Free Fatal Identity by Marie Force

you are.”
    â€œThat’s a relief. When can I get out of here?”
    â€œProbably tomorrow or the next day,” Harry said.
    â€œAw, come on,” Nick said, groaning. “I feel a lot better. Let me go home.”
    â€œDude, you were out cold an hour ago,” Harry said. “You’re not going anywhere.”
    Sam pointed a thumb at Harry. “What he said.”
    As if it was too much effort to keep them open, Nick closed his eyes. “Thought you guys were my friends.”
    Sam leaned forward to kiss him. “We’re your best friends.”
    â€œYou might want to cut out the kissing unless you want what he’s got,” Harry said.
    â€œToo late to worry about that.”
    Nick’s arms came around her, keeping her right where she wanted to be—close to him.
    â€œThey’re hopeless,” Harry said to Angela.
    â€œThey certainly are. We’ll remind her of this when she’s barfing her guts out in a couple of days.”
    â€œWorth it,” Sam said.
    Nick tightened his hold on her and for the first time since he wouldn’t wake up earlier, she was able to take a deep breath. He was okay, and that was all that mattered.
    * * *
    H OURS LATER , N ICK ordered Sam and Angela to go get something to eat. They’d talked to Scotty by FaceTime on Angela’s phone so he could see that Nick was doing better and they could see that he was fine. Tracy had gotten him to eat some of the soup Celia sent over, and he’d even asked for ice cream.
    Nick, on the other hand, wasn’t interested in food of any kind yet. “You guys go grab something. I’m not going anywhere.”
    â€œAre you sure?” Sam messed with his blankets until she was happy with the way they covered him. They’d fielded another call from his dad, as well as Graham and Laine O’Connor. Nick’s adopted parents were also concerned about him.
    He put his hand over hers. “I’m sure.”
    â€œCome on,” Angela said, tugging Sam’s arm. “I’m starving.”
    She’d kept them entertained with the increasingly desperate texts she’d received from Spencer as the day progressed. The kids were making a man out of him, or so Angela said.
    They went to the cafeteria where Sam forced herself to choke down a turkey club even though she didn’t really want it. Angela said she’d be no good to anyone if she didn’t take care of herself. In deference to the day from hell, Sam indulged in a rare diet cola. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
    â€œBest thing I ever tasted,” she said of the icy-cold soda.
    â€œSo I was going to call you today about something else.”
    â€œWhat’s up?”
    Angela dipped a French fry into ketchup and popped it into her mouth. “Mom’s in town and she wants to see you.”
    Sam shook her head from the word town on. “Not now.”
    â€œI think you need to see her. She has some news you should hear from her.”
    â€œWhat kind of news?”
    Angela shook her head. “It’s not mine to tell.”
    â€œSeriously?”
    â€œYou know I would if I could.”
    Sam blew out a deep breath. “This is just what I need right now with all the other crap I’ve got going on.”
    â€œWhat was that thing with Freddie earlier?”
    â€œSomething for work that fell into my lap after I was suspended.”
    â€œIs it something that’s going to get you into deeper shit than you’re already in?”
    â€œPerhaps, but it could be such a huge big deal that no one will care about my role in it.”
    â€œI know you’ve got a lot going on, but you need to see her. I wouldn’t ask you to if it wasn’t important.”
    â€œDoes Tracy know about this too?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œGreat, so everyone knows but me.”
    â€œThat’s the way you wanted it when you cut Mom out of your life, Sam. We chose not