Chapter 89

Chapter 89

Alessia’s POV

I knock on the door.

Caden told me that Jake has rarely ever been awake for more than a few hours and within me, I hope that he isn’t awake so that I can postpone this conversation to another day.

“Come in,” a weak voice calls out and my heart sinks to my

stomach.

against the

Cracking the door open, I peep in and find Jake leaning on the bed with a dozen pillow props bed for him to press his back into. His gaze shifts away from the TV in the room to the door and his face morphs into a smile once he sees me.

“Alessia, you finally woke up.” He tries to straighten up but ends up giving up with a soft whine.

I bite my lips, guilt stealing my breath,

“Don’t look at me like that?” He saws and I drag my gaze away from the bandage wrapped around his midrib to his face.

“Don’t look at you like what?” I ask, confused.

He sighs and makes a motion with his finger. “Come in here,” I say and I compile, shutting the door behind me and walking towards his bed.

He pats the empty side of his bed and I silently sink onto the soft mattress, guilt still weighing me down.

Jake groans and I hurriedly look over his body, searching for any sign of discomfort or pain but as I look at the expression on his face, I realize that it’s annoyance, not pain.

“Get that look out of your face,” he orders sternly.

My brows clench together in confusion. “What look do you keep talking about?”

Has the venom made its way up to his brain and is now causing him to have hallucinations? I hope that isn’t the case.

“That look of guilt and self-loathing.” He sinks, his head dropping back into the wall behind us. “This wasn’t your fault.” He points at the bandage covering the entire section of his stomach.

I hear his words but they don’t reassure me. Jake is lying on the bed, his life depending on an antidote that doesn’t exist and that’s because of me. Because I didn’t to be a b i t c h and run out of the pack boulder. Nothing he says is going to change that fact.

“It was,” I whisper, my gaze falling to the bed as I’m unable to hold his eyes any longer while knowing that I’m the reason he’s on that bed.

Chapter 89

“It wasn’t.”

A finger underneath my jaw tips my head back up. My vision of Jake is blurry from the unshed tears in my

eyes.

“I wouldn’t change a thing. I would have chosen to run after you a million times even if I knew this to be the outcome.” He smiles weakly. “So, no more of this sullen mood. He lets go of my jaw and turns his attention back on the TV. I was watching this awesome television series. It has been on my to-watch list forever. You want to join me?” He spares me a quick gaze with a raised eyebrow and then his gaze is fixed back on the television.

I study the side of his face, wondering how on earth I got so lucky to have found a friend in Jake. He’s one of the few people I’ve trusted and I’m afraid that I don’t deserve his friendship. The only thing I’ve managed to do is risk his life and use him as my emotional human shield countless times, running to him to tell him about my worries and using his shoulders as a makeshift pillow. I definitely don’t deserve him.

“You’re doing it again aren’t you?” Jake sighs, looking annoyed and maybe even a little

angry.

I smile a guilty smile. It’s not like I can make my brain turn off and stop thinking. No matter what Jake says, I’m always going to know that I’m the reason he’s on that bed and fighting for his life.

“Ok, that’s it!” Jake exclaims and I turn wide eyes to him, wondering what cost that outburst.

Jake grips my jaw between his fingers and draws closer to my face, hiding a whine as he bites his bottom lip.

“Don’t strain yourself,” I said, pulling his fingers away from my face but standing in the position he pulled me into. What is it?” I ask.

He reaches for the remote beside him on the bed and mutes the television before turning all his focus on me. “Listen here, Alessia.” He puffs in the air through his mouth. “I already know that I’m not going to make it.”

My face crumbles.

He smiles sadly at me. I’m ok with that. I knew what I was getting myself into when I ran in front of the man holding the knife. A pause. “Ok, so maybe I didn’t know that the knife was laced with a deadly venor that has the potential to kill me, but I don’t regret doing what I did.”

My bottom lip wobbles as I fight to hold in a s o b.

“I would do it again in a heartbeat.” He chuckles, his lips breaking into a perfect smile. “There’s no use beating yourself because, given a chance to choose your life over mine, I would choose yours in a second.”

I don’t realize that I’m crying until his thumb wipes my cheeks.

“Don’t cry,” he says softly.

I ist wich that there was something I could

Chapter 89

do.” I won’t do anything in a heartbeat if it guarantees his survival. Absolutely anything.

“Well…” Jake draws out and I wipe the tears on my cheeks as I hold his eye. “There’s something that you

could do for me. It will make me feel a great deal better,” he says mischievously.

“Anything.” I rush out, not thinking my word over. “I’ll do anything you want.”

“Date me.”