Page 13 of With You Forever

Fear that if this all goes south, Luke loses Sal and Seth both.

Silence falls.

A sharp intake of air has Sal sitting up straight in her chair. Seth’s eyes sweep to her, then the spot where her gaze is lasered.

Dr. Mayr appears in the hallway. “We’re all done,” he says, scanning their group. “We should have the results in seven to ten days.”

“That’s too damn long,” Seth rumbles. His fingers flex. The dark urge to hit something, someone, crashing over him like a tidal wave.

Sal grunts softly, as if she agrees.

“How’s Lacey?” Luke asks, but his eyes are on Seth.

“She’s in recovery.” Dr. Mayr gestures at the hallway. “She’s resting, but she should be good to head home.” He inclines his head toward Sal, then Seth, hesitating. “I can take one of you to her room.”

With that, Seth stands, steadies his heart and his hands, and follows the doctor down the hall. He can feel Sal’s eyes on him. He knows she’d give anything to be with her sister, but he’s a selfish bastard.

He has to see her first.

Inside the room, Lacey sits on the edge of the bed, already dressed, the back of her left hand wrapped in a bulky bandage.

Seth’s heart squeezes at the sight of his feisty hurricane girl. She looks so fragile surrounded by machines and tubes and wires, all he wants to do is pick her up in his arms and rush her out of her. He wants her out of the hospital.

He doesn’t want this place to fucking touch her.

Safe and warm and in his arms.

That’s where she’s going.

“Hey, princess,” Seth says, shutting the door behind him.

“Hi,” Lacey says, turning weary sedative-laced eyes toward him. Her beautiful face is pale; her long blond hair hangs over her shoulders.

“You ready to go?” He edges toward her. She looks like she’s on the verge of falling over.

Relief sweeps across her face. “Yeah. I am.”

She stands, teetering in her heels. Seth pulls her against his chest, holding her tight. She wraps her arms around his waist and leans against him. It’s all he wants to do. Hold her. Keep her safe. Keep her close.

So damn close.

He brushes back her hair, kisses her cheek carefully. She smells like harsh chemicals and antiseptic, but Seth doesn’t care. She’s never been more beautiful. Tears fill his eyes as he kisses the curve of her neck.

Mouth pressed to his ear, Lacey grips the front of his shirt, her voice a broken whisper. “Take me home, Seth.”

Seth flips on the apartment light and Lacey slings her heavy bag on the table, the stack of wedding magazines slipping out to lay accordion style on the long kitchen table. At the sight of them, she turns away. All she wanted hours earlier was to talk cake, talk invites, and now here she is.

Her life suddenly firebombed.

A heavy silence fills the apartment. Seth moves quietly around her, locking the door, setting bags of fast food on the counter since no one was in the mood to cook. Mundane tasks that have her feeling like she’s jumping out of her skin.

Tonight feels too big. Like her brain hasn’t yet caught up with the news.

Because what does she do now? Go on, pretend her life is just perfectly fine while she waits on test results that could make or break her? When she could be walking around with cancer in her body? When she could end up dying like her mother?

Her mind tries to make sense of it, is swamped with more questions than answers. Has she been feeling off? What if she’d never gone in? What if she’d gone in sooner? What if—

No.

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