Page 109 of Light My Fire Three Times
She meets my gaze for a moment, and for a split second, I think she’s about to say something, but then she pulls away again, her hands busy folding clothes.
“I’m just… I’m fine, really,” she insists, but her tone is unconvincing.
Something’s not right.
I don’t trust the way she’s acting. Every word she says, every movement she makes, it all feels off. And I’m not the type to ignore my gut feeling. I can tell she’s pushing herself too hard, but she’s determined to make everything seem fine.
Before I can think of anything else to say, she suddenly sways. Her body jerks slightly, and I watch in slow motion as she collapses.
“Olivia!”
I don’t even have time to think. I lunge forward, catching her just before her head hits the floor. Her body is limp in my arms, weightless, almost fragile.
Panic surges through me. My heart slams against my chest, and my breath catches in my throat.
“Shit…” I mutter under my breath, panic rising.
I adjust her in my arms, holding her close against me as I look around the room, unsure of what to do next.
Her skin is ice-cold, but her pulse is faint yet steady. I can feel her breath, shallow and uneven, against my neck, and it almost sends me into a frenzy.
I try to shake away the rising panic and focus on what’s happening here. I need to stay calm for her.
“Olivia, come on, wake up,” I whisper, pressing a hand gently to her cheek, but there’s no response.
She’s out cold, her breathing slow, but steady enough that I don’t completely lose it.
I need help.
I scoop her up carefully in my arms, feeling the weight of her in my embrace, and head straight out the door. My heart is racing.
The sight of her so pale, so weak, doesn’t sit right with me. She hasn’t been herself for a while, but now… now it’s more than just exhaustion.
I kick open the front door and rush to my truck, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
My thoughts are a whirlwind as I drive as fast as I can, my mind focused solely on Olivia, praying she’ll wake up and reassure me that she’s okay.
I don’t even care that it’s snowing hard, that the roads are slick.
This is Olivia. And I’ll be damned if something happens to her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Olivia
DECEMBER 17TH
The first thingI notice is the smell.
Sterile, sharp, like something you might find in a place where people go to get fixed up after everything goes terribly wrong.
My throat feels dry, as if I swallowed sandpaper, and my head is buzzing.
I blink my eyes open, but the light is too bright, too much. I wince and pull the blankets closer, trying to curl into comfort, but the sheets are stiff, hospital-ish.
Where am I?
I try to sit up, but my body doesn’t listen. I feel sluggish.
