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As soon as I could lift my hands.
My fingers twitched and I felt my heavy eyelids start to drag apart.
It felt like I was lifting a thousand pounds off the floor rather than opening my lids, but eventually I managed it.
I blinked.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Then I stared at the white ceiling as I tried to get my body to cooperate.
That was when I realized that I only had one eye open.
Not two.
I frowned in concentration, but I couldn’t get the other one to open for the life of me.
“I have loved you since we were kids,” she said softly. “When you started dating Eerie, I think that my heart practically fell out of my chest. I felt like I was walking around with an open chest wound for years. I’ve never wanted to die more in my life than when you first started dating her.”
I felt something besides my stupid head start hurting.
My heart was pounding in my chest as it felt like it would break into two.
“When I suggested we get married,” she said, “I never in a million years thought you’d say yes. I thought for sure you’d laugh it off. But then you said yes. I… Nathan? I wasn’t drunk enough not to remember that day. Not to know that my actions had consequences.”
I’d been drunk, too. But not that drunk.
“I saved my virginity for you,” I heard a while later. “I just figured that I’d get you to notice me when we were younger. I didn’t think I’d make it until years later when you needed me out of necessity and not want.”
My stomach dropped at her words.
I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.
My tongue didn’t work correctly, and I couldn’t even get a groan to fall free of my lips.
Nothing.
Not a damn thing.
I couldn’t even make my arm lift to place it on her hand where I could feel it close to mine.
“The first time I knew that I loved you was when we were nine. You and I were playing in the yard, and I hit the ball over the fence into the neighbor’s yard. You scaled the fence and got it back, then threw me a hundred more balls. You’re the reason that I was so good, Nathan. I wanted to impress you,” she said.
Still no words would came out.
“How’s our patient?” a stern, rather annoyed voice asked. “I see that you’ve stolen him away again.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor.”
Reggie’s words didn’t sound like she was sorry. Not at all.
“If Dare wasn’t doing so well, I’d be talking to the board about firing your ass,” the doctor grumbled.
Dr. Dense. Darren’s pediatrician.
What the hell was he doing in my hospital room?
Then I saw the doctor come into view.
He was looking at something on my chest.
What the hell?
Something moved on my chest and that was when I heard the soft, sweetest squeak of protest that I’d ever heard in my life.
Dare.
Dare was on my chest.
I felt a tear slip out of my eye.
“Who do we have here?”
I felt another tear slip out upon hearing another squeak of protest.
“He’s doing so good,” Dr. D said. “He’s lively today, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” Reggie said. “I had to barricade him in because he was moving so much. I swear, he’s just like his father. So freakin’ strong and independent.”
I felt a smile tug at the corner of my lips.
God, I loved the woman.
With my whole heart.
I tilted my head then, causing pain to explode behind my eyeballs. Despite the pain, however, I kept my eye open and looked for the source of her voice.
I found her in a chair, feet curled up underneath of her, with her upper torso covered by my SWAT sweatshirt.
I felt my lips kick up at the corner as I stared at the love of my life.
“That’s my sweatshirt,” I rasped.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she looked at me so hesitantly that I would’ve laughed had I known it wouldn’t hurt like a bitch.
“Nathan,” she breathed, standing up.
Dr. D laughed. “Everything’s doing good, Reg. Keep up the good work.”
Then he was gone, leaving the two of us to talk.
She walked up to me and placed both of her hands on my face.
“It’s my sweatshirt now, silly,” she teased.
I smiled weakly. “What’s wrong with me?”
Her smile fell. “You were shot in the head by that drug dealer that used to deal outside my apartment. You’ve been in a coma for days.”
“Shot in the head?” I asked. “Like, actually shot in the head? Again?”
Her lips twitched. “Yes, shot in the head.” She moved the hand on the left side of my face around to the back of my head. “You were shot through the back of your head. Actually, you were shot in the back, but the tank you were wearing deflected it into the back of your head. It pierced your skull back here.” She pressed lightly. “And then exited your head up here.” She pressed her fingers lightly to the side of my head right above my eye. “It traveled around your skull. You were so fucking lucky.”
