Page 78 of Jagged Line Paradise

I love her.

I love her so fucking much.

“Luz de mi vida,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She snuggles closer. “Your heart is beating so fast,” she says quietly.

“Because of you.”

We hold each other, tangled up together for a few perfect, peaceful minutes before she pulls back. She tilts her chin to look up at me. “I have to go,” she mutters, tugging free from my embrace and moving away. She climbs out of bed and moves around the room, collecting her discarded clothing. “I need to get back to my mom so Louisa can go.”

“Who’s Louisa?” I ask, rolling onto my side and propping onto my elbow.

“She’s, um…my mom’s caretaker. She stayed over last night so I could…work.”

She didn’t work last night because of me, and I’m glad for that. The thought of her fucking creepy assholes for money makes me ill. The illness reminds me that I’m also a jerk for taking away her only source of income. I don’t want her worrying about money. I don’t want her to have to fucking work. I want to take care of her. Iwouldtake care of her, but somehow, I know she won’t let me.

“I’ll give you a ride.” I hop out of bed and search for my clothes.

When she’s dressed in her denim shorts and flowing tank top, she lifts her bag from the floor, tossing it onto the bed and rummaging through it until she finds her phone. I toss on a black button-up and pull on a pair of dark gray slacks. I’m rolling my sleeves up to my elbows when I feel the shift of tension in the room and my attention snaps to her immediately.

“No,” she mutters, staring at her phone screen. “No, I missed her calls.”

“What?”

She doesn’t respond, doesn’t look at me. She taps her screen and I hear the ringing as she puts a call on speakerphone. She chews on the corner of her lip as it rings and rings.

A soft voice finally answers. “Avalon?”

“What is it? What’s wrong, is she okay?” Lonnie speaks anxiously.

“Avalon,” the other voice says in a placating manner, “you need to come to the hospital.”

Her voice hitches. “Tell me what happened. Is she okay?”

“I’m here with her in the ICU,mija. You need to come. Can you be here soon?”

Tears gloss over her eyes and begin to creep toward her cheeks.

Fuck.

Her mom is in the hospital.

“Yes, yes,” Lonnie says with a shaky voice. “I’ll be there soon. Just tell me…is she okay? Is she going to be okay?”

“I don’t know. You need to come talk to the doctor, okay? I’ll be here with her until you get here.”

“I’m sorry, Louisa. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, my ringer was off.”

“Just come as soon as you can.”

Lonnie ends the call and instantly, she crumbles. The flood gates open and her tears fall like a river down her cheeks. “I have to go,” she says through her tears. “My mom…”

“Where is she?”

“The hospital.”

“Hey. It’s okay. I’ll take you. We’ll go right now, okay?”

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