounds like it has a moat.”
I’m quiet for a beat before a low chuckle slips out.
“I want to call it a sex cave,” Celeste croaks from the bed. “Not a dungeon. Or a lair.”
Three heads snap toward her.
“Celeste!” Madison and Emmy squeal in unison, rushing to her bedside.
I move in close enough to see her properly. Relief punches the air out of me when her eyes meet mine. “You’re awake.”
“Unfortunately,” she rasps. “I was having a nice dream. You were shirtless. It was perfect.”
Madison smirks. “Yup. She’s fine.”
“Totally fine,” Emmy agrees, wiping her cheeks. “Can I just say, I’ve never been more jealous of someone’s post-op drugs? You’re glowing.”
I take her hand again, because now that she’s conscious, I’m not letting go for anything.
