The massive transfusion knocked me out, trapping me in a deep, endless sleep.


    I kept dreaming–voices swirling around me, whispering in my ear.


    ‘Kiki, be careful. Don’t get hurt or bleed. No one can save you.‘


    ‘Rea, are you trying to kill yourself, losing all that blood?”


    ‘You idiot! Who told you to give your blood?‘


    ‘Rea, help me… I’m so cold…‘


    The voices were my parents, Hayden, and Jace. They blurred together, each more frantic than the


    last.


    I wanted to answer, but I couldn’t. Then Jace appeared in my mind, covered in wounds, bleeding


    out like a


    fountain.


    I froze, terrified. He’s golden blood type–he can’t afford to bleed.


    “Ja?e, Jace!” I screamed, desperately pressing on his wounds, but the blood just poured through


    my fingers.


    Panic surged, and I kept calling his name, “Jace, Jace…”


    “Rea, wake up. Wake up!” A voice cut through the nightmare, sharp and urgent, dragging me back.


    My eyes snapped open, my chest heaving, still gripped by the fear of the dream.


    “Rea,” a familiar voice whispered close by.


    I turned to see Wayne, his face tight with concern, his hands gripping mine.


    “Did you have a nightmare?” he asked softly.


    I tried to pull my hands away, and he loosened his grip. My throat burned like I’d swallowed shards


    of ss as I croaked out, “Why are you here?”


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Even those few words hurt, my voice rough and broken.


    “With everything that happened to you and Jace, how could I note?”


    The mention of Jace sent a wave of panic through me, images from my nightmare crashing back. I


    knew


    it wasn’t real, but I’d seen how bad things were with my own eyes.


    Ignoring the ache in my throat, I asked, “How’s Jace? Is he okay?”


    “He woke up a while ago. He’s been in here a few times to check on you, but they made him go


    back to his room to rest,” Wayne exined, and I blinked in surprise.


    “I… have I been asleep long?” I nced at the window.


    The sky was bright, just like the day it all went down. But I knew it wasn’t the same day.


    “Three days and nights.”


    Three days? I stared at him, stunned. “That long?”


    “Yeah, you scared us all half to death,” Wayne said, brushing my hair back. “How could you risk


    yourself like that for Jace? Don’t you care about your own life?”


    I didn’t answer, my eyes drifting around the room. From where I was lying, I couldn’t see much, so I


    tried to sit up.


    Wayne jumped to help, piling pillows behind me.


    As he leaned in, his chest was right in front of my face, and I caught a faint, woody scent from him.


    My gaze drifted to his cor, slightly open, and I saw something unexpected–a tattoo on his chest.


    Yeah, a tattoo.


    Before I could get a better look, he straightened up.


    Wayne, the guy who always yed it safe, by–the–book, had a tattoo? I never would’ve guessed.


    But then again, everyone has parts they hide from the world.


    “You want some water?” Wayne’s voice snapped me back.


    I remembered why I sat up in the first ce.


    I was looking for someone.