Page 85 of Dreaming About Forever

Jordan rested his head in his hands. “I don’t know what to do. Mom and Dad are going to need my help, but I can’t leave Alicia.”

“We have backup on the way. You can stay with your dad.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t leave her. Not because it’s my job, but because I love her, and I couldn’t walk away from her if I tried.”

Nathan leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees. “I’ve always trusted your instincts. Sounds like you know where you’re supposed to be.”

Jordan looked up at his boss–his friend. Everything was changing, and there were important decisions to be made. Hopefully, he’d make the right ones.

30

ALICIA

Alicia blinked and stretched her back. Everything ached, and the simple movement pulled a groan from her chest.

Something tightened around her hand. “Alicia?”

It was Jordan.

She blinked, then squinted against the bright light. When her vision focused, she took in the dark figure beside her. His eyes were shadowed, and the stubble on his cheeks was longer than she’d ever seen it. “Hey.”

Jordan scooted closer and brushed a hand over her hair. “How do you feel?”

She stretched her arms out, dragging tubes with them. “Tired. Thirsty.”

Jordan reached to a table and handed her a cup of water with a straw. She drank a little, then a little more. She’d woken up a few times since the blackout, but remaining awake was tough. She hadn’t been released to eat, and she wouldn’t be able to until the doctors figured out the perfect medications and dosages to get her blood sugar stabilized.

“What else can I get you?” Jordan asked.

She hated seeing him like this. He’d spent enough time in hospitals after his injury, and now he was here for her. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel locked back up in the place that held so many bad memories.

“How is your dad?”

Great. Her voice was as rough as a gravel road. A jolt of anxiety shot through her chest. So many people depended on her to be able to sing and perform her best. In only three months. She’d have to start rehearsals for the tour in less than a week. She’d agreed to the Harmony House concert on New Year’s Eve.

Jordan wrapped both of his large hands around hers. “He’s okay. He has a long road ahead of him, but he’s tough.”

“What can I do to help them? I asked Lillian to send some meals, but what else could I do?”

Jordan looked down at her hand and grinned. “You’re in the hospital, and you’re thinking about other people.”

“They’re your family.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to add that they were her family too, but maybe she was jumping to conclusions. She wasn’t actually a part of the family, but they’d treated her like one of their own.

“Mom hasn’t stopped fussing over you either. She loves you. Not as much as I do, but she loves you a lot.”

If she wasn’t so dehydrated, she would cry. Last she’d asked, her own parents hadn’t checked on her, despite the media coverage her illness was getting. “I love her too.”

“Lillian is here. She said your sister called and is headed this way.”

Alicia tried to sit up. “No, she’s filming. I’ll be fine. She can’t do anything to help me anyway.”

“She can join the club then,” Jordan said. “I hate watching you like this without being able to help.”

Alicia put her hand on Jordan’s arm. “You are helping. Now go help your dad and sit by his bedside.”

“Sorry, I can’t do that.”

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