The Honor Trilogy: Books One, Two, and Three of the Honor Trilogy (46 page)

“How is she?” This is not Storm’s voice. It’s Ethan’s. Oh my God, he’s here. What if the government comes after him? I remember the looks on all their faces when he healed Storm out in that hallway. They’ll think he’s a freak. The CIA will come after him next. I can’t let them do that.

“The same,” Storm answers. “Her heart’s beating, but she hasn’t woken up yet.”

No one’s holding my hand right now. I haven’t heard my parents’ voices in a while. The last I heard them say was that they were going for tea. A cup of tea would be very comforting at the moment. Sweet. Hot. Creamy. Why can’t I have a cup of tea right now? I’m aching to scream because I can’t have a cup of tea. I can’t hug my mother. I can’t comfort Storm. And I can’t save Ethan from the crazy government people.
LET ME OUT!
Let me out.
Let me out. My command gets weaker as I chant it. It’s no use. No one is letting me out of my mind.

“How’s it going, Ethan? Anyone come after you yet?” Storm asks.

Ethan gives a throaty, humorless chuckle.

“Sorry I caused this,” Storm says. “But I didn’t think you’d go and save my ass.”

“I knew they had a heart, though. She didn’t need yours. It would have been a senseless death.”

“You still shouldn’t have done it. I wasn’t worth the risk.”

It’s bothering me to hear them talk like this, as if I’m not here. I hate that all this…this drama is because of me.

“I didn’t do it for you, asshole,” Ethan says. “I did it for Honor. How do you think she’d feel if she knew what you did? You think she’d be able to live with herself knowing you killed yourself for her?”

Now I know that what Ethan did was because of me too.
I’m not worth the risks everyone is taking.

“No. I know she wouldn’t, but I didn’t have a choice at the time. I was afraid she wouldn’t get a heart in time, and I didn’t want her to die.”

“Well I didn’t want her to live
knowing
you died to save her.”

There’s silence for a few seconds.

“She loves you, Storm,” Ethan says quietly. “I couldn’t do that to her.”

“Now what’s
gonna happen though? All those people made quite a stink out there. The cops were hounding me like you wouldn’t believe. I played it off all innocent, but Ethan, man, they’re gonna come after you.” Storm sounds scared.

“Yeah, well better me than Honor,” Ethan says.

“What do you mean?”

“The government came after Honor the other day.”

“What?!” Storm shouts.

“Her father kept them from seeing her, but he needs to get a lawyer. They want to question her about saving those people on the plane.”

“Oh my God. What do you think they’ll do?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’re afraid they’ll take her for their own use. I…I don’t know.”

“Damn it.” Storm’s voice gets closer. “I need to take her.” My hand feels warm again. Storm is holding it.

“You mean take her away?” Ethan asks, astounded.

“Yes, take her away. What else
can
we do?” Storm is caressing my thumb knuckle. “Maybe you should disappear too, Eeth. Maybe we should just go into hiding like our parents did. Getting out in public…it was all wrong.” Storm lifts my hand and runs his fingers along my palm.

“Yeah. My fault. I shouldn’t have followed her…”

“It’s too late now,” Storm interrupts Ethan. “Let’s just figure out where to go next.”

“I hate to think of Honor living underground, Storm. She’s too good for that. And her parents…”

“Her parents would want her safe. You know that.”

“Yes, but it would break their heart to have her taken from them like that.”

This conversation is getting way too much for me. I’m screaming. At the top of my lungs I’m screaming, but the sound is stuck somewhere inside my head. I need to get out. Stop this talk. I can’t take it any longer. It’s all too much…

“No,” I eke out, though to me it’s a scream.

Storm squeezes my hand. “Honor? Get the nurse. I heard you. Open your eyes, baby, I heard you.”

Once again, I try to scream, but I can’t. Instead, forcing my eyes open, I see light. My eyes aren’t really open though. They’re slits, because all I see is a line of brightness.

“Honor, you can do it, babe.” Storm sounds like he’s trying to laugh. He strokes my whole arm now.

The brightness flickers.

“That’s it, darling. Keep opening them.”

“She’s up?” a female voice asks.

“Not yet, but her eyelids are moving, and she said no.”

Somebody picks up my other hand and touches my wrist.

“She said no?”

“Yeah. She said no. I don’t know why, but she said no.” Storm is chuckling.

“Her pulse is strong. Her numbers are rising,” the female remarks.

I need to do this.

With all my might, I push my eyelids open and finally I see the light on the ceiling.

“Honor,” Storm shouts, and I’ve never heard him sound happy like this. “Oh, Honor, princess. Your eyes are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.”

I’m still looking at the ceiling, because I’m having trouble moving my eyes in Storm’s direction. But I really want to look at him.

“Honor?” I hear Ethan walk towards me, speaking quietly.

With as much concentration as I can muster, I shift my eyes a tiny bit.

“Hey there, girl,” Ethan says, smiling that beautiful smile. Hopefully he can tell I’m smiling back, though I’m pretty sure my lips haven’t moved.

“Storm’s right, those are some gorgeous eyes you got there. Darker than I remember,” Ethan observes.

My new heart does a bit of a flip when Storm runs the back of his fingers along my cheek. I feel myself lean into him, though it’s only performed in my mind. The heart. It’s different. It’s strong, there’s no mistaking that. But it’s something else.
I
feel different.

“Oh, Honor,” I hear my mother cry. The next minute Storm is gone and she’s standing over me. For my mother’s sake, I try really hard to smile. It feels like my lip twitched, but I don’t know.

“Look, Lea,” Dad says, “she just smiled.”

I did it. I smiled at my mom.

I got this.

“Hey, pumpkin.” Dad’s words are smiling, if that’s possible. “I am so proud of you.”

Again, I try really hard to smile.

“What a beautiful smile you got there, pumpkin.”

“Okay,” that female voice returns and I realize it belongs to the nurse. “I’m going to have to ask you all to leave for a bit. Doctor’s on his way to run some tests. You can come back in about an hour or so.”

I finally get to see my family and they have to leave?

“No,” I force out again.

Storm laughs. “See. I told ya she said no.”

Storm takes my hand after Mom let it go when the nurse said they had to leave.

“What is it, princess?” he asks, smiling.

“
Th..tha…” I take a deep breath. Storm’s smile is replaced with a furrowed brow. “Than…k..you,” I barely breath out.

His hands cup my face while his nose touches my nose. “Don’t. I don’t ever need a thank you from you, princess. All I need is you.”

I know I’m smiling now, because it hurts my cheeks to do so. My eyes flicker, and I feel his forehead with my lashes.

“I
gotta go now, but don’t you doubt that I’ll be back. You hear me? You’re stuck with me for life now, kiddo.”

I haven’t let my smile fall. He needs to know how happy I am to see him.

Storm closes his eyes and kisses my lips, making that new heart of mine beat way faster than it probably should right now. Though I don’t move my lips to kiss him back, I hope he knows that I want to. I hope he knows that he is the one I finally chose…

If only the government doesn’t take me away before I can tell him.

After two and a half long boring weeks in the hospital, I’m finally allowed to go home, though it won’t be much different. Mom said she bought me a hospital bed to put in our living room. Lord help me, I feel like an old lady.

Ethan hasn’t come around much, but Storm has been spending every day with me. He seems like he’s back to his old self. Before he’d taken off that day on the boat, he was acting so strangely – pensive and distant. Lately he’s been acting like his usual sarcastic but sweet self. Though he’s been a little afraid to touch me. My hand he is always holding, and I’m always getting little kisses on my lips, cheeks, nose, or forehead, but that’s it. No hugs or anything. I know he is probably afraid of hurting me, but, come on, I’m still an eighteen-year-old girl. Yeah, I turned eighteen in the hospital. Fun. Mom and Dad bought me a car I can’t even drive. They said it was for when I recover, but just seeing my little red Mini Cooper today in my driveway, I am dying to drive it. They are so great for buying it for me. Maybe it was an incentive to stay positive and recover quickly.

Soon. I’ll be driving it soon.

The massive hospital bed sits front and center in the living room. This won’t embarrass me at all. What were they thinking? I could have just spent my days on the couch like a normal person. Mom wouldn’t be mom if she didn’t go overboard.

Settling myself, with the help of Dad, into my new bed, I attempt to get comfortable. I finally find an upright position I am happy with when Mom brings me a cup of tea in my toaster mug. Chuckling to myself, I recall wanting a cup of tea so badly I could scream. But I can’t remember when that was. Was it before I went to the hospital? No.
When did I want that darn cup of tea? And why did I want it so badly?

“Hey, princess,” Storm greets me after Dad let him in. “Got you a banana chocolate chip muffin.” He holds up the white bag. “Can you have it? I forgot to ask.”

“Yes.” I laugh. “I can have it. Thank you.” I pat the side of the bed for him to sit. “Mom can get you a chair if you’d like."

He kisses me on the nose. “Nah. I like the bed.”

When he winks at me, my whole body grows warm. I like having Storm here. It feels good to have him back.

“Storm,” Mom says when she walks out of the kitchen, “would you like a cup of tea or coffee? Soda?”

“Coffee sounds good. Thanks, Mrs. S.” Storm brings his attention back to me. “Does it feel good to be home?”

“Yes. I just wish I could get out of bed. I want to drive my car,” I say wistfully.

Storm finds this funny. “Soon, princess. You can take me out on a date.” His smile is so genuine and comforting. “By the way, I still owe you a birthday present.”

“No you don’t. I never got you anything.”

“That’s ‘cause I haven’t celebrated a birthday with you yet. I came to town
after
my birthday.”

“When is your birthday?”

“September thirtieth.” Storm caresses my wrist, sending little chills up my arm.

“That’s when you’ll be twenty-three?” I ask, trying to talk while ignoring the growing tingles taking over my body.

“Yup. You don’t think I’m too old for you?” The hesitation in his voice and the knitting of his eyebrows leads me to believe he’s concerned about my answer.

“No. Not at all.”

“And your parents? They’re okay with it?” He’s still rubbing his fingers up and down the inside of my forearm, and I’m still trying to ignore how wonderful it feels.

“I think so.” Hmmm. I’ll have to talk to them about it. “They never said otherwise.”

“But…maybe they think we’re still just friends…um…” Storm bites his bottom lip. “
Are
we still just friends or…” Storm doesn’t finish the sentence, and he stops running his fingers along my wrist. Instead his thumb presses into it, causing me to feel deeper sensations than just chills and tingles. It’s not a forceful press, but it’s firm and powerful.

“What do you think we are?” I ask, suddenly afraid to broach the subject.

His fingers return to stroking my arm while he says, “I was hoping we were more?” he asks, apprehensive to just state his wish.

I can’t help but smile. “Me too.”

Storm closes his eyes momentarily, and when he opens them, his dark purple eyes are serious. “Thank you,” he whispers.

His gratitude renders me speechless.

The intense staring contest that we inadvertently started is interrupted by the doorbell.

Storm pushes back and sits at the other end of the bed, leaning against the footboard. His leg butts up against mine, and since I, too, am lying atop the blanket, it feels quite intimate to be touching his leg.

“Ethan,” I say when I see him walk into the living room. I lean up to give him a kiss hello.

“How are you, Honor?” he asks with a tentative smile.

“I’m good, Eeth. Thanks.”

“Here’s a chair, Ethan.” Mom pushes it up behind him. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Oh, no thanks, Mrs. Stevens.” Ethan sounds sad.

He nods to Storm.

“Ethan. You good?”

Ethan nods again, and puts his hand on my leg. “What about you, Honor. You good? You feeling okay?”

“I am. I feel wonderful really. Almost back to myself.”

Ethan forms a smile, but it doesn’t quite make it to his eyes. “What’s the matter? Something wrong?”

“Nope. Just worried you weren’t going to be all right. I’m glad to hear you are.” He rubs my thigh in a petting like manner. As if I were his dog.

“Ethan. Don’t lie. I can…” About to tell him I can
feel
what he’s feeling, I stop.
I can’t feel what he’s feeling.
I know he’s sad because of his demeanor, but I don’t feel anything for him. I mean, I’m sad if he is, but I’m
not sad too.
Hmm.

“Honor, I’m fine. Really.” His smile is still half-hearted, but it’s better.

“Ethan…you good?” Storm says again.

“Storm,” Ethan says firmly, shaking his head and giving him this strange look with his eyes.

“I’m right here. I can see, Ethan. What’s going on?” I have to know. Ethan is always serious, but the only time he ever looks this grave is when something is seriously wrong – like when the government came here that day. Oh my God. “The government? Are they coming back?” I ask anxiously.

Storm slinks back against the footboard and sighs.

Ethan looks up towards the ceiling then shakes his head. “Not for you, sweetheart. There’s no need to worry.”

“Not for me? What’s that mean?”

Storm and Ethan give each other a knowing look.

“What?!” I am so frustrated right now, and this can’t be good for my new heart. Taking a couple deep breaths I calm myself down. “Please, guys. You need to fill me in here.”

When Ethan looks at Storm, Storm nods his head once.

“They’re questioning me right now, Honor. The CIA.” Ethan informs me.

“You. Why? How do they know you’re an…” It all comes flooding back to me. That’s right. I was a ghost. I saw it all. Storm shot himself in the head and Ethan healed him, brought him back to life in front of a whole hospital floor full of people. Oh my God. “You brought Storm back to life.” I shout.

They look at each other. “You told her?” Ethan asks Storm.

“No,” Storm says wide-eyed, sitting up and moving closer to me on the bed.

“But how…how did you know that?” Ethan asks me.

I tilt my head and look at Storm. “You remember? Do you remember?” I ask him.

A small smile plays on his face. “Yeah.” He nods. “I do.”

“I’m lost,” Ethan says.

“
Eeth…when I was…out…before my new heart, I, uh, kind of saw things.” How do I explain this?

“When we were both on our way out,” Storm comes to my rescue, “our souls kind of met up.” He shrugs. “We were ghosts for a little while…and…we were able to talk to each other.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Ethan asks.

“No,
Eeth,” I tell him. “As supernatural as it sounds, I had an out-of-body experience. It was weird,” I say, much more at ease telling him now that Storm broke the ice.

“When all the commotion was going on out in the hallway, when you were…
healing
me…she followed me out.” Storm sighs. “She had seen what I had done.” Storm looks at me. “I had no idea if you’d remembered that or not. I was afraid to ask.”

“I didn’t remember it. Not until a few minutes ago. I do remember something though. I think when I first woke up, I must have recalled something, because I said thank you to you. I kept wondering the past two weeks why I said thank you to you…now I remember…for trying to offer me your heart.”

Swallowing something that may have gotten caught in his throat, Storm leans forward, taking both my hands. “It’s still your heart, darling.” He taps at his chest while bringing my hand along. “You
own
it. I’m just keeping it warm for you.”

He brings his forehead to mine and closes his eyes. “You will always have my heart…in whatever capacity you need it.”

I swallow back a lump in my throat, holding back tears as well. Who’d have ever thought when the callous whirlwind that is Storm Sutherland first set foot in Jefferson that he’d end up as sweet and sentimental as this? Like his name insinuates, Storm came in, forcefully disturbing the environment around him, only to leave it calm and peaceful and more beautiful in the end.

How could I not have fallen for him?