Page 55 of Never Too Late

I’m not prepared for the sight of her in a hospital bed, not again.

I’m nothing without her.

If she dies, I’m gonna go with her.

I’m not strong enough to do this without her.

I’ve already tried once, and it almost destroyed me.

The thoughts consume me while I follow Tyler through the hospital to her. A beacon, silently calling out for me, my heart races more with every step we take.

And then we’re there, and I’m not ready for this.

The strangled gasp that leaves my lips at the sight of Margot’s lifeless body will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Her eyes are closed, tubes hooked up to her body and a monitor attached to the wires connected to her pallid skin. She looks so small, just lying there, so much smaller than I’ve ever seen her before.

Even though her chest moves with every breath she takes, she never opens her eyes.

She doesn’t deserve to be here. I step forward and place my hand on her blanket-covered leg, trembling and unable to control it.

“Oh, Lilly-girl. What did you do?” I fight back a sob through the ash in my throat. “You shouldn’t have done it.”

“You know, she saved that kid,” Tyler speaks up.

I’m surprised he’s still here. He’s a doctor, and no doubt has a million things to do. Yet he’s here, for someone he barely knows.

“What?” I ask, not taking my eyes off her.

“The girl whom Margot was protecting in the fire. She’s alive, and she’s going home with her parents in the morning after we monitor her overnight. Because of Margot. She protected that girl with her life. It’s an honorable thing. One I know many people wouldn’t have done.”

He’s wrong, though.

Margot would do it every single day.

Even if she knew what would happen, there’s no doubt in my mind that she’d have run right into the building.

“Thank you, Tyler.” There is no response though. I don’t turn to look, but I know the other man is gone.

“Did you hear that, Margot? You saved a life. How could I ever be upset at that? But I need you to wake up. I need you. I don’t know how to do this if you’re not here. Even when you left, I knew you were out there. Alive. Smiling in the sunlight that seems to shine brighter just because you exist.” I set the small black box on the table next to her bed. “I brought you something. Something I thought I forgot about. That I’ve let sit in the back of my mind, and my life, for so long.”

I don’t know what I expected—for her to open her eyes and smile at me, to wake up and call me a dorkfish, or to demand that I get her real food and not hospital crap.

Anything.

Nothing happens.

For hours, just the steady beeping of the monitor that tells me she’s still alive is there to keep me company.

No one else comes to see her, and I know it’s got to be killing her mother that she isn’t in the room.

With one kiss to her forehead, I close my eyes and pray that she’s okay.

The walk back to the waiting room drains all the energy I have left. Every step I take away from her feels like I’m putting a nail in her coffin, and it’s only when I’ve made it back to her room with our parents at my side that I can breathe again.

“Margot,” Angela cries softly. “You can’t do this to me. You’re so strong. I can’t lose you.We can’t lose you.” My mother is crying with her, both of them holding on to Margot’s hands, and I can’t even bring myself to brush away the tears sliding down my cheeks.

Dad is there at my side, his arm wrapped around my shoulders. It’s here, with the people who love her the most… who loveusthe most, that I break.

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