Page 189 of Stolen Voices

This is all my fault.

Jace squats down in front of me and pats my hand. “Callie.”

“Hmm?” I look into his empathetic hazel eyes. They look so similar to one of Eli’s, the one with green and gold.

“I know that face. Don’t let the guilt get to you. You didn’t do this. The people responsible made the choice, not you. Your job is to be there for him like he’s been for you. Teamwork. You hear me?”

His words are a balm to my soul, pushing the anxiety and worry away. “I swear I hear you. Thank you for saying that, but…” I rub my chest where the heavy weight of today sits, stifling my breath. “I hate that he’s hurt because of my sister.”

“I understand. Just take a step back and breathe. I’m a firm believer that, in time, the answers will reveal themselves.”

“The answers will reveal themselves.”

Jace’s comment sticks with me as I sit beside Eli, holding his cool hand, and watch his chest rise and fall. I still can’t get over how he put his life in danger to protect me. Eli loves me that much.

Tears sting my eyes as I stare at my strong, beautiful man lying broken in the hospital bed. For the first and hopefully only time, Eli looks fragile. I hate it.

He’s heavily sedated, and there is a breathing tube coming out of his mouth to help his lung heal after surgery. Gauze covers the stitched gash above his left ear, as well as his ribs beneath his hospital gown. He has a fully broken and one fractured rib on his left side—where the SUV slammed into the driver’s side door. The doctors said it will take a few weeks for both his ribs and lung to heal.

Gratitude washes through me like a warm caress.Eli is still here, I remind myself. Had it not been for the airbags in his fancy electric crossover, he could have been much more seriously hurt. Thankfully, he wasn’t.

As I watch the love of my life sleep, the beeps and hums of the machines are a cacophony of musical sounds that lull me into a deep flow state, similar to the one I experience when I write music. My mind goes down the list of everything I’ve learned over the last few days.

My sister stole millions from me. She tried to kill me to collect money from a life insurance policy she took out in my name. She killed our dad for the inheritance.

Money, money, money.

It makes me sick to my stomach that my flesh and blood could be so spoiled that she’d do anything for more money.

Silla’s greed also brought you and Eli together,my brain snarks.

It’s a super fucked-up thought to have, but if it wasn’t for Silla trying to kill me, I don’t think Eli would have ever acted on his feelings.

For years, I had to pretend my heart didn’t gallop every time he was near me. Or how the butterflies in my stomach would soar when our eyes met from across the room. It felt so unfair that my heart decided it belonged to Eli long before he knew it. Or maybe he did. There were moments when I could see the battle raging in Eli’s eyes, like he didn’t know if he wanted to kiss me or run away from me.

A tingling warmth spreads through me at the thought. Call me delusional but I think, in some ways, he knew all along we were meant to be together.

I squeeze Eli’s hand, hoping he can feel me at his side while he sleeps. That he knows how much I love him. Being with Eli is everything I thought it could be and more.

I grip the little bluebird hanging at my throat and think back to the night Eli gave it to me.

Eli presses his lips to my pulse point and sucks, making my skin pimple.“We’re a team. I’m going to take care of you at all costs. Sometimes, that means letting me take the lead. Other times, I’m going to stand at your side supporting you or behind you, lifting you up.”

Tears tingle my nose at the memory. It’s no surprise us ending up like this—him hurt and in the hospital—because he would do anything to protect me. Eli told me from the start.

Laying my forehead on the back of his hand, I sniff back tears threatening to spill. “I love you, handsome, but you gave me a real scare. I can’t have you jumping in front of every car to save me. We’re a team, and now it’s my turn to protect you. I can’t live without you, and we can’t start living until my past is behind us.”

I’m not alone anymore. I have Eli, and with him, I also gained his family too. There is more for me to fight for now. I’ve let Silla lock me up for too long. That ends now.

I have found my voice.

Because of Eli’s love and support, I have discovered who I am and how I want to live my life. It’s time for me to stick up for myself and stop letting her steal from me. Silla stole my voice, but I’m about to scream.

I’m done being fucked with.

I kiss the back of Eli’s hand, promise to be back soon, and march out of his private suite and into the hallway.

Boone jumps off the wall by the door in surprise at seeing me.