Page 134 of Whenever You Call

She huffed out a small laugh. “I’d never point fingers like that, but it wouldn’t hurt for us to give him a little incentive to open his eyes now, would it?”

I knew exactly what she was referring to, and I wanted it more than anything.

“Let me see him. Now.”

“My pleasure.” With a nod of her head, her hand on my back replaced the nurse’s, and Dr. Young walked me through everything, preparing me for what I might see, what not to let frighten me, and what everything in that room was doing. She told me she’d stay with me if I had any questions, and then she went on to say something else, but I didn’t hear a damn word of it.

Knowing I was so close to Logan was enough.

When we finally stepped into the room full of clinical smells, wires, and beeping machines, I did my best not to let my legs give way beneath me again.

He was there, right in front of me, holding on.

My Logan.

The moment the door closed behind us, I left the doctor, and I ran to his side, throwing my arms around his frightfully still, broken body as carefully as I could before I laid my head against the small space on his chest that didn’t have wires and pads attached to it. The only thing I needed was proof of life. To get as close to his beating heart as possible.

Da dum. Da dum. Da dum.

A rush of pure relief poured out of me, mixed with heavy tears that I was sure would run out soon. Surely I didn’t have many more left… but they never stopped. Not as I ran my hands carefully over his arms. Not when I pulled away and placed my palms over the long, dark stubble of his chin, desperate to drop a kiss to his bust-up lips.

His hair was pushed back, showing all of his face to me. Every perfect inch, even in its bruised and broken state. The only thing missing was those beautiful eyes I’d dreamed of every time I’d fallen into an exhausted sleep.

Let me see all of you again, Logan. Please.

Dr. Young may have stayed in that room, but I didn’t care who heard what I had to say to him now. The only thing I cared about was the man who’d dared to give up his life to save my daughter’s.

“You’re a real hero, aren’t you?” I whispered through my tears. “Always there to save everybody else, expecting us to not care when you throw yourself in front of a moving car like that.”

I stroked every part of unblemished skin that I could, careful to avoid the places that could cause him any pain, even though he slept, and slept, and slept, and slept, and slept.

“Here you are, sleeping constantly, while Bella is waking up early every morning and rushing to this hospital to check up on you. Who’s the lazy bug now, huh?”

Leaning closer, I let my lips brush over his. A gentle wisp of a promise that I’d be here when he woke because he had to wake now. I couldn’t bear the thought of a life without him.

“You once told me that you’d be there for me whenever I called, Logan. You promised. Well, this is me calling, and I need you to answer,” I whispered. “Come back to me.”

My breath caught, making my throat ache with want.

“Can’t you imagine it. Us, waking up next to each other every morning. Not hiding how in love we are. Not caring about anything but making a happy life together.”

The daydreams flew at me. Everything I’d never dare to wish for myself, I said out loud, needing those dreams to come true. Needing Logan to be there with me.

“I’ve never wanted anything but love. Real love where a man looked at me, and I knew I was his everything. You were the first man to ever give me that, Logan. I see that now. I see everything so clearly, and I get so mad at myself for how I was before this happened. I almost pushed you away.” I sucked in a breath, releasing it as more tears fell. “All I need is you. Riches don’t matter to me. I don’t care who knows my name. I can’t throw my arms around money or fame and have it hug me back the way you do. I’d give anything to have you hold me now.” My voice broke. “Anything. You hear me? And I don’t care if that makes you feel guilty as long as it brings you back and makes you open your eyes.”

I rubbed my lips together, tasting my own tears, before I pressed them back to him, careful not to cause him any pain.

“And when you finally wake up,” I whispered. “I’m going to tell you about all the dreams I have of us together. Moving out of that house and maybe living by the ocean. Me in a white dress, and you up ahead of me, watching me race down the aisle to get to you. Bella having a brother, a sister… or both. You, by my side forever. I’ll tell you about all of it, Logan, and I won’t hold anything back. I can’t now. Just… wake up, baby, okay? I need you, and I’m calling like you told me to. All you have to do now is answer.”

Dropping my head to his chest, I curled my arms around his body again, and I whispered, “Just like you promised.”

Chapter49

HANNAH

“Any news?” Livia asked as I handed her a coffee in the waiting room.

“No.” I shook my head. “He’s the same as he has been for a few days now. Why is it taking so long?”

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