Page 46 of You'll Be the Death of Me

“I don’t know, but it is. A thread is snagged or something,” Cole said, and tugged.

Dell reached around to feel, suddenly panicky over being stuck in the wedding dress she was supposed to wear to marry a man plotting her death. “Can you get it unstuck?”

“I’m trying,” Cole said, and tugged again.

“Pull harder,” Dell ordered, feeling her breath grow short.

“It will tear.”

“I don’t care!” she hollered, and reached around to grip it herself.

“I’ve got it, don’t worry.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’ve got it.”

“Just let me—”

“Get me out!”

“I’m trying!”

“Cole!” she cried, and threw her hands over her face.

“There!” He roughly tore the whole thing wide open. The sound of pearl buttons bouncing off the floor followed a loud rip of seams.

Dell took a large gulp of air, now free of constriction, and felt Cole’s heavy breath on her naked back. She could picture wads of torn silk and lace in his big hands. He’d ripped it so wide, if he let go, the dress would fall to the floor and leave her in nothing but her underwear.

“Thank you,” she said meekly under his gaze, which she could feel heating her skin.

“You’re welcome.” His voice came out gravelly and with a hint of shock, as if he’d surprised himself with his drastic action. In truth, Dell was surprised too.

“Didn’t have you pegged for a bodice ripper,” she teased in an effort to soothe the charged tension between them. She gripped the front of her dress so it wouldn’t fall.

“Yeah. Sorry I ruined your dress,” Cole said.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m never going to wear it again anyway. Would you mind?” She pointed to her nightgown where she’d left it on a chair, even though she had half a mind to turn around and face him and drop the dress.

“Of course,” Cole said, flustered, and as if he might have been hoping for the same thing. “I’ll wait outside.”

He left her alone in her office to change back into her invisible nightie. She took a few moments to regain her composure before joining him in the hall.

Jason still lingered, thumbing his phone. Dell approached him and swiped at his arm. As soon as it broke out in goose bumps, he jerked and curled his arms to his chest.

“Okay, there you are.” He glanced around like he wasn’t sure where to look.

She touched his arm again to let him know she was standing to his left.

“Got it. This isn’t weird at all; I’m just talking to empty air that is my best friend’s invisible ghost, no big deal,” he muttered, and Dell couldn’t help but giggle. “So, good news first: You’re not dead. You’re in a coma. On the way to the hospital, I googled all these stories on near-death experiences where people weren’tactuallydead even though they had no heartbeat and then miraculously came back to life. Turns out between my hysterics and your family’s name—mainly your dad, Papa Rodgers doesn’t mess around—they agreed to hook you up to some monitors, and, what do you know, you were still alive, but barely.”

“Yes!” Dell cheered, and threw herself at him. “I knew you could do it, Jay.” She wrapped him in a hug, forgetting the rules.

He shrieked and jumped back. “Too much! Too cold!”

“Sorry! Sorry, sorry. I forgot. But thank you,” she said with a cringe.

“I assume that was you trying to hug me in thanks, so, you’re welcome,” Jason said.

Cole exhaled his own sigh of relief. “My supervisor said she put a pause on your transition while we correct your wrong turn. This must be what she meant,” he said when Dell looked at him in question.