I experienced a moment of peace as I began to stir. My muscles ached and my head felt a little stuffy.

“Taylor.” It was Connor. He held my hand as he sat beside me.

I frowned as I took in my surroundings, trying to piece where I was and what happened.

“Connor,” I murmured, as I looked around the hospital room.

“How are you feeling?” Connor asked softly. He looked like he had been to hell and back. Dark circles under his eyes, his usually perfect hair was disarrayed.

“Where am I?” I asked, feeling more anxious. My hand tightened weakly to his.

“You’re in the hospital.”

I pulled my hand free from his, feeling more anxious by the second. “Why?” I put my hand to my temple hoping to remember the events that had led me here.

“Do you remember what happened?” Connor was calm despite the fear I could see linger in his eyes.

Then it all came back in a flood. The reason Connor was beside my hospital bed and not Sin. The blood.

“The baby,” I murmured, tearing up and fearing the worst.

“It’s fine,” he assured me as I placed my hand on my stomach. “The doctors said some bleeding is normal and you’ve been endured a lot. You need to take it easy. Bed rest is what you need.”

I exhaled a breath. “Sin.” I wanted to cry but I held back the tears.

“He survived the night but he still hasn’t regained consciousness. They are still watching him very closely.”

He was okay but he wasn’t awake. All he needed time to recover, I argued trying not go into a full panic knowing that it wasn’t good for me or the baby.

“I need to see him.” I began to move to get out the bed but Connor stopped me.

“You need to rest,” he argued sternly.

But I was already shaking my head. Nothing would stop me, not even my over protective brother who meant well.

“Get out of my way Connor.” I slid out of the bed, taking a moment to ease myself to stand. I felt a little weak as I tested my weight.

“Let me get a wheelchair and I’ll take you to him.”

I nodded as I sat back down on the bed. I would walk across burning coals to get to him. All I wanted to do was see him and hold his hand him mine. I needed him to wake up.

I couldn’t do any of this without him. He was my everything.

Anxiousness and dread was mixed with fear as Connor finally took me to see Sin. Just outside the door to his room Connor stopped.

“Just take a minute to prepare yourself,” he warned gently.

I swallowed nervously but nodded. I just want him to hurry up. I needed to see Sin the same way my lungs needed air. It was something I couldn’t put into words.

He opened the door.

The sight of Sin laying in a bed with tubes everywhere. I took a steady breath, feeling like I was about to burst into tears. Connor’s warning had done nothing to prepare me for the sight of Sin.

I put my hand to my mouth as Connor wheeled me closer. I exhaled as I took Sin’s hand into mine. It was warm. I began to tear up as I pressed a kiss to top his hand. Swallowing the emotion at seeing him in such a delicate state. It tore me up to see him like this.

His limp hand I held in mine as I stared at his peaceful face.

“When will he…wake up?” I asked quietly as Connor walked around to stand on the other side of the bed.

“I’ve flown in specialists. Everyone has done all they can.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. He had to make it through. There was no other option.

“Thank you Connor.” I gave him a smile.

“I would move mountains for you. You know that.”

I nodded. “I know. There might be times I get frustrated with you but I love you. You know that.”

He smiled with a nod. “I know.”

“What if he doesn’t wake up?” I finally voiced my worst fear.

“He needs time for his body to recover,” he argued. “Slater, Jordan and Jeff have been taking turns so he hasn’t been alone.”

We were both so lucky to have them.

“You need to do your part. You need to take it easy. Keeping stress to the minimum and resting is what you need to concentrate on.”

“How do you expect me to do that when Sin needs me?” I retorted, knowing he was right but not liking what he was saying anyway.

“Your baby needs you more right now.”

I nodded. Somehow I would have to do as he said when all I wanted to do was crawl onto the bed with Sin and lean my head against his shoulder while I held him, breathing in the soothing smell of him that reassured me he was still here.

I would have given anything, anything to see him open his eyes and give me that lazy smile that turned my whole world upside down. But he didn’t.

Knowing how lucky I had been I did what the doctor instructed and ensured I visited Sin as much as I could. Even though I knew Slater, Jeff and Jordaan were keeping watch over him I wanted to be the one with him all of the time.

By the next day I was discharged. I allowed Connor to take me back to the hotel to drop my stuff off before I returned to Sin’s side.

The dark stubble growth was a reminder of the time that had passed. I touched my hand to his cheek, feeling a little disheartened. I had been trying to stay positive, keeping a brave face when there were others but right then I just wanted to cry.

I sniffled as I took his hand into mine. I wanted to see his grip tighten around mine and thread his fingers against mine but it didn’t happen. A tear slid down, followed by another. I brushed them away.

The door opened and Slater entered.

I sat up straighter trying to hide my temporary moment of weakness. Everyone was trying their best to keep strong.

“Hey pretty girl,” Slater greeted, knowing he hadn’t missed seeing my red rimmed eyes.

“Hi.”

The fear I lived in was real. It breathed stronger in every moment that Sin remained unconscious.

“How’s he doing?” He gave a nod in Sin’s direction.

I sighed. “Same.”

“He would be so pissed Mack got the better of him.” He shook his head as he stood at the end of the bed.

On the outside he was the easy going one but I knew better. I could see the strain in his eyes. This was taking a toll on him.

“I just want him to wake up, Slater.”

He walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I swallowed hard.

“He’ll wake up. Just give him a little time.”

I nodded, wanting to believe him because I couldn’t consider the opposite. Just a little longer.

There was a knock on the door and Sienna walked in. I stood, feeling unsure of what to say.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said nervously.

“No. Of course not,” I assured her.

“I wanted to check on him. After…you know…everything he did for me.” She was emotional, like I felt.

I nodded.

“How’s he doing?” Her gaze drifted to Sin’s.

“He survived the surgery but he hasn’t woken up yet.” There was no new news, we were all waiting for him to wake up.

“I’m sorry,” Sienna murmured, holding back tears.

I walked over to her and hugged her. She had been through so much, my heart ached for what she had been forced to do. If she hadn’t, none of us would have survived.

“It wasn’t your fault,” I assured her as I released her.

“He made his choices,” Slater added softly, beside us.

She nodded. “And I was forced to make mine.”

I couldn’t imagine what she was going through. I could never imagine doing that to Connor but then again Mack was nothing like the loving and caring person my brother was.

She left after staying a little while.

“She always had such a good heart, it’s hard to think Mack was related to her,” Slater murmured.

“He was a monster.”

He had impacted my life in such a drastic way I wasn’t sure I would ever be free of the memories.