The Honor Trilogy: Books One, Two, and Three of the Honor Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page B

little bit. We’d like you to stay here a while. Get your bearings. You passed out; we need to know you won’t do it again.”
    “Where is she?”
    “They’re bringing her to ICU right now.”
    The nurse starts typing things into her laptop, then walks out of the room.
    Ethan tries to read something in my eyes. “You okay, Honor?”
    Sighing and chuckling at the same time, I feel lost in a strange land. I know I’m here in the hospital, but I have no idea where I stand at this time. What happened? Mom stopped breathing. I reach out to her and just like that, she’s alive…and I feel like I’ve been hit by a train. “I don’t know, Ethan.” I take in a whole bunch of air; I’m just so winded. “I know my mom just… almost died, but why…am I so…tired?
    A tender smile slowly spreads across his face, and he blinks one of those slow blinks. You know, the kind that’s almost like closing your eyes, but not really. “It’s very draining…to do what you did,” he says.
    “What’d I do?” I’m so utterly confused. It’s my turn to do one of those closey-eyed, blinky-things, only I’m too tired to open them back up, so I just keep my eyes closed. I feel Ethan’s warm lips on my forehead and smell his sweet breath on my face.
    “I guess you need an explanation.” There’s a catch in his voice. Almost like he doesn’t want to tell me something.
    My eyes find strength enough to open. I blink once, in lieu of a nod.
    “When you’re outta here. I don’t want to talk here…not about this.” And the deep purple cloud that emanates from his pupils, taking on the look of the sun’s corona, alerts me to just how serious he is. I am not capable of changing his mind; I’ll have to wait until I’m out of here to find out what the heck is going on.
    With a sincere smile on her face, the nurse returns, asking me how I’m feeling.
    I lie and tell her I’m much better. Because if I tell her my chest is still on fire, my head is in a fog, and I’m just plain exhausted, she’ll never let me up to see my mom. And above all else, I need to see my mom.
    “Well,” she says to me, “let me check your blood pressure.” Wrapping the squeezie thing around my arm, we wait. I look at Ethan, and he winks, despite the pensive scowl on his face. “Ok,” the nurse says when she’s done tugging at my arm. “You’re good. Let me just get your release papers.”
    When the nurse leaves the room, Ethan returns to my side. “Honor,” he cries, empathy strong in his voice. Something is clearly on his mind. “I know you deserve an explanation and…I promise, you’ll get one.” He runs his hand through his blond hair and closes his eyes. “But not here. Not now.” He hesitates, but it’s clear there is more. “Please don’t ask me why, but until I explain everything, please don’t touch anyone.” He takes both my hands and peers into my eyes. I see something behind those worried violet eyes of his. Pain. “Promise?” he asks again.
    Taking a moment to think that over, wondering what the heck he is talking about, I answer. “Promise.”
    **
    My mother is wide awake when finally I make it to her room. Machines and tubes are popping out of her every which way, but besides that, she has a glow on her cheeks and a sparkle in her eye. She looks better than I feel. It’s strange, but I feel so weak. My left arm tingles, and the gnawing in my chest is so present that I feel as if I suffered from the heart attack. Not my mom.
    “Honor,” Mom says, smiling so broadly it makes me smile. “Oh, sweetheart, come here.” She holds her hand out to me. Ethan stands back unseen, unsure if Mom would be comfortable with a strange boy in her room.
    “Oh, Mom,” I cry, my voice weak. “I was so scared. I thought…” I just start bawling right there. Bending over her to hug her, I think I might drown her in my tears. She smoothes my hair down with her velvet hand. “Shh, baby, it’s all right. Everything is just