Page 97 of Until You Can't

The guy with the Aussie accent looked at me. “Maybe read it to him? When I was down for the count, and my wife was worried I wouldn’t wake up and remember her, she read me something, and well . . . it, uh, helped.”

I surrendered to a few more tears, which had Noah lightly patting my back to comfort me. “Okay, thank you.” I gulped, eyeing the note one more time before Noah directed me to Ryan’s room.

I ignored the vibration in my pocket, knowing it was probably Maria calling again for an update.

“You ready to see him?” Noah asked just outside the room.

“Yes,” I mouthed, then followed him into the room a moment later. I slowly worked my eyes from the laminate floor to the bed, and wilted at the sight of Ryan lying there with his head wrapped, arms dressed in bandages, a breathing tube in his nose, wires and monitors everywhere and . . .

It was too much.

My eyes remained down as I worked up the nerve to peer at Ryan again, and when I spied hospital socks come into view, I tore my gaze up to see Anthony before me.

He had on a hospital gown as if he’d been in his own room at some point. His right eye was rimmed in black and blue. His lip split. Bruises on his neck. His inked arms were covered in bandages. And all I wanted to do was hit him. Set my fists to his chest and pound every ounce of anger, hurt, and frustration into his arrogant, self-absorbed body.

“What are you doing here?” Clearly, no one had clued Anthony in about my involvement.

“I hate you,” I cried and backed up, slamming into a muscular wall behind me. Noah stepped alongside me and protectively hooked an arm around my back as if a warning to Anthony to keep a distance.

Anthony held his mouth, tears in his eyes, then slowly turned to the side to look at Ryan. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry. I screwed with the wrong people.”

I didn’t want to ask Anthony questions, to find out why Ryan was in that bed. I just needed to focus on Ryan waking up.

“I think you should head to your own room right now,” Noah firmly suggested, reading my mind. “Your uncle is here and would like a word with you as well.”

“Maurizio?” Anthony faced me.

“How else did you think Ryan would get the money for you in time?” I hissed, keeping my eyes steady on Anthony, because if I looked at Ryan lying motionless in that hospital bed again, I’d totally lose it. And my fists would most definitely connect with Anthony’s chest.

“Yeah, I just . . . how’d you get brought into this? I never thought Ryan would go to you.” Anthony’s eyes fell to the floor.

“Time to go,” Noah said as he freed his arm from my back and motioned to the door, a clear signal for Anthony to leave. “Now.”

A heavy sigh fell from Anthony’s lips. “Does my mom know we’re here?”

“She does know. I called her before I got here. A friend of mine had a private jet, and they’re taking off soon.” I looked at Anthony. “I’m sure you have quite a few missed calls.” Since you’ve been hiding in here, I almost said out loud, but then I’d feel a twinge of guilt about it, because maybe he really was at Ryan’s side because of love.

“Shit. What do I say?” Anthony tore his hands through his hair as he walked to the door, but I wouldn’t help him with his guilt.

I focused back on Ryan, willing my legs forward steadily, hoping they’d get me to him without collapsing. “Be in the hall,” Noah told me once I made it to the chair by the bed, then he shut the door.

“Ryan,” I whispered and reached for his palm, smoothing my thumb over the top of his hand. Just like he’d done to my ankle in his truck bed what felt like forever ago. His eyelids fluttered at the contact, and my heart jumped at the sight.

I remained like that for a few minutes before I looked down at my other hand still clutching that letter.

“You,” I cried. “Why’d you write this?”

I gently set his hand alongside his body, deciding to open the letter, remembering his friend’s suggestion that it may help.

Tears blurred my vision and slid down my cheeks as I eyed the words, and I reached for his hand again, hoping he’d hear me.

“Talia, if you’re reading this, well, things most likely didn’t go as planned. And I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am. How sorry I am that I won’t be able to spend the rest of my life with you, which I can admit to you now is all I want. Well, that and to have babies that look just like you. With your green eyes. Green. My favorite color because of you.” A sob escaped my chest, and I had to pause for a moment to try and get a hold of myself. “A family and life with you is all I’ve wanted for so long, but I never thought it was possible. And then somehow, my brother managed to bring us together. And although I haven’t had you for long, I’ll take those days over nothing. I’ll cherish them in whatever eternal world I wind up in.”

I tightened my grip, doing my best to swim against the current of emotions that were hammering me left and right.

“I guess I always knew I’d die young. Like father, like son, right? Maybe that was also why I kept my distance from you for so long. I guess I just hoped I—”

At the feel of a squeeze back from Ryan, I dropped the letter in shock, and it fell to the floor.

---