His Every Word Read Online Free Page B

the silence of the room.
    Kallie moved closer still and took one of his hands in her own hand. His hand was warm and full of life. Touching it, she sighed, her entire body relaxing. Even in his abused state, the mere touch of his skin was enough to quell her worst fears.
    “Hunter,” she said, softly. “Hunter, I’m here with you. I love you.”
    He didn’t show any sign of response. His eyes didn’t open as she half-expected them to. His lips didn’t murmur a response.
    There was just the beeping and hissing of electronics and devices that were meant to monitor his vitals and ensure his survival in this precarious time.
    “He’s going to make it,” Scarlett announced.
    “Of course he will,” Kallie replied, instantly regretting the prickly tone in her voice. She sighed. “I mean—he looks strong, doesn’t he?”
    Scarlett nodded with just a hint of uncertainty. “He does. He’s still fighting.
    That’s Hunter.”
    Kallie smiled down at him. “Do you think it would be all right if I touched his hair, just caressed it a little bit?”
    “I’m sure it would be.”
    Kallie continued to hold his hand with one of hers and then, with her left hand, she reached up and stroked Hunter’s hair away from his forehead.
    He was so pale. It frightened her. The pallor of his skin was unnatural, almost ghostly. She needed to see the color return to his cheeks, those dark, flashing eyes, the wicked grin. She needed to see those things again.
    This couldn’t be her last memory of him.
    It wouldn’t be fair if everything ended this way.
    “We all love you, Hunter,” Kallie said. “Me and Scarlett are here with you.
    We’re going to stay by your side no matter what, and we’re going to make sure you get through this with flying colors.”
    Her own voice sounded unnatural to her ears.
    She was trying too hard. She was struggling to find her center, to find her own strength. If the roles had somehow been reversed, she wondered, what would Hunter be doing right now?
    She imagined he’d be fighting for her in other ways—making sure she had the very best care, talking to every doctor, letting people know that there was someone who cared about this patient.
    Kallie felt suddenly young and out of her depth. She needed to do something, to do more than just speak empty words of hope to Hunter’s unhearing ears. She needed to fight for him as hard as he had fought for her. She needed to get answers about his condition.
    But how?
    I’m not his family, I’m not his emergency contact. I’m just some chick that says she loves him, and unfortunately, that doesn’t amount of much when you’re dealing with healthcare privacy laws.
    She turned to Scarlett. “We need to speak to his doctors again and find out what they’re doing next. We need to know that he’s being taken care of.”
    “He is being taken care of,” someone said from just outside the room. At that exact moment, a nurse entered the room. The nurse was an older woman, probably early to mid-fifties with a shock of silvery white hair and a pleasant smile. “He’s got the best surgeon on the West Coast looking after him,” the nurse continued.
    Kallie smiled, feeling a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I’m just scared. This is a horrifying situation.”
    The nurse nodded. “It is scary,” she agreed, walking over to Hunter’s chart and picking it up, eyeing it with the quick and easy glance of an old pro. “But even though he’s only a few hours post-surgery, his vitals look strong. He’s not out of the woods by any means, but I think there’s not a better team to have on your side than the folks right here.”
    Kallie continued holding Hunter’s hand. “What’s the lead surgeon’s name—the one who operated on Hunter?”
    The nurse put the chart back in its place and smiled wider. “His name is Doctor Forrest. Robert Forrest. He’s the best in the business—ask anyone and they’ll tell you as much.”
    “Thank you for saying all of