Page 40 of Carved in Ice (Made of Steel 3)

“Is it you?” I asked again.

He stood up. “You’re my patient. That would be crossing a line, don’t you think? Go visit Eli. I’ll see you again in a few days.”

“V won’t let me. He won’t listen.”

He tilted his head to the side as he stared down at me. “He’s jealous. You must see that.”

“Can you please just talk to him? I need to see Eli. I need to know if he’s okay.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Until next time.” He nodded at me and walked away.

I heard the whirring sound of the window opening. No scolding from Athena. No doorknob shock. Like he could come and go whenever he wanted. Like he had access to this apartment.

Dr. Miller never said he wasn’t V. He basically said it was unethical for him to have a relationship with a patient. But everything V did seemed unethical to me.

Chapter 19

Saturday

“Athena, please,” I said and let the back of my head fall against the window. “I don’t know if you have feelings, but…I love Eli. He needs me. Please.”

She had stopped responding to me half an hour ago. Right after I called her a slut. It was a moment of weakness. I didn’t think she’d ice me out, but she hadn’t responded since. I was just talking to myself in the empty apartment. Like a lunatic. Maybe I had lost my mind as much as V had.

My phone ringing pulled me out of my pity party. Liza. I ran my thumb across the screen. “Liza, is he okay?” I held my breath as I waited for her to respond.

“He’s…stable. He lost a lot of blood…”

He’s alive! “Is he going to be alright?” I put my hand on the center of my chest.

“I don’t know. I wanted to wait to call you when I knew, but your millionth phone call finally swayed me.”

“So you don’t know anything?”

“I didn’t say that,” she snapped. “I’m sorry, I’m just exhausted. He was in surgery a long time. He only just got out.”

“That’s good, right? They wouldn’t have done surgery if there was no hope.” It felt like my heart started beating again. He’s okay. He’s breathing.

Liza sighed. “He’s been mumbling your name. The only reason that they let me in his room is because I said I was Summer.”

“He’s asking for me?”

“Not exactly…he…he’s repeatedly saying your name in his sleep. I’m holding his hand, hoping he thinks it’s you. But it’s so cold…” her voice cracked. “You need to get down here, Summer.”

“V won’t let me leave the apartment. I can’t.”

“You need to find a way. There’s cops standing outside his door. As soon as he’s alert enough, they’re going to take him away, I just know it. You need to come now so you can say goodbye.”

Goodbye? “Because he’s going to be arrested or because you think he’s not going to make it?”

“Summer…”

“Just tell me.”

“He doesn’t look like he’s going to be okay. They won’t tell me anything because I’m not related to him. But he’s so pale. And cold. He’s not holding my hand back.”

“Can you put the phone up to his ear?”

There was a rustling sound and then light breathing. It was him. I could tell.

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