The Alpha's Baby(67)

"Mary Lou, you're awake," she cried, jumping to her feet.

"Is that all you have to say to an injured woman?" Mary Lou asked. "'Poor Mary Lou?' Jeez, in the movies, everybody always says these long, drawn-out speeches when people are unconscious and injured. I'm disappointed in you, Emmy."

The woman humphed and crossed her arms.

Emmy normally would have pitched a fit because her best friend had been faking sleep, but at that moment, she couldn't help but laugh. Doing something like this was so like Mary Lou.

"I'm so glad you're okay." Emmy threw her arms around the other woman.

"Ouch. I'm still sore here, chickadee." Though Mary Lou was grinning, her eyes glistened with pain.

"I'm so sorry." Emmy released her. "I was just so happy you were okay that I couldn't help myself."

In fact, she had to fight the urge to throw her arms around her friend's neck again.

While Emmy tried to maintain her self-control, Mary Lou looked around the room. "So what the hell happened to me, anyway?"

"Eh?" Didn't the woman remember?

"You heard me." Mary Lou nodded.

Emmy's heart thundered , and she cursed Sebastian for not being here to help her. "Well, how much do you remember?"

The woman cocked her head. "Mmm. I remember being at that creepy guy's house…what was his name?"

"Jake." Emmy shivered as if she'd uttered a swearword.

"Yeah, that's right, Jake." Mary Lou paused for a moment too, and her face grew a shade whiter. "Well, I remember being trapped at his house. After that, I think I may have had a hallucination because I dreamed that there were these beastly creatures running around."

Emmy's breath caught. Mary Lou thought those "beastly creatures" had been a figment of her imagination. Emmy could do two things—she could tell the woman the truth or let her believe she'd been dreaming. Suddenly, she could understand why Sebastian had hid the truth from her. How was she supposed to come out and tell Mary Lou what was going on when it would hurt the woman? Or what if her friend thought she was a nut and pushed her away? Her eyes widened in horror.

She'd been too hard on Sebastian for not telling her. Way too hard.

"Sebastian," she whispered.

Unfortunately, Mary Lou heard her.

"Where is Sebastian, by the way?" Mary Lou looked around. "I remembered that he carried me to the hospital or something."

"Don't worry about him," Emmy said, even though she was worried herself. "He'll be here soon."

"Ah." Mary Lou paused. "Okay."

"And about what you saw in the house…" Emmy stared at the older woman.

Oh God, what should she say?

Mary Lou waved away her words. "Never mind. Forget I asked. I know I was just dreaming. I must have a vivid imagination, that's all."

Her mouth dropped open. "But…but…"

"You don't need to tell me I'm whacko." Mary Lou snorted. "I know it."

"You aren't a whacko."

Mary Lou grinned. "Maybe not as much as you, but I am."

"Hey." Her eyes narrowed.

The woman grinned, but then that grin disappeared within seconds. "And by the way, I'm sorry about feeding you to the lions like that."

"Lions?"

"I mean that I'm sorry for handing you over to Jake, you dunderhead." Mary Lou rolled her eyes. "He said he'd hurt me if I didn't tell him where you were. I held out for a little while, but as soon as he started talking about punching me in the face, I sang like a canary. I'm ashamed of myself. Selling out a friend is the lowest of the low. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself."

Emmy remembered the way Mary Lou had saved her. "You don't have to feel guilty about that. You redeemed yourself."

"I don't think so." The woman shook her head.

She grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed. "Well, I do. Trust me."

"You're just saying that to be nice, aren't you?"

"I'm not." Emmy managed to smile.

"Hmm." The woman scrutinized her. "Well, I guess I'll believe you this time."

"Good." Emmy grinned. "And do you know how much I love you?"

"Ah, shucks." Mary Lou turned pink, but then batted her eyes. "Say…"

"What?"

"Just how much do you love me?" The woman gave a charming grin.

Emmy had a bad feeling about this. "A lot. Why?"

"Well, I'm starving," Mary Lou said. "And the hospital food tastes like roasted rubber."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," she said.

"They gave me flavorless green beans during lunch." Mary Lou draped herself dramatically over the side of the bed. "What could possibly be worse than flavorless green beans?"