the last couple of weeks she’d made a point of never ignoring her phone. “It could be Carole,” she said, reluctantly raising her head to glance over.
The number on the screen confirmed she was right. Her heart jumped.
Feeling her stiffen beneath him, Simon rolled away from her, allowing her to sit up and snatched up the phone.
“Carole?”
“Faye? Jenna’s conscious. She’s spoken to me. She fades in and out, but she knows who I am. It’s amazing. Can you come right away?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Faye said, before hanging up. “Jenna’s conscious,” she told Simon. “I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you,” he said without hesitation, rolling off the bed to his feet.
“To see Jenna? It’s not a good idea. You’ve got to give her some time first.”
“I don’t have to see her right away. But I’m coming anyhow. Let’s get dressed. I’ll get Mum and Hannah.”
Faye slid her strap over her shoulder as she stood up. Her nerves still hummed with unfulfilled need, but there was nothing to be done now. She had to go.
Before leaving the room Simon kissed her lightly, inciting one last thrum of desire. “Could our timing be any worse?”
Chapter Eight
Faye hadn’t expected to cry; after all, she felt overwhelmingly happy. But the moment she saw Jenna, awake and aware, tears spilled freely from her eyes.
“Faye?” Jenna’s voice sounded low and hoarse, yet unmistakable. She lay motionless against her pillow, her head still heavily bandaged. Her face no longer looked swollen, but discoloration from bruising remained, and dark smudges shadowed her eyes. Her glossy dark-brown hair hung loose around her shoulders; Carole had kept it clean and neatly brushed. All in all, Jenna looked remarkably well after fifteen days in a coma.
“I’m here.” Faye sat on the edge of the bed, grasping her friend’s hand where it lay across the blanket covering her. With her other hand she wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I’m so relieved to see you awake.”
“Where’s Hannah?” Jenna asked slowly. Her eyelids were heavy but her gaze never wavered from Faye’s.
“She’s fine, don’t worry. I’ll bring her to see you just as soon as the doctors allow it.”
Jenna’s mouth twitched upward at the edges, attempting a smile. “My mother was crying, too. I must have given you quite a scare.”
“You certainly did.” Relief continued to swell through Faye, hearing Jenna express cohesive thoughts. “But you’ll be fine now.”
“I don’t feel too hot.” Jenna turned her head slightly, wincing. “But I suppose that’s to be expected.”
“Do you know the driver who hit you has been charged?” Faye asked hesitantly, unsure whether she should bring up the subject so soon.
“Mom told me. And I’ll be more than happy to testify against the jerk.” Jenna cleared her throat, frustrated by the raspy sound of it, and smoothed her tongue over her dry lips. As she spoke her words picked up speed, and she seemed more alert. “So have you managed to look after Hannah by yourself? I hope she’s been good to you.”
“She’s been wonderful.”
Jenna stared at Faye for a moment, her pretty gray eyes narrowing. “What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”
Faye straightened, taken aback by the question. “What do you mean?”
“You have that look, like you’re hiding something. I’ve known you for twenty-five years, Faye. I can tell when something’s bother’s you. Is there something wrong with Hannah?”
“No, she’s fine,” Faye assured her.
Still looking alarmed, Jenna tried to shift herself in the bed, managing only a slight adjustment. “Then tell me what’s going on. Is it me? Is my injury worse than they told me?”
“No, nothing like that.” Faye hesitated, her teeth embedded in her lower lip, realizing she had no choice but to spill the truth. “I didn’t want to tell you so soon. Simon’s here. He came
The number on the screen confirmed she was right. Her heart jumped.
Feeling her stiffen beneath him, Simon rolled away from her, allowing her to sit up and snatched up the phone.
“Carole?”
“Faye? Jenna’s conscious. She’s spoken to me. She fades in and out, but she knows who I am. It’s amazing. Can you come right away?”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Faye said, before hanging up. “Jenna’s conscious,” she told Simon. “I have to go.”
“I’m coming with you,” he said without hesitation, rolling off the bed to his feet.
“To see Jenna? It’s not a good idea. You’ve got to give her some time first.”
“I don’t have to see her right away. But I’m coming anyhow. Let’s get dressed. I’ll get Mum and Hannah.”
Faye slid her strap over her shoulder as she stood up. Her nerves still hummed with unfulfilled need, but there was nothing to be done now. She had to go.
Before leaving the room Simon kissed her lightly, inciting one last thrum of desire. “Could our timing be any worse?”
Chapter Eight
Faye hadn’t expected to cry; after all, she felt overwhelmingly happy. But the moment she saw Jenna, awake and aware, tears spilled freely from her eyes.
“Faye?” Jenna’s voice sounded low and hoarse, yet unmistakable. She lay motionless against her pillow, her head still heavily bandaged. Her face no longer looked swollen, but discoloration from bruising remained, and dark smudges shadowed her eyes. Her glossy dark-brown hair hung loose around her shoulders; Carole had kept it clean and neatly brushed. All in all, Jenna looked remarkably well after fifteen days in a coma.
“I’m here.” Faye sat on the edge of the bed, grasping her friend’s hand where it lay across the blanket covering her. With her other hand she wiped the moisture from her cheeks. “I’m so relieved to see you awake.”
“Where’s Hannah?” Jenna asked slowly. Her eyelids were heavy but her gaze never wavered from Faye’s.
“She’s fine, don’t worry. I’ll bring her to see you just as soon as the doctors allow it.”
Jenna’s mouth twitched upward at the edges, attempting a smile. “My mother was crying, too. I must have given you quite a scare.”
“You certainly did.” Relief continued to swell through Faye, hearing Jenna express cohesive thoughts. “But you’ll be fine now.”
“I don’t feel too hot.” Jenna turned her head slightly, wincing. “But I suppose that’s to be expected.”
“Do you know the driver who hit you has been charged?” Faye asked hesitantly, unsure whether she should bring up the subject so soon.
“Mom told me. And I’ll be more than happy to testify against the jerk.” Jenna cleared her throat, frustrated by the raspy sound of it, and smoothed her tongue over her dry lips. As she spoke her words picked up speed, and she seemed more alert. “So have you managed to look after Hannah by yourself? I hope she’s been good to you.”
“She’s been wonderful.”
Jenna stared at Faye for a moment, her pretty gray eyes narrowing. “What’s wrong? What aren’t you telling me?”
Faye straightened, taken aback by the question. “What do you mean?”
“You have that look, like you’re hiding something. I’ve known you for twenty-five years, Faye. I can tell when something’s bother’s you. Is there something wrong with Hannah?”
“No, she’s fine,” Faye assured her.
Still looking alarmed, Jenna tried to shift herself in the bed, managing only a slight adjustment. “Then tell me what’s going on. Is it me? Is my injury worse than they told me?”
“No, nothing like that.” Faye hesitated, her teeth embedded in her lower lip, realizing she had no choice but to spill the truth. “I didn’t want to tell you so soon. Simon’s here. He came
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