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“Does Maddie have you wrapped around her cute little finger yet, Tyler?”
My gaze flicks over to Tyler and he nods. “She does. I’m such a goner when it comes to that girl.”
Blake grins. “I knew she would. She’s too adorable for a person to not fall in love with her the moment they see her. You’ll be a good dad.”
“Thanks, man. I’m sure going to try. I’ve got a lot of making up to do—” Tyler reaches over and threads his fingers through mine. “—with both of them. I’m going to do right by them.”
Blake nods. “I know you will.”
We sit there for a moment, and then finally Tyler asks, “What the hell happened to you? Did those dudes from the bar that night do this to you?”
He sighs. “Yeah. Those assholes must’ve followed me home from the bar, because they totally caught me off guard. I was unlocking the house and then boom: I was knocked out cold from behind. The next thing I knew they were dragging me around back where they finished beating my ass as one big group.”
“Shit, man. I’m sorry I wasn’t with you.”
Blake shakes his head. “Are you crazy? You’d probably be in the bed right next to me if they’d snuck up on us both, and Avery would be here holding both our hands.”
“You’re probably right. All the same, I’m still sorry.”
“Don’t lose one night of sleep over it, man. I’ll be fine.”
Another knock on the door sounds and then Officer Ryder walks in the door with a stack of papers in his hands. “How are you guys doing? I heard from the nurse Blake was awake in here, so I thought it would be a good time to come in and take a report from him about what actually happened. Did you get a good look at your attacker’s face or faces?”
Blake turns toward me. “Can you help me sit this bed up a little?”
I press the button and his head rises up. “Better?”
He nods and then slowly turns his attention back to Officer Ryder. “I did. It was those same douches from the bar that we got into it with earlier that night. The three of them attacked me as I was going into my house.”
“Did any one of them specifically do this or did they all three have their hands on you?”
“All three,” he confirms. “Worst thing is they were smiling and fucking enjoying themselves. It made me sick.”
The cop makes a few notes and then says, “This isn’t the first time we’ve had problems with these guys, but it is the first time someone has been brave enough to identify them in a crime and then stick by it. These guys like to hurt people. They get off on it, so I’m going to do everything within my power to make sure these guys pay for their crimes against you. We’ve already got them in custody and will proceed with criminal charges now that you’ve been able to identify them.”
“Thank you,” Blake says. “You let me know what you need from me, and consider it done. I don’t want these pricks doing this to someone else—someone who might not be as lucky as I was.”
“Will do. Take care of yourself.” Officer Ryder turns toward me and smiles. “See you around, Avery.”
Tyler’s fingers curl around the armrest of the chair and as soon as the cop leaves, he says, “That guy has a thing for you.”
“What? No, he doesn’t,” I quip. “He’s just being friendly and doing his job.”
“Well, I don’t like it. I don’t like the idea of him sniffing around you when I’m gone.”
His admission of jealousy catches me off guard. “Tyler, if this is going to work, then you’re going to have to trust me. We’ll be spending a lot of time apart, so trust is going to be crucial in our relationship.”
Tyler sighs deeply and then scrubs his hand down his face. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sounds like . . .”
“A jealous stalker boyfriend,” Blake adds in for him.
Tyler gives him a pointed look. “Yes, that.”
“No problem, dude. But seriously, Avery’s a good girl. I don’t think you’d have to worry about her running around on you. She’s—”
“Blake,” I cut him off, stopping him midsentence. “I know you’re trying to help me, but Tyler and me . . . we got this.”
He gives me a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Continue.”
