Of Loss & Betrayal (Madison & Logan Book 2) by S.H. Kolee

during the holiday season and the only thing I knew about their whereabouts was that they were on a ship somewhere near Italy. I had tried both their cell phones through Logan’s phone, but neither call could be completed. I had scrolled through his contacts to find other relatives, even though I knew he didn’t have much extended family, but I had gotten nowhere. I told myself it didn’t matter, because Logan would wake up any minute. He had to.
    The morning nurse came in and gave me a bland smile. I knew I must look like a mess from the accident and from sitting by Logan’s bed all night, but that didn’t even enter the realm of things I could possibly care about.
    “How’s our patient doing this morning?” she asked, in a tone that was a little too cheerful. I knew she was trying to be upbeat but it grated on me. She said it like Logan was here to get his tonsils out, and she wanted to know if he was ready for his ice cream.
    “Just dandy. He woke up, did some morning calisthenics, checked the weather for today, and then slipped back into unconsciousness.”
    The nurse’s smile didn’t crack and she just nodded as she went about checking Logan. She was probably just trying to humor the crazy lady so that she could do her job and get out of there as soon as possible.
    I was relieved when she left, still with that daft smile on her face. I wondered if she tortured small animals when she got home after a long shift.
    I sighed and rubbed my eyes. The doctors had encouraged me to go home and get some rest. Shower. Change clothes. Eat something. But how could I leave Logan? I was afraid that if I left his side, he would slip away from me. As ridiculous as it sounded, I felt like my presence would somehow anchor him here.
    I was startled when Logan’s cell phone started ringing. I grabbed it from the side table and frowned when I saw it was Mack. What was he doing calling so early? I hesitated, not knowing if I should answer it. I decided that he was Logan’s friend and he had a right to know what had happened, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted him around.
    “Hello?”
    There was a long pause before Mack said anything. “Madison?”
    A part of me wanted to retort, “No, Kristina,” but I reined myself in. My emotions were all over the place with Logan’s condition, and I knew I just wanted to lash out at someone, but it wouldn’t be fair. The person responsible for Logan’s condition was beyond reach.
    “Yes, it’s Madison,” I replied wearily. “Logan and I were in a car accident last night. We’re at the hospital.”
    “Oh, my God. Are you guys all right?”
    I felt my throat start to tighten and I tried to keep calm. “Logan…he’s unconscious. The doctors keep saying there’s nothing wrong with him physically and they’re just waiting for him to wake up. But they also keep saying the longer he stays unconscious, the more risks there are.” Tears streamed down my face and my voice hitched. Actually telling someone about what had happened seemed to burst open the dams. “I don’t know what to do except sit here and hold his hand. What are the fucking odds of Logan being in an accident twice in the span of a few days? How is this fair? How the fuck is this fair?”
    I was sobbing and I felt like I didn’t have enough breath for the wailing that threatened to explode from my body.
    “Madison, which hospital are you at? I’ll be right there.”
    Mack somehow understood me through my sobs and promised he would be there as soon as possible. I couldn’t stop crying after he had hung up. Now that I had truly started crying, the fear of possibly losing Logan was too searingly painful to contain within myself. It poured out of my body and I sobbed until I was too physically exhausted to continue. I looked at Logan lying there. He looked so peaceful, so oblivious to the tornado of raw emotion that had just been on display right next to him. I wanted to shake him awake, to beg him not to leave me, not