Pushing everything else away, he slowly entered the room. His heartbeat stalled when he caught his first sight of her.
The blood had been cleaned off, amplifying the bruises covering her face. Her left eye was still swollen but looked as though it had gone down slightly.
Her right arm was in a white cast from below the elbow down, and a sling held it in place as it rested on a pillow across her belly.
Her other arm was wrapped in gauze where the cut had been treated and sewn. An IV tube ran from beneath the tape on the top of that hand, up to the fluid-filled bag hanging on the metal stand positioned near her.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. The doctor had said she didn’t look good, but he’d been wrong.
The bruised and broken woman lying before him was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Jake moved toward the left side of the bed, sliding a plastic chair as close to her as he could get it. Mindful of the IV, he reached through the metal railing to take her hand into his.
He exhaled long and slowly, as though touching her gave his lungs permission to breathe again.
He brought her hand to his lips, keeping it there. She was too cold. Too still. He needed her to wake up.
The doctor had said she would be okay, but until she opened her eyes, until he heard the sweet sound of her voice—
He used his shoulder to wipe a tear from his cheek. She’d been through so much. More than any one person should ever have to endure. Her sleeping image blurred as he leaned over the railing to kiss the top of her head.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Jake rested his forehead against her cool skin. He knew his tears were raining down on her, but he couldn’t bring himself to move away.
“I love you, baby,” he said with a broken whisper. “Come back to me soon, okay?”
Kissing her again, he could taste the saltiness of his sorrow. With her limp hand still in his, Jake sat back down. He wiped the tears from his face, but they just kept coming.
With his head hung low, Jake’s entire body shuddered as he wept. He prayed for her forgiveness, and guidance on how to help her get through this.
Sometime later, Jake woke with a start. A soft moaning caught his attention, slapping the rest of the sleepy cobwebs away.
Olivia was having a nightmare. Jake watched her brow furrow. He felt her fear when the small hand he was still holding squeezed his tightly. Her legs began moving about as if she were running from something. Or someone.
Olivia mumbled something incoherent. Jake stood and began carefully caressing the bruised skin on her cheek with the back of his knuckles. He kissed her temple and whispered sweet, soothing words.
Before long, her jerky movements stopped. The creases on her forehead smoothed, and her entire body relaxed.
The cycle repeated itself several times throughout the night. At one point, it got so bad that the nurse had to inject a stronger sedative into Olivia’s IV, and the doctor had to re-stitch the wound on her arm. She’d busted it open while trying to escape whatever hell she’d been trapped in.
The next thing Jake knew, a large hand was on his shoulder and a sliver of morning sun was peeking through the curtains. Through eyes that felt like sandpaper, he looked up and saw Trevor standing next to him.
“Sorry to wake you, but I thought you might want something to eat.” He held up a fast-food bag with one hand, a large coffee in the other.
Jake ran a hand over his face and sat up from his slouched position. “Thanks,” he said, reaching for the coffee. “I’m not hungry, but I’ll take this.”
Trevor sat the paper sack down onto the portable tray nearby, and pulled another chair closer. Sitting next to Jake, he looked at Olivia for a while and then, “So, how is she?”
“Doc says physically, she’s going to be fine. But the other...” Jake trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t know, man. A person can only take so much, you know? She had nightmares all night. Never really woke up, but I know she was reliving everything. The doctors had to give her something stronger. She’s just so—”
“Tough,” Trevor finished for him. “If anyone can make it past all this, it’s her.”
Without taking his eyes off her, Jake agreed. “She’s as tough as they come.” Which reminded him—
“Where’s the video?”
Trevor suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Uh...what video?”
“There was a camera in the barn. The bastard recorded everything he did to her. I want to see it.”
Trevor’s eyes flickered slightly and shrugged. “Asshole must have forgotten to hit record.
Jake’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “So, there’s nothing?”
Trevor shook his head. “Even if there was, you wouldn’t want to see that, Jake. Trust me. It’s bad enough remembering the way we found her. The other...you can’t un-see that shit, man. That crazy bastard is dead, and Olivia’s safe. Truly safe. No sense in looking backward.”
Trevor’s gaze slid to Olivia’s sleeping form and back to Jake’s. A sadness was there when he spoke. “You’ve got a shot at something really good here, Jake. Don’t dwell on the past. It’s a waste of time and won’t change what happened.”
Jake studied his friend for a moment. “We still talking about Olivia?”
Trevor shrugged one shoulder and broke eye contact. “I just know blaming yourself for something you can’t change won’t do you or her any good.” He looked back at Jake and gave him a sly smile. “And I don’t want to see your dumb ass ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
Jake grinned for the first time in days. It felt odd...almost unfamiliar.
His mouth fell as quickly as it had risen. Studying Olivia again, he asked, “How do you know I haven’t already?”
“When I was at her
