Cherish (Covet #1.5) Read Free Page B

the ICU.”
    Shocked, I briefly cover my mouth with my hand and then lower it. “I didn’t know that. How is he?”
    “He’s holding his own,” he says. “Just like Daniel.”
     
    I buy a bottle of water from the vending machine and find a quiet corner with two chairs and a table between them.
    My mom answers on the third ring. “How is he?”
    Holding his own , I almost say. “There hasn’t been much change. Dylan is here now, and the doctor spoke to us this morning. Their biggest concern is keeping the pressure in his brain under control. Mimi and Jerry should be here late tonight.”
    “Were you supposed to work today?” my mom asks.
    “I’m between assignments.” After the divorce, I registered with a temporary agency. Some of the positions are short-term—less than a week—but others are longer, lasting a month or more. I only accept the ones that interest me, and I’m grateful I can afford to be choosy.
    “Is there anything you need?”
    “I could use a change of clothes and a toothbrush. Could you run by my place and bring them to me?”
    “Of course. How long do you plan on staying?”
    “I’ll stay until Mimi and Jerry get here. Maybe a little longer if they don’t mind.”
    “They’re not going to mind, Jess. You know that. I’ll call you when I’m downstairs.”
     
    When I walk back into the ICU area, I take a moment to look into the other rooms as I pass by. In one of them a young man is lying on the bed surrounded by at least ten people, five per side. Their heads are bowed as they pray in silence. I get an awful feeling in my gut.
    Once I’m back in Daniel’s room, I ask Dylan if there’s been any change.
    “No. Literally nothing has changed,” he says, sounding frustrated. Dylan never did possess any patience.
    “You heard the doctor. It’s going to take time. I’m happy to stay here if there’s someplace you’d rather be.”
    I can tell he wants to argue, because that’s what Dylan does best, but his need to leave, to be unencumbered, far outweighs his willingness to win this match. He wants to leave so badly he can taste the freedom. Staying put is not in his repertoire.
    He asks for my phone, and when I hand it to him, he keys in his number. “I’ll be back in a little while. Call me if anything happens.”
    I’m probably the last person Dylan would choose to stay by Daniel’s side, but that just proves how desperate he is to leave.
    He gives Daniel one last look and then bolts.
     
    After my mom has come and gone and I’ve cleaned up a bit and changed clothes, I spend the next few hours alternating between the chair and Daniel’s bedside. I’ve run out of things to talk about because I haven’t spoken to him since the divorce, and it’s not like we have a lot of common ground right now. My feelings toward him, however, are nothing but tender. I loved him far too long to feel any differently.
    Around lunchtime I leave Daniel’s side. I need to go to the bathroom and grab something to eat, and I want to check on the reserve officer. But when I walk past his room, it’s empty. My steps quicken as I burst through the door, my eyes searching for the cluster of police officers I spotted this morning. There are only two now. Officer Spinner is back, and he meets my expectant and still-hopeful look and shakes his head slowly.
    I know it doesn’t mean that Daniel will also die, but at that moment the death of one is inexplicably linked to the other. Maybe the reserve officer was injured more severely than Daniel. Maybe he wasn’t as strong. Maybe there’s no way to make sense of any of this.
    I rush past the officers and head for the nearest bathroom where I lock myself in a stall and try to catch my breath as I sob. All I can think about is the people who were surrounding the reserve officer’s bed.
    I’m no longer hungry, but I buy a Sprite and some crackers from the vending machine. I walk the halls for five minutes, taking deep breaths and rolling my neck