Page 39 of Nothing At All

He put himself in danger every time he clocked in. This had happened.

Worse could happen.

That left me breathless in a different way, the idea of a world without him in it.

I clenched my hands on my knees, fingers digging down hard. I didn’t want that idea living in my brain.

He could put on that uniform, kiss me goodbye, and be gone.

How did I even begin to conceive of that?

My heart squeezed into a tight ball, wanting to pound right through my chest and escape.

This was real – and I wasn’t ready at all.

Chapter Twelve

Lila

Time stretched, moments stacking into slow minutes building glacial hours, broken only by the soft-spoken nurse rotating in to check on him. I sat and watched him sleep, watched the IV drip, the fluid level in the bag inching down.

My phone vibrated to life on my thigh, Mama’s contact photo on the screen. I fumbled to answer the call, gaze locked on his face.

“Hello?” I whispered. He didn’t move, chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths.

“Lila?” Worry tightened Mama’s voice. “Why are you at the hospital?”

How did she . . .? Oh, right. The location-sharing app. I rarely logged in since I had no need to track my parents, but obviously Mama felt the need to track me.

“I’m okay.” I kept my voice at a whisper. “I’m with Dan.”

“Is he okay?” Her maternal panic shifted to concern.

“He will be.” I traced his features with my gaze, the line of his jaw, the splint over his nose, mouth slightly open in sleep. “He, um, he got hurt at work.”

The words threatened to close my throat like an allergic reaction, swelling everything shut.

“Oh, honey.” Mama’s sympathy wrapped around me despite the miles between us. “I’m glad you’re with him, but I’m so sorry.”

“Me, too.” My voice shook, remembered fear trembling through me. “Mama, someone hurt him.”

“Oh, baby.” The warmth undid me. My eyes burned, filling. I swallowed a sob, shoving the lump down with it. “But you said he’ll be okay.”

“Yes. The doctor said so.” I gulped down another sob. “He can go home tonight.”

“Okay, well, there you go,” Mama soothed. “This was frightening for both of you, I know, but he’s going to be well. You’ll be with him and everything will be fine.”

“Mama. Someone hurt him.” The idea boggled my mind. He was so good, an absolute sweetheart. And some angry asshole had hit him in the face, knocked him down.

“Baby girl, you are dating a law enforcement officer.” Although the warmth remained, Mama shifted to her no-nonsense lawyer voice. “That carries an element of risk.”

“I know but . . .”

I really hadn’t thought the whole dating-a-cop thing through.

Mama sighed. “Lila.”

“Ma’am.”