Page 86 of Push My Buttons
I pause, caught off guard by the raw emotion in his voice.
"You don't know how much it kills me, seeing you here," he says, his voice breaking slightly. "I'd burn the whole fucking world down to keep you safe. I should have told you every day. Every single day." His fingers tighten around mine. "I love you. I am completely, stupidly in love with you."
The words slam into me harder than the concussion ever could. My pulse spikes, the monitor betraying every wild beat. For a moment I think the drugs are distorting what I heard, but no—the desperation in his voice is real. His hand shakes against mine, his thumb dragging clumsily over my skin like he’s trying to memorize the feel of me. I remember all the nights lying awake, wondering if either of them could ever see me as more than something fragile to protect. And now, here it is. Not whispered in the dark, not masked in banter—laid bare, when I’m at my weakest. It terrifies me almost as much as it fills me with longing.
"I know the timing is shit," he continues, as if reading my thoughts. "And I know you're probably still furious with us. You have every right to be. But I couldn't—" his voice catches, "—I couldn't risk something happening to you without you knowing. Not again. I couldn’t go another day, or even another hour without telling you."
I stare at him, trying to process the confession through the fog of pain medication and concussion. Does he mean it? Or is this just guilt talking?
Before I can respond to Theo's declaration, the door opens and Jace walks in carrying two coffee cups. His eyes widen when he sees I'm awake.
"Wren," he breathes, nearly dropping the coffees as he rushes to the other side of my bed.
I try to smile, but the pain in my head makes me wince instead. Jace sets the cups down, and gently takes my free hand, holding it like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go. His knuckles are white around mine, his breath uneven. This isn’t the unshakable Jace I know; this is a man undone.
I want to tell them both about Levi, about the memory that's returned so vividly, but before I can even try to sign, there's a knock at the door. Two people enter—a woman in a crisp pantsuit and a man in uniform. Police.
"Miss Cain?" the woman asks, her eyes finding mine immediately. "I'm Detective Rivera. This is Officer Chen. We'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened today, if you're feeling up to it."
Miss Cain. Not Miss Maddox. My heart races, the monitor beside me betraying my panic with quickening beeps.
"She just woke up," Theo protests, his hand tightening around mine. "Can't this wait?"
The room chills instantly. The sterile hum of machines feels louder, sharper. Jace stiffens at my side, his jaw clenching hardenough that I hear the grind of his teeth. Theo bristles, eyes narrowing at the intrusion, his body angled between me and them as though he could block them by sheer will. Their badges gleam under the fluorescent light, cold and official, and for the first time in months, I feel like prey under a spotlight. Being called Cain again feels like a chain snapping tight around my throat, dragging all my buried history into the present.
Detective Rivera's expression remains neutral. "The doctor has cleared her for a brief interview, and time may be critical in this situation." She gestures to a third person entering the room—a woman with short gray hair carrying a small notepad. "This is Sandra Mills. We understand you communicate primarily through sign language, so we've brought an interpreter."
I blink in surprise. They know about my mutism. They've prepared for it.
"We'd prefer to speak with Miss Cain alone," Detective Rivera continues, her tone making it clear this isn't really a request.
Jace stiffens beside me. "I don't think that's—"
I squeeze his hand, cutting him off. I need to tell them about Levi. Need to warn someone with authority about what I've remembered.
"It's okay,"I sign, the interpreter translating immediately."I'll talk to them."
Theo and Jace exchange worried glances.
"We'll be right outside," Jace says, reluctance evident in every line of his body as he slowly releases my hand.
"Five minutes away from you, max," Theo adds, his eyes never leaving mine as he backs toward the door.
Once they're gone, Detective Rivera pulls a chair close to my bed. "Miss Cain, can you tell us what happened before you collapsed?"
I take a deep breath and begin signing, then pause. The interpreter’s voice trails behind my hands.“Actually, my name is Wren Maddox.”
Detective Rivera nods calmly. “Understood, Miss Maddox. Can you tell us what happened before you collapsed?”
I resume signing, the interpreter keeping pace.
"I had an argument with my boyfriends this morning. I found out they'd been hiding things from me—notes and gifts from someone who's been stalking me. I was upset and went to work alone, against their advice."
Officer Chen makes notes as I continue.
"At the café, I had a breakdown. My boss was cruel about it, so I ran out. On the street, I bumped into someone. A man. He called me Lilliana—a name that no one should know. I passed out, but that's when everything came back to me. All the memories I'd been missing since my attack."
"What attack?" Detective Rivera asks, leaning forward.
