Once she had successfully swallowed it down, she took one more shot.
“I didn’t want to go there,” she said with a sniffle, “but you leave me no choice. You need to wake up right now, or I’m telling Bell that you’ve had a crush on her the past three years.”
She felt a soft squeeze of her hand.
Natalie gasped.
“Axel?” she called to him excitedly, “can you hear me?”
No response.
“Come on, do it again…” she whispered, staring at his hand.
“It’s a spasm,” came a soft voice from the door.
Natalie looked back to see her mother standing in the doorway. She was and always would be beautiful, but she looked tired. Dark circles hung below her red-rimmed eyes.
“He squeezed my hand an hour ago,” Jane said, stepping into the room. “I was excited. I ran off and dragged Peter back here to check o
