Page 33 of Always. Forever.

Cash nods. “I know, I said this to the doctor.”

“There’s more,” he murmurs, staring down at the floor.

My breath hitches. “Go on,” I say as the tears form in my eyes.

“The doctor said Jace sustained horrendous injuries. One being a bad trauma to the head. He . . . he.” Tears fall from Cash’s eyes.

“Cash? Please tell me,” I say on the edge of hysteria.

“When they arrived at the scene . . .” He glances up at me and then over to Jace, more tears falling from his eyes.

“He was not breathing, Ry. My boy was not breathing.” He breaks out in sobs, placing his head in his hands.

I can’t move, I can’t even look away from Cash after what he said. Jace stopped breathing. He died. I break out in a loud sob, running to the toilet and emptying my stomach. I turn to my side, dropping myself down next to the toilet.Beep. Beep. Beep.I close my eyes, the noise calming my insides. As long as I can always hear beeping, I know my baby is still there. He’s still with us, fighting.

A few minutes later, someone enters the room. I rush out to see if it’s the doctors, and Bohdi is standing there in complete shock, staring at Jace like it’s the first time seeing him. I don’t think it sunk in, seeing him earlier. It doesn’t look like Jace, so I can see why it’s hard to get your head around it. His eyes well with tears as he walks toward Cash, and Cash stands as Bohdi wraps him in a big hug. Cash softly cries into his shoulder, gripping Bohdi like he’s his lifeline.

Someone enters the room, so I spin around, and I’m shocked to see two cops.Why are they here?Bohdi is quick to walk over to them.

“Can I help you?” Bohdi says.

The policeman pushes his hand out to Boh.

“I’m Officer Kenley, this is Officer Marcum,” he replies. “Are you Cash Stiles?”

“No—”

“I am, can I help you?”

“Mr. Stiles, my colleague and I want to talk to you about the accident. Is there a room we can talk in?”

Boh butts in. “I don’t think this is the time, can you come back another day?” Cash places his hand on Boh’s shoulder.

“It’s fine, brother.” Normally Cash would have bit back, but I can tell he has no fight left in him, he probably wants to get it over with. Cash walks out the door with them.

They didn’t ask to speak with me, but I need to know what happened.Where was Jace coming from?I know nothing about what happened. I haven’t had the time to speak with anyone yet.

“Boh,” I murmur. “What happened?”

Boh takes a long sigh, staring at Jace.

“I don’t know much, Ry. He had a late meeting with some clients. He stopped off at a bar after with some friends, I haven’t been told who.” He looks down.

“He was on his way home. They think he fell asleep at the wheel.”

I nod absently. The tears don’t stop coming and are falling like a waterfall. I have so many questions, but the only person that can answer them is in a coma.

“Come here.”

I run into Boh’s arms, and he hugs me close to him while I sob into his chest.

“Why is this happening, Boh. I just want to wake up and this all be a dream.”

“I know, Ry. I know. He will come back to us.”

The door opens and this time it’s Cash that walks in. I wait for the cops to walk in after him and ask to speak to me but they don’t come. Boh and I are standing, waiting with bated breath for Cash to speak. It’s like there is this tension and none of us want to speak first.

Cash breaks the silence. “They have gone,” he states while walking over to a chair next to Boh and sitting, keeping his eyes solely on Jace. I’m relieved but confused as to why they didn’t want to talk to me.

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