Chapter 16

JAKE

I held her body close to mine and continued to rub her arm gently. I would have offered her a jacket if only I had had it with me, but in my hurry to get here as soon as I found out she was still awake, I forgot to grab one.

"I mean for saving me. Earlier. Thank you. I was scared." Her voice came out soft, almost breaking.

I pulled her head into my chest and dipped my mouth into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent as she began sobbing softly.

"I was not ready to die yet. I was so stupid..." she continued, and I let out the breath I was holding.

She was scared. And I was too.

I let her sob in my chest, and all I could do was hold her tightly, letting her know that I would not leave her.

When her sobs turned into hiccups, I hooked one arm under her knees, and with my other arm still holding her, I lifted her to sit on my lap. My finger curled under her chin before I tilted her face up and urged her to look at me. "Princess... You’re here, and you’re alive. That’s the most impo