Heartbreaker Read Free

Her husband died ten years ago.”
    “Right. Now the cats make sense.”
    “Bennett! I was going to get a cat.”
    “Sure you were. Anyway, the nice cat lady told me you’d gone and said you’d given her your key, so of course I charmed her into giving it to me, and I checked out your apartment to find it completely empty.”
    “Yeah, I gave my furniture to the thrift store.”
    “Bales, you could have kept it. And I’m not sure your single bed, old couch and crappy dining room chairs, class as charity anyway.”
    “Hey, they were okay. They worked didn’t they? Gave yo u somewhere to sit and sleep ...”
    And it's just as I pop out the last word, that I look up to see a chest. A very familiar chest in a grey shirt. My eyes trail over that glorious view, and my breath hitches, my hearts racing. I swallow and bite my lip, but I can’t help it. I have to look. So I do. I look up into Cam’s glaring face for one brief moment. Then a rush of burning pain crushes my stomach and I drop the cell, with Bennett still waiting on the other end, and my world goes black.

THRee
    ______________________________________
    Muffled, muted voices from far, far away … “Bales, Bailey, Bai ...”
    I can’t answer them. I can’t move. I can’t see. I’m trapped in some kind of dark space. It's annoying me. I want to answer them, to let them know I’m okay. But I don’t, because I can’t.
    Then I feel arms around me. Warm, familiar arms. His arms. And they're carrying me. I wish I could move closer to his warmth. I crave it so badly.
    What's wrong with me?
    I try and fight. Fight the black, but its closing in once more, and I give in.

    More voices, I don’t know where I am. But it smells. The antiseptic odor invades my nose, making my aching stomach churn. I never wanted to experience that smell again.
    I've had enough.
    A voice breaks through, getting louder and I’m diverted from those buried thoughts.
    “She just fainted … I don’t know …doctor’s been in … not sure … I guess that’d be okay … I can ask her dad.”
    Ask dad what? And who’s asking, and who’s talking? And where am I? … And fainted ? … I don’t faint .
    Well just that once. But I had good reason to faint then.
    But not now.
    That’s all over. At least I thought it was. It’s time for right. I changed course, surely that was enough.
    Maybe not.
    The voice has stopped. Or maybe I can’t hea r it anymore. All I know is I’m tired.
    So tired.

    Beep … beep … beep … is my wake up call.
    Who set the alarm? What the hell is dad thinking? Turn it off, someone. God, please turn it off.
    My head hurts, and it’s making it worse. I try to open my eyes to find the button, but they won’t obey. I try to turn over but I’m glued in place. I twitch my finger in frustration, and I feel the warmth of a hand covering mine.
    “Bales, Bales, everything’s okay, I’ll get your dad.”
    Bennett? What’s he doing here? And where is here?
    Beep ... beep … beep.
    Oh, for the love of … Will someone please turn that off.
    I attempt to rub my eyes, thinking I can pry them open with my fingers. But my arms won’t reach, they feel leaden, weighed down just like my whole body. I never knew I could feel this exhausted.
    What the hell's wrong with me?

    I take in a deep meditative breath, hoping that will help. The beeping continues, and my head throbs in response. What a nightmare. The last thing I remember was talking on the phone to Bennett and seeing Cam.
    Cam?
    I wonder where he is. I could have sworn he was carrying me. But maybe I was hallucinating, either that, or wishful thinking.
    “Bales … honey.”
    Huh? Haven’t heard Dad call me honey in a long while. It’s kinda nice. Makes me feel wanted and cared for.
    I wrinkle my forehead and concentrate on opening my eyes. And this time they flutter, and I blink several times. Everything’s a big blur. White light dominates, making the faces fuzzy. My eyes are watery and sore, but I force