Page 139 of If It's You

Tears clouded her mom’s eyes. “The barn collapsed on you.”

Blurry images came back to her. Lacing up her shoes, ready to find Christian, and then the door of the barn had flown off, ripped right off the hinges. Everything after that was black.

“What’s wrong with me?” The right side of her body felt like a giant brick was lying on top of her.

“A beam fell on you. It broke your wrist and leg and crushed some ribs.” Her mother met her eyes, the guilt showing in her green irises. “You’re lucky to be alive.” Her mom wrapped her in a gentle hug.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Maizie croaked. She could only imagine what painful memories this had brought back for her entire family.

“Honey, don’t apologize. Christian found you in time, and you are okay, and that is all that matters.” Her mother embraced her, holding her as tight as her bandaging would allow.

“I need to see him. I need to see Ch—” She tried to finish but gagged on the sour taste in her mouth.

“Okay. I’ll go get him. Let’s get you a drink first,” her mom said, holding a paper cup to her lips. She took a few ragged swallows and leaned back to wait. Her mom left and she played with the cast on her right wrist.

“Hey,” Christian said from the door.

“Hi.” Seeing him sent a rush of warmth through her soul. She’d nearly died, and he was still here. He hadn’t run away like she always did.

“You scared me to death,” he said, taking her good hand.

“I’m sorry I keep doing that.” She tried to laugh, but pain radiated through her body, and she cried instead.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she lied, breathing through the constant stabbing in her side.

He fell silent and rubbed slow circles along the back of her hand. The beeping from the machines grew louder and louder until she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I was coming to find you.”

He looked up at her, with hope in his eyes. “You were?”

She nodded, “I’m sorry for everything I put you through. I just got scared. I was so afraid that if I allowed myself to care about you, I would just lose you.”

He swallowed. “I was scared too.”

“Why?”

He scrubbed his free hand over his face. “That night on the roof, I never meant that you were a problem. If anything, you’re the only right thing in my life. But I thought I’d failed my family, and I feared I would just do the same if given a chance with you.”

How could someone as perfect as him believe that? “I’m pretty sure the only one screwing things up here is me. I’m the one who pushed you away again and again.”

He shook his head and covered her hand with both of his. “You tried. But I’m not leaving, Maizie.”

She blinked away the tears in her eyes. “You aren’t?”

“No. I’m going to work here until next semester when I join you down south for school.” His voice dropped.

“You can’t change your whole life for me.”

“You are my whole life.”

Her lungs seized. “But I can’t lose you.”

“Isn’t loving someone worth that risk?” he asked.

“Is it?” She looked up at him.