Are you sure we packed everything?” I asked Elliot as he drove. “I have no idea where you’re taking me, and you wouldn’t let me help. You packed my makeup, right?”

He laughed and reached over until he was holding my hand. “No.”

“What! Elliot Shaw, a girl needs her make up!”

He laughed but didn’t respond. Jerk. I looked out the window and smiled a little.

“Will there be a pool?”

He shook his head.

“Water of some sort?”

He smiled and nodded. “Would you just relax and let me surprise you, Trouble?”

“Have I mentioned I’m horrible at surprises? Logan has to be super sneaky every year at Christmas and on my birthdays to be sure I don’t snoop out what he got me! He’s so adorable and…” My stomach knotted up when I realized my rambling had gone in the wrong direction. “Oh...Elliot, I’m so sorry! I’m still getting used to not being Logan and Sam and being Sam and Elliot instead. Shit, that sounded so shallow. I was with him for two years, and before that we were really good friends. I’m still trying to get used to him not being a part of my life and…. I’m going to shut up now.”

He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “It’s okay, Trouble. I understand.” He squeezed my hand, and then let it go. His smile had faded some as he looked in his side mirror. “I’m taking you to a cabin. It’ll just be you and me. It’s on the lake, but it’s a private area. No makeup needed.” His eyebrows furrowed when he looked in the rear view mirror, again. He let go of my hand and held onto the wheel. An eighteen-wheeler passed us going extremely fast. Elliot slowed down to let him get in front of us.

“I love you. You know that right?”

“Yeah.” I smiled and propped my feet on the dash. I looked at the eighteen wheeler. “Idiot.”

At that moment, the eighteen wheeler lost control. Elliot put his arm across my chest. “Hold on!”

There was no way past the eighteen wheeler that was now flipped in the middle of the road. Elliot slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel. He looked over at me right before we slammed into the truck. Elliot had turned the wheel so his side was the one that took the brunt of the wreck.

I was able to get my feet down before impact. The seatbelt tightened and the airbag deployed, but Elliot’s arm protected me from both. He had grabbed the seatbelt to keep it from tightening on me too much and had taken the blow from the airbag. I was in a daze as we stopped moving and the sounds of metal slamming into metal stopped.

It was now silent.

I shook my head and looked over at Elliot. His eyes were closed, blood poured from a head wound, and he was motionless.

The smell of oil and gas filled the car. Smoke was everywhere, and I tried to move, but the seat belt was locked. I started coughing as tears spilled down my cheeks. I took off the seatbelt and reached over to grab Elliot’s hand. I squeezed it and started screaming for him to wake up. I moved carefully, my whole body was shaking and sore, and got my phone from my pocket.

I dialed 911.

I WOKE UP in a panic. I started yelling for Elliot and got off the bed only to stop when I felt the tug from the IV in my hand. My stomach was hooked up to monitors that were making all kinds of obnoxious sounds.

A nurse rushed in. “Sit down!”

I sat down slowly and started bawling. “Is he dead?”

My hands trembled as I waited for her answer.

“He’s badly injured and still hasn’t woken up, but we all think he will make a full recovery. He’s in ICU which is on a different floor. As soon as he’s stable, we can wheel you to see him.”

She motioned for me to lay back, so I did. “The baby?”

She adjusted the monitor around my stomach and smiled when the most beautiful sound echoed through the room. “Perfect. You hear that? That’s the sound of a fighter.”

She looked at my hand and fixed the tape that held the needle in.

She checked everything else and patted my leg. “Rest. I don’t know how you made it out of that wreck with only a few scratches. You’re lucky.”

I smiled a little. “Elliot.” I remembered that he turned the car at the last second. I touched my stomach. “He’s always saving us.”

There was a knock on the door, and Zach poked his head in. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen. “Can I come in?”

I nodded and the nurse let him in before walking out.

“I want the truth, Zach. How bad is he?”

He walked over to me and kissed my head. “It’s bad. But he’s tough.” Zach cleared his throat and looked away from me. He looked at the monitor. “Are you and the baby okay? That’ll be the first thing he worries about when he wakes up.”

“Yeah. We’re good.”

He nodded. “Good.”

I furrowed my brows. “Zach?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah?”

“What exactly is wrong with Elliot?”

He pulled a chair close to me and sat down. “He’s pretty banged up, Sam. His right arm is broken in a couple of places. He has a couple of broken ribs and a fractured skull.” Tears filled his eyes. “That’s what they’re worried about the most. He took the impact on his side. They also think there might be some damage to his spine. They’re doing scans now. It’s why I came to see you. They wouldn’t let me go with him.” A tear slipped down his cheek. “I can’t lose my brother, Sam.”

“None of us can.” I touched my stomach and tears filled my eyes. I looked at Zach, all broken up and sad. I had never seen him like this. He was always cocky and confident.

“I’m going to go see if they’ve found out anything new.” He stood up. “I’ll be back.” He kissed my head and then touched my stomach. “I’m glad you both are okay.”

“Please, let me know as soon as you know something. They won’t let me go up right now.”

“I will. You rest. When he wakes up, he’ll be upset if you haven’t been resting.” He gave me a weak smile. “I’ve never seen him love anyone the way he loves you two.”

I smiled and wiped the tears that fell. “I didn’t know I was capable of being loved by someone like him. Out of the billions of people in this world, your brother is my favorite.”

He nodded, kissed my head again and then left the room.

I looked at the door when the nurse poked her head in. “There’s a Logan Hart and his parents here to see you. Can I let them in?”

“I guess.”

She smiled, and it wasn’t long before they were coming in.

I didn’t want to look at any of them. They had told Logan to stay away from me and the baby.

I looked at Logan. “Hi.”

He completely lost it. He came over and held me as he cried against my hair.

His mom wiped tears from her eyes and laid her head on his dad’s shoulder. I wondered if they were back together again.

“We heard the news from Quinn. She’s here too, but let us come first. How are you? And the baby?” Logan held my face in his hands and looked me over.

“We’re good, just worried about Elliot.”

Logan kissed my forehead, and his lips felt foreign since Elliot’s frequented that spot now.

His mom gasped and rushed over to the machine that was tracking the baby’s heartbeat. We looked at her.

“Logan! Hear that? That’s your baby!” She smiled brightly and looked at us.

Logan’s dad came over and sat down in the chair Zach had brought over earlier.

I was so confused. Didn’t they disagree with this whole thing?

His mom came over and touched the side of my face. “We were wrong, and I’m so sorry it took almost losing you and the baby to realize that. We will make this work. I am so sorry we abandoned you like that, Samantha. We have always considered you a daughter.”

I flinched a little at her touch. I didn’t trust them anymore. “I’d like to rest now.”

Logan ran his fingers through my curls. “How do you manage to be hurt and all cut up, yet still look so beautiful?” He kissed me softly and put his lips to my ear. “I’m sorry, and I love you. We can talk later.” He kissed my temple and motioned for his parents to follow him out.

His mom stuck around and hugged me. “I can’t say sorry enough. I truly am. We were just scared of what this would do to Logan’s chances to play in college, and we just didn’t consider the bigger picture. You and that baby are our family, and we will do whatever it takes to make sure you, Logan, and our grandchild are taken care of.”

Elliot was already doing that, but I didn’t want to have that conversation here. When I didn’t answer her, she left the room. I clutched the blanket in my fist and wanted to scream. How dare they come in here and say that now? I needed them from the very beginning! I felt tears] fill my eyes, but I willed them to stay back. I wouldn’t cry over this. Elliot had given me a reason not to cry anymore, and he was going to be just fine and stick around to keep doing just that.

I was sure of it.