After The Fire (One Pass Away Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

what losing her sight would mean to
    Violet, but he knew what it would mean to him. His heart went out to her. The
    wait would be interminable.
    “I’m scared, Gaige.” Violet put her head back on her pillow.
    “You’re the first person I’ve admitted that to. Mom tells me to put my faith in
    God.”
    “Jesus,” Gaige scoffed under his breath.
    “I know.” Violet laughed. “I believe what I can see—no pun
    intended. I’m a scientist. Logic. People cure people. That’s why I’m going to
    be a doctor. Or rather, I was going to be a doctor. A surgeon. The chances of
    that have taken a steep dive.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “Me too. But I refuse to indulge in a pity party. I can hold
    onto hope. At least for a few more days.”
    “Hope is good.” Gaige knew what it was like to try to keep
    hope alive—the idea that one day his mother would leave her abusive husband—and
    watch it die when that day never came. But for Violet, he would summon the tiny
    supply he had left.
    “Do you believe in a higher power?”
    “You mean God?”
    “God? Buddha? Fairies dancing around a blazing fire late at
    night? Something. Anything bigger than us.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Thank you.” Violet reached for his hand. Gaige met her
    halfway.
    “What for?”
    “For not lying. For letting me know you have doubts—like I
    do. Everyone keeps telling me that God is watching over me. Okay. Let’s say I
    accept this omnipotent being hovering somewhere up there. Why, when the world
    is filled with so much suffering and tragedy, would he bother with me?”
    There wasn’t a good answer to that. So he said the first
    thing that popped into his head. “If it were me, I would. In a heartbeat.”
    Violet froze. Had he gone too far? Too fast? Gaige liked to
    keep his feelings close to the vest. But Violet brought out something in him he
    didn’t recognize. A softer side. The tough kid who turned into the tough
    athlete didn’t have the time or inclination to spill his emotions all over the
    place.
    “I’m sorry,” Gaige rushed his words, needing to explain
    before she kicked him out. “I know that was corny. Kind of cringe worthy.”
    “Kind of,” Violet nodded. “Don’t tell anyone? But I like
    corny. At least from you.”
    Zing ! Gaige felt it. Right in the region of his
    heart. He might not have any experience with this kind of thing, but he knew it
    when it happened. He was falling in love. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
    He already had more on his plate than he could handle.
    What was the old saying? Love happens when you aren’t
    looking. Here. In Brooklyn. Dealing with his father’s crimes. He meets a young
    woman with problems of her own. Inconvenient didn’t begin to describe it.
    “Bad timing.”
    Violet made a sweeping gesture from the top of her head
    toward the bottom of the bed. “Tell me about it.”
    “Let’s not worry about it.” Gaige liked to face things head
    on, but for now, he was willing to forget about tomorrow and live for right
    now. “I’d like to get to know you better.”
    “One day at a time?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’d like that too.” Violet sat up, all business. “I have a
    million questions. But I’ll start with my mother’s. What brought you to the
    Brooklyn Medical Center?”
    This was where Gaige had to be cautious. He didn’t want to
    lie, but the truth was a bitch he would try to circumvent as much as possible.
    “I grew up in Brooklyn. My family still lives here. My
    father is in the hospital.”
    “I’m sorry. Is it serious?”
    “He’ll recover.” Unfortunately. Yes, the truth was a
    bitch.
    “That’s good. Long Island.” Violet pointed toward herself. “My
    parents moved to Brooklyn last year after I graduated from high school.”
    Happy to move the conversation in a different direction,
    Gaige said, “I just graduated from college.”
    “Which one?”
    “Yale.”
    “Impressive. What was your major?”
    “Economics.”
    “Wow, followed by