Insufferable: A Dark Erotic Romance Read Free Page A

would was another story. I possibly had internal injuries and there was no telling how long it would take for assistance to get here.
    I tried to open my eyes again, but weakness overtook me. Maybe if I rested for a little it would help. Just for a few minutes. She still had to make it to the cliff, and then return. It would take her awhile. Maybe too long .
    No, I wouldn’t think about that. I would be fine once I healed, but in the meantime… What would happen to Lydia while I was in the hospital? Who would make sure she didn’t attempt suicide again?
    My eyes opened and I took in the gray clouds above. As if on cue, a rain droplet splashed against my throbbing cheek. Fuck, this wasn’t right. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.
    Darkness swept over me again and reality blurred out as my mind raced. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been lying there before the sniffling drew me from the nightmare I was reliving.
    “They’re on their way. It won’t be long now.”
    The soft sliding of small rocks had me opening my lids to see Lydia’s worried face coming in, slightly blurry. I blinked, swallowed through the dryness.
    “Call …” I cleared my throat. “Call Sevastian. I need to talk with him.”
    “No,” she rushed out, lowering beside me. “You have to rest. You—” She stopped, blinking through whatever she was going to say. Slowly, she nodded while she pushed buttons on the phone. Her hand was trembling as she lowered it to my ear. The drizzle was steady and I turned my head, witnessing a mass of bruising along her leg. The nightgown she wore was hiked up mid-thigh and the coloration webbing across her skin was sickening.
    “Jaime.”
    Sevastian’s voice had a rugged breath leaving me.
    “I’m in trouble. Double red.”
    Silence was followed by the pounding of footsteps. He was in his office building. I knew the echo and buzz in the background like it was home. “Where the fuck are you?”
    My adrenaline spiked as I tried to push away the significance of what happened. “Ambulance should be here soon. They’ll take me to Portland Hospital. You have to meet me there.”
    “What the hell happened? Talk to me. How bad are you hurt?”
    “Cliff…” What felt like electric sensations zapped through my body like lightening as I tried shifting to feel the true magnitude. “Shoulder, leg, stomach…. My face.”
    “God dammit, Jaime. Why the fuck didn’t you call me?” Deep breaths left him and I knew he was running. “Who is it? Are they dead?”
    My eyes rose to Lydia’s dark blue ones and instinct told me I had to take her out of the equation. At least in her eyes. It would put her at ease and the last thing I needed was her running away when I couldn’t go after her. “No. A woman named Lydia Mills found me. She brought me my phone.”
    “Lydia Mills. I’ll take care of her. You make sure she doesn’t leave your side. I’ll be waiting at the hospital for both of you to arrive.”
    “Thanks.”
    I turned my head from the phone and Lydia pulled it away, looking down at the screen before she ended the call.
    “What’s double red?”
    “My second suicide attempt.” The lie came naturally and I let out a grunt as I tried to reach for her hand with my good arm.
    “Why would you say that to him? Why would you cover for me?”
    Lydia’s fingers slid through mine, but her focus never left my face.
    “Perhaps it wasn’t … far from the truth.”
    My eyes closed again and exhaustion was pulling me back under. Desperation to make sure she didn’t leave was the only thing that left me miraculously hanging on.
    “What set you off?” The last was almost inaudible due to my lack of strength. I tuned into her hesitation, focusing on the way the rain was still falling on me.
    “Have you ever felt like you couldn’t breathe? Like the skin you’re in is suffocating you? Have you ever hated yourself because you were you ? I know that sounds stupid.”
    “No.” I took a quick glance at