Page 46 of Viper
Ten minutes later, I pull up next to her truck outside her bungalow and climb off before grabbing my key that I just couldn’t make myself throw away.
Walking to her front door, I put the key into the lock, then quietly let myself inside, closing the door behind me as my eyes take everything in.
It all looks the same, including the photos of her and me on the wall and near her TV, and I swallow hard as I put my key back in my jeans pocket, not willing to take the chance she’ll take it back.
I hear the shower running, so I walk down the hallway and into her bedroom, but pause when I notice my old t-shirt lying on her pillow, a picture of me on her nightstand.
Damn…
My heart skips a beat, and my stomach tightens as regret builds higher and higher, and I slowly walk over to her bathroom, the door already ajar.
My stomach tightens but for a different feeling, something just not right and I slowly push the door wider before everything in me stills. True fear overcomes me as Lake, my beautiful girl who owns my heart lays on her shower floor in her dress unconscious, the water raining down on her, blood pouring from her wrists and I roar out in agony and rush into the bathroom.
I open the door and climb in as I turn the water off and bend, picking Lake up bridal style, her head lolling to the side, her face pale, her lips blue.
I can’t lose her, I can’t.
Chapter 17
Viper
I lean forward and place my elbows on my knees as I watch Lake sleep, the beeping in the room soothing me, telling me her heart is still going, that she’s still with me, still alive despite not waking up since bringing her to the hospital.
Twenty-three, that is how many cuts are on her wrists, only the two new ones are cut deeper than the others, like she was trying…
I swallow and look down, squeezing my eyes tight, the whispers from Blade and Randy just hitting my ears as they stand near the door, watching us.
“How long do you think she’s been doing this?” Blade whispers.
Randy replies with a choke, “I don’t know, I-I fuck, I didn’t even notice…”
My eyes tear up because I know. She didn’t have the scars before that day in the diner, before I accused her of using me.
“Wake up, shorty, please don’t leave me,” I beg as I lay her on her couch, pressing tissue on her wrists while putting my phone to my ear.
“911, what’s your emergency?” the operator answers, and I squeeze my eyes tight.
“I need an ambulance, I’ve just found my wife unconscious in the shower, her wrists bleeding.”
I squeeze my eyes tighter, my pleads for her to wake useless.
After I called 911 while trying to put pressure on her wrists, I waited anxiously for the ambulance while the operator stayed on the phone.
Every second my heart pounded. Her pulse was weak, her body still and I honestly thought I was going to lose her.
When we got to the hospital and I knew the doctors had her, I called Randy.
“Viper, did you catch up with her?” he asks, and I swallow hard, my throat dry.
“I need you to come to the hospital,” I choke full of agony as I watch the doctors check Lake over, who hasn’t woken yet, their main concern is the bleeding.
“Wait, what?” he replies with fear, “Why the hospital?”
“Hospital?” I hear Blade in the background.
I reply, “Just come, Randy,” my pain etching in my voice before I hang up and look as a doctor with black hair walks over with concern, the doctor I lied to when I rushed in after her, the nurses refusing me entrance if I hadn’t.
“Are you aware your wife is pregnant?” he asks, and I freeze in shock, my eyes going to Lake as the doctors work on her.
