Crash (Sinners and Saints #1)

by Kathy Lockheart

“How could you possibly know that?” “You know how, sometimes, two people can be in a tornado and not see things clearly, but somebody outside the tornado can see it plain as day?” “Is this the part where you tell me you’re the tornado whisperer?” “This is the part where I tell you it’s obvious you’re in love with each other.”

“We can never be t...

“Well then, if happily ever after is off the table, I guess you have two choices with Tessa.”

“Let this be the cancer that cuts her out of your life completely or be honest with her and save your friendship.”

“Oh, and, Blake? Fair warning: if you choose option one, I will personally make sure every coffee shop in a ten-block radius knows to give you decaf for the rest of your life.”

The word hit like a defibrillator to the chest. Because, goddammit, he was right. The scattered symptoms, the clean tests, the progressive deterioration … it could all fit. Someone might be poisoning her.

“Small businesses need to have each other’s backs. Today, it’s me they’re targeting. What if, next year, some massive florist starts coming after the local flower shops?”

“Every bride deserves the wedding of her dreams,” I added, “not just the ones who’ve hitched their wagon to a corporation trying to bully their way to a monopoly. A wedding isn’t supposed to be a battleground for businesses to try to destroy each other. It’s meant to be a beacon of hope, a reminder that love is worth fighting for.”

Blake: Please come to the hospital. There, see? I said PLEASE. Me: Slow clap. I know that word has eluded your vocabulary for quite a while. Blake: This is serious.

Blake: You won’t let me explain this request in person, WILL YOU? Me: NO. P.S. I KNOW HOW TO USE THE CAPS TOO. SEE? THIS IS ALL CAPS. Blake: Tessa. Me: Dr. Morrison. Blake: You want to be mad at me? Fine. But you need to take this seriously. Me: Got it. Thanks for the mansplaining. Blake: Tessa.

“Turns out, I don’t think mold’s my issue after all.” “No?”

“What makes you say that?”

“The whole point of staying here was to eliminate variables that might be making me sick. But between us?”

“If my home was the thing that made me ill, today wouldn’t have happened. Today, I felt worse than I have in months, and I’ve been sleeping here. So.”

“Can’t be from mold there.”

“You’ve been feeling sicker today?”

“I thought you’d still be at work,” I said, proud that my voice didn’t shake. Much. “Left early.” He stepped into my bedroom, his eyes sweeping over me with that intensity that made me feel like I was the only patient, the only person, in his world. “Talk to me about your symptoms.”

“Same story, different day.”

“As promised, I’ll be at the lab in the morning. Now if you’ll excuse me⁠—” “Tessa.”

“We need to talk about this.” “...

“Don’t,” I whispered. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t look at me like that. Like I’m one of your patients.” “Trust me.”

“Nothing about how I’m looking at you right now i...

“Why are you really home early?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. To distract me with those lean forearms, I bet. “Your heart rate was elevated today. Irregular.”

“And I need to go.” “Tess, you don’t look good.” “Gee, thanks.” “Let me at least examine you before you leave. If you leave and something happens …”

“I’ll never be able to live with myself. Do this for me. Let me examine you.”

“Then you trust me enough to help you. Not as your doctor, but as your …” The word hung between us, unspoken. “As your friend.” Okay. I’d just pretend that the word friend didn’t just slice my gut in half and try to remind my bitchy heart that this was his idea of a peace offering.

“Fine,” I conceded, ignoring how his relief made my stomach flip. “You can examine me, but only if you do it here.” I wasn’t letting him drag me to the hospital right now.

“Deep breath, Cupcake.” Ugh, would my pet name rolling off his tongue always make my skin tingle like this? “Again … once more.”

“Your lungs sound diminished.” “What does that mean?” “Lie back, please.”

“Does that hurt?” “A little,”

“Okay, you can sit up,”

“You should stay,” he said quietly. “At least until your breathing improves.”

“I think we both know that’s not a good idea.”

“Listen, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,”

“One minute, you’re telling me you wanted to do more than just kiss me. Then you’re burying your face between my legs like you’ve imagined nothing else, but the very next minute, you push me away.” “I made a mistake.”

“Which part? Going down on me? Or making me assume it meant more than just sex?”

“It did mean more than just sex.”

“That’s the problem.” “He said, as if that...

“Tess, even if I could get past my issues⁠—” “Which I can only assume are some flavor of fear of losing me, but I wouldn’t know what those issues ...

“Even if I could get past my issues, Ryker is my best frien...

“That’s what this is about?”

“We’re grown-ups, Blake. We’re not teenagers anymore.” “I don’t expect you to understand.” “Try me.”

“Ryker saved me, Tess. When I was drowning, if I didn’t have his friendship, I wouldn’t have had your family. Wouldn’t have met you.”

“The only thing he ever asked of me was to never date you. I don’t expect you to understand, but that matters to me. I made a commitment to always have his back as he’s had mine. I can’t betray him like that, Tess.”

“That’s not the only thing this is about ...

“I have issues letting myself … l...

“But even if I didn’t have issues, I’m not the stand-up guy you think I am, Tess.” “I know you have demons or whatever.”

“But you literally save lives every day. How can you still see yourself as a bad guy?” “I don’t. I accept who I am.” He scrubbed his jaw.

“But even if I could get past my issues...