Chapter 9 · He Knows She's Changed

The ambulance ride is loud. Sirens. Wheels on asphalt. The paramedic keeps yelling numbers I don't understand.

Archer's eyes are closed. His chest rises and falls in shallow jerks. The bandage I made from my wedding dress is soaked through, dark red spreading across white silk like spilled wine.

I'm still holding his hand. I don't remember deciding to.

"Ma'am, you need to let go so we can—"

"No."

The paramedic gives up. Smart guy.

Archer's fingers twitch against mine. His lips move.

I lean closer. "Don't talk. You got shot, you idiot."

"You... called me... Archer." His voice is barely there. A whisper scraped over gravel.

Shit.

I did. In the alley. When the gunfire stopped and I was pressing torn silk against the hole in his chest, I called him Archer instead of Yuhan.

His eyes open. Just slits. But he's looking right at me.

"Knew it," he says. "Three months. You've been... different."

My throat closes up.

The ambulance jerks to a stop. Doors fly open. Someone's shouting about the ER. Hands reach for the stretcher.

Archer's grip tightens on my wrist. Not hard. He doesn't have the strength.