Chapter 35 Alex
ALEX
My mind is somewhere else entirely as I pull up to the bar.
The town is eerily quiet, wrapped in the hush of Christmas evening.
Storefronts are dark and streets are empty.
There is a blanket of peace settled over everything.
This is usually my favorite time of year, when the world slows down, when people pause to be with the ones they love. But all I can think about is Emma.
I want to tell her today.
I’ve been wanting to tell her for weeks, but I kept waiting for the right moment. But I finally realize that there is no ‘right moment’. There’s only now. And if the past few months have taught me anything, it’s that time is never guaranteed.
I step inside the bar, boots echoing against the floor. A quick check confirms everything is in order and nothing out of place. I look up the doors, quickly running back to my truck.
It should’ve taken me two minutes, but when I sit down and glance at my phone, my stomach drops.
Ten missed calls from Cam.
Panic surges through me so fast the phone nearly drops from my hand. My fingers shake as I hit redial. He answers immediately.
“Alex, go straight to the hospital.”
The world tilts. “What? What happened?”
“Em…” His voice cracks. “She collapsed again. The doctors are trying to stabilize her now.”
I can’t breathe. My chest caves in, pulse hammering so loud I can’t hear anything else he says.
She was fine when I left. She was tired, but she said she was fine.
I don’t remember hanging up. I don’t remember pulling out of the parking lot or how many red lights I blew through to get to the hospital. All I know is the second I see the building, my entire body goes cold. I didn’t think we would be here again so soon.
As I bust through the doors, the nurse recognizes me and immediately tells me what room to go to.
The sight in front of me makes my stomach drop even further.
Liv and Sophia are sitting outside the room, their eyes red-rimmed, cheeks streaked with tears.
Cam, Frankie and Leo stand nearby—silent, hollowed out versions of themselves.
Even Mia, too young to understand what’s happening, clings to Leo with wide, sad eyes.
“How is she?” My voice barely works.
Cam steps forward, his face tight with grief. “She’s in a coma.”
The world tilts again. My heart stops, then shatters into a million pieces.
“If she doesn’t get a heart soon,” Cam continues, voice raw and tearing at the seams, “we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
I can’t fucking breathe.
I push past them before I hear anything else. I need to see her. I need to see for myself that she’s still here, still fighting.
When I step into the room, my legs nearly give out beneath me. Emma looks so small and still. Machines beeping, wires running across her fragile body, and an oxygen mask covering her beautiful face. She doesn’t look like herself. My strong, stubborn, firecracker of a girl…
She’s slipping away from me.
I move to her side, gripping her cold hand between mine.
“Hi, Princess.” My voice breaks. “I’m here, baby.”
She doesn’t move. Doesn’t squeeze my hand back.
I bow my head, pressing my lips to her knuckles, kissing each one individually.
“Please don’t leave me.”
The words come out strangled, barely a whisper. The lump in my throat is suffocating. My vision blurs, chest heaving with silent, broken breaths.
“I love you,” I choke out. “I love you so much. I was gonna tell you today.” A tear slips down my cheek, splashing against her skin. “I love you, Emiliana.”
She doesn’t answer, just lies there, pale and lost in the space between life and whatever happens after.
My whole fucking world falls apart.
I don’t let go of her hand, not even for a second. It’s warmer now, but not the way it should be. Not the way it feels when she’s squeezing mine back, when she’s alive with laughter, when she’s brushing her fingers over my jaw like she does after we kiss.
The machines beep, a cruel reminder that her body is here in this room with me but I’m not sure where she really is. Nurses move in and out, whispering to each other in voices too soft for me to make out. I don’t care what they’re saying. All I care about is Emma.
I bring her hand to my lips. “I love you,” I whisper, the words breaking in my throat. “I love you, baby. You have to come back to me.”
It’s the only thing that I can force out of my mouth. The only words that I hope will find her wherever she’s at and will bring her back to me.
I’ve loved her for as long as I’ve known her. Every single day since that first moment, fifteen years ago, when she walked into my life and never really left.
And I never told her. Not in the way I should have or the way I wanted to.
A shadow moves in the doorway, and I look up to see Cam standing there. His eyes are glassy with emotion, but he doesn’t hesitate before stepping into the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed, looking down at his little sister like she might disappear if he blinks.
“She’s always been the strongest person I know,” he murmurs, raspy and thick. “Even when she was little. She always had this way of making you feel like everything is gonna be okay.”
I swallow hard. “I know.”
Cam exhales, running a hand through his hair. “I was a dick to you.”
I shake my head. “You’re her big brother. You’re supposed to be.”
“No,” he says, meeting my eyes for the first time.
“I was an asshole because I didn’t understand.
You’ve always treated her differently. I didn’t know why, and I hated it.
But now it makes sense.” He glances down at Emma, the expression he wore before coming in softens just a little.
“You were in love with her the whole time.”
I look at her face, her chest rising and falling artificially, at the way it looks like she’s sleeping peacefully in front of us. “Yeah,” I admit. “Always.”
Cam nods, his throat continuing to work through the emotions lodged there. “I was scared. That’s why I acted like I did.”
“I know.”
“I just…” He trails off, exhaling sharply. “I just want her to have more time.”
I clench my jaw, looking back at Emma. “Me too.”
The door creaks open and Dr. Rivera walks in holding some sort of paperwork as he gives a small, forced smile.
“She’s stable,” he says, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “But we need to find a match soon. We’re doing everything we can, but time is critical.”
I nod, gripping her hand tighter. “What am I supposed to do?” I plead for answers, for advice, something of substance. I can't just sit here and watch her float away. “How do I help her?”
Dr. Rivera’s smile turns despairing. “Stay with her. Talk to her. Love her. Patients in comas hear more than you think. They know when they’re not alone.”
I only nod in response, not trusting myself to speak again. The doctor gives me a reassuring look before stepping out, leaving me and Cam alone with her again.
For a long time, neither of us says anything. We just watch her breathe and listen to the steady rhythm of the monitors.
“She’s gonna fight,” Cam finally says. “She always does.”
I swallow against the lump in my throat. “Yeah.” is all that comes out.
Cam claps a hand on my shoulder, squeezes once, and then steps out, leaving me alone with her. I lean in close, pressing my forehead to her temple. “You hear that, Princess?” I whisper. “You just have to fight. I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
I close my eyes, breathing her in, and hope that wherever she is she hears me.