Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,43

too frustrated to be immobile any longer. “You’ve already had nine surgeries! Nine! And after the fifth one, they started telling us this next one will be the last, and it’s nearly three years later, and you still have to go under the knife! You still have to be bound to a wheelchair—which you absolutely hate—for weeks on end, still have to depend on someone for the smallest things, and we still won’t be sure if there won’t be any further complications—”

“I know all of that!” Evie shouts, the sound of her voice, which she so rarely raises, stopping my rant in its tracks. “Don’t you think I’m aware of all that? What do you want me to do, Zach? Live with a piece of metal sticking out of my knee, having to take painkillers every night, and being stuck with the damn crutch for the rest of my life?”

Taken aback, I just gape at her, ashamed and regretful for my outburst.

Evie closes her eyes, her cheeks pink with emotion. When she opens them, I see resolve there, something I haven’t seen in a long time.

“I will do this surgery, and it will be the last. I’m fortunate enough to have one of the best surgeons in the country looking after me and doing the best he can. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan, and that’s okay.”

I sit back down. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.” She smiles, and for a fleeting moment, I wonder what I’d have done without her. If she didn’t survive the horrific crash.

The mere thought makes me feel cold and lifeless inside.

“I want to put this behind me as much as you do, trust me. I’m sick and tired of people looking at me and feeling sorry for me.” She raises a hand when I open my mouth to protest. “I want more from life. More than what I had before. More than the parties and famous friends and luxury yacht getaways. But also, more than what I have now. I want to go back to school. I want to go out and meet people and make some actual friends. Develop meaningful relationships. Find my passion. A goal. Do something worthwhile.”

Evie’s face gets a little blurry, and before I realize, a tear spills down my cheek. I hasten to wipe it away.

“I’m sorry,” I say again. “I will support you whatever you decide.”

“I know.” Her smile looks a little tearful too.

I hug her, my eyes drifting closed at her familiar scent. She feels so frail under my fingers, but I know that she possesses so much unyielding strength inside that fragile body.

In the kitchen, Alec and Felix are sitting on opposite ends of the island, sipping from cups of coffee and scrolling on their phones. Felix smiles that hundred-watt smile of his when Evie and I walk in, but Alec’s frowning when he looks up.

“What happened?” I ask, jerking my chin toward Alec’s phone.

He slides it back in his pocket. “Nothing.”

I glare at him.

“So, I was thinking of going to Bloomingdale’s today,” Evie says, breaking the tension. “To get a few things before my surgery.”

“Of course. When would you like to leave?” Felix asks politely, a pleasant smile playing on his lips. His body seems relaxed, but what gets me are his eyes. So wide and honest, as if he has absolutely no shadows hiding in the corners of his soul.

I turn to look at Alec, who’s watching me from under his lashes. Raising an eyebrow, I give him a meaningful look, trying to telepathically say, ‘Why can’t you be more like Felix?’

He seems to understand me because he shakes his head slightly, a shadow of a smile tugging at his lips.

While Evie and Felix chat like old friends, I head for the coffee machine. The magical scent of coffee lures me in, and I fill a cup, inhaling the aroma of the dark roast. My phone vibrates in my pocket, startling me out my reverie.

Smiling when I see Adri’s name, I slide a thumb across the screen.

“Hey! Welcome back,” I say, bringing the cup to my lips.

“Thanks.” I can hear the smile in Adri's voice, and it pulls at my heartstrings. “Fuck, I’m exhausted,” Adri says, his words followed by a thump as if he dropped a heavy bag on the floor. “I’m going to crash for a few hours, but do you want to come over later?”

Instinctively, I glance at Alec, who’s watching me from the corner of his eye, his jaw set in