Chapter 109
APRIL’S POV
“I can’t breathe, Spring.”
“Sorry,” I exhale, loosening my grip on June.
“I’m here,” she says softly. “You don’t need to hold on so tight; I’m not going anywhere.”
I sigh, the image of her on that stall flashing through my mind. She has no idea how bad it looked. She has no idea how close she’d been to going somewhere.
I place a kiss on the back of her head, on the bandage wrapped around it, and say my millionth prayer of thanksgiving.
It’s a little bit past midnight, and I’m in June’s hospital bed. She asked me to sleep in mine in the next room, but I refused. If she thinks she’s leaving my sight even for a second for the foreseeable future, she’s sorely mistaken.
We’ve barely spoken since I climbed into bed with her, just enjoying the comfort of each other’s warmth. I lightly stroke her arm, needing to keep physical contact to remind myself that she’s here. I count the breaths each time her back presses into my chest as she inhales and exhales.
Call me overboard; call me too much.
My sister almost died. She’ll be lucky if I don’t follow her to her marital home.
June’s breathing evens out, and I think she’s fallen asleep, but then I hear, “Don’t leave.”
Despite her complaints about her restricted respiration, I tighten my arms around her. “I’m never leaving you, Summer.”
“No.” She shifts, turning in my arms so she’s facing me. I reach out and adjust the IV line in her arm so it’s not tangled or pulling against the injection site.
“I mean, don’t leave the competition.”
I frown. “How do you-”
“This clinic has surprisingly thin walls,” June answers simply.
I hug her closer, resting my chin gently on her head. “Don’t worry about that, Summer.”
She pushes against my chest, forcing me away. “No, I’m worrying about it.”
I sigh. “June, I’ve made my decision, and that’s that.”
After Nathan left my room without an explanation as to where he was going, I spent the next ten minutes trying to collect myself. To reassure myself that the conclusion I made was for the best.
If not for me, then for my sister.
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17:12 Wed, Oct 8 a
Chapter 109
Staying in this competition means putting her in harm’s way. It’s a no–brainer.
June exhales. “Did you know Doctor Penny has twins?”
I frown, confused by the sudden topic switch. “She mentioned a son, but…okay?”
My sister nods. “Jamie and Jackie. They’re ten, so we can play together. Jamie likes art–Penny says their house is filled with framed drawings he made himself. And Jackie is really good with computers–she created an app on Penny’s phone that helps her keep track of all her duties. Penny says they bicker a lot, but that’s only because they love each other a lot.”
I pull back to look at June.
“Summer… Why are you telling me all this?”
I feel her tense, like she’s bracing herself. “Penny thinks I would get along great with them.”
I swallow past the knot building in my throat. “And why would she think that?”
“Because she asked me to come live with them for-”
“No.”
June sighs. “Spring-”
I sit up on the bed, shifting to rest on the headboard. “No.”
June shifts, too, mirroring my position. “It would only be for the rest of the competition.”
I shake my head, hugging my knees to myself. “No, June.”
“April-”
“I know all you remember is a small bump,” I say. “But it was more than that. You looked like you were dead, Summer. Dead.”
June inhales sharply, but I keep going. “I thought I was going to lose you, too.”
I reach out and take her hand–the one without an IV line–and squeeze tightly. “I’m leaving the competition so I don’t inadvertently put you in any more danger.”
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17:12 Wed, Oct 8
Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me
