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“Yes, come with me.”
I’m hugging myself, cold and worried, as I follow her down the halls. As we pass a window, I can see the sky getting lighter. We’ve been here all night.
The nurse has to use her key card a few times to open up different automatic doors and it gives me reassurance that we’ll be safe here. No one can get to us without hacking a few systems, which should be some deterrence.
Finally, we stop in front of a light oak-colored door. She gently knocks and eases the door open. All I can see is the foot of the hospital bed, the rest is behind a green patterned curtain.
“Go on in,” she whispers. “He’s probably resting. He came out of anesthesia perfectly, but he’ll be tired for a bit. Call me if you need anything.”
The door closes behind me as I tiptoe towards the bed. I brace myself for what I expect to see: gore and pale skin and bloody bandages. But there’s none of that.
Everett is upright in the hospital bed, his head turned to one side, sleeping peacefully. There’s a white sterile bandage wrapped around his shoulder and chest, a sling securing his arm against his torso. He’s shirtless, but his skin is clean, looking healthy and faintly tan again. The tiger’s paws are barely visible under the edge of the bandage.
The relief I feel is so complete, it’s almost tiring. He’s made it. He’s okay.
There’s a large chair next to the bed and I slip into it. I hug my knees to my chest and study him for the longest time, taking in the sight of his rising and falling chest, his smooth skin, his steady heartbeat on the monitor.
Who would I be without Everett and how can I ensure I never have to find out?
He stirs, his eyebrows pinching together in pain, and I move to sit near the foot of the bed on his right side, suddenly shy. His eyes flutter open and he looks around, confused. Until he sees me.
“My girl,” he whispers with a smile, his expression relaxing. “You okay? That’s just my blood on you, right?”
I smile and nod, wiping my teary cheeks. He looks so gentle and soft, so different from how I last saw him.
“You doing okay?” I ask.
“The pain meds are working.”
He holds out his good hand and I lean closer to take it in both of mine. I relish the warmth of his skin and the surety of his grip. The chain around my neck slides forward and his ring hangs between us.
“Oh good,” he says with relief. “I was wondering where that went.”
He traces the chain to the back of my neck. “I want it back now, please.”
I set his phone down on the bedside table for him and grin as I slip the ring and chain over my head. I stand and lean over him to put it around his head.
“Obsessed much?” I joke as I sniffle. He smells like antiseptic and sterile cotton. I want his old smell back.
“Mmhmm, very,” he says. “The nurse said my wife stayed here the whole time I was in surgery. Obsessed much?”
“Definitely,” I whisper as I kiss his broad forehead, pushing his hair back the way he likes it.
His heart monitor beeps a little faster, a tell-tale sign that I’m not the only one feeling something, something like love, care, and affection.
His eyes flutter closed.
“I’m pretty weak,” he admits. “But I want to help you finish the job.”
I shake my head. “Don’t think about that right now. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
He sighs and I can tell he wants to counter and say something, but he’s not strong enough yet.
“I’m going to sleep with you now,” I say. That gets a faint smile from him before his heart rate drops back down and he’s asleep again.
True to my word, I push the chair right up against the hospital bed, recline it as far as it goes, and fall asleep watching Everett’s heart monitor unfurl in steady lines.
CHAPTER 13
