“I am so fucking gratefulfor everything you've done for me, Remi. You'll never know just how much.” He lifts the hand he's holding and presses it to my chest above my heart. “Take care of this for me.” Then he's pressing a kiss to my cheek, walking past me and out the door, out of my life.
I stay standing in the same spot, staring at nothing ahead of me.
Feeling gutted.
Shocked.
Numb.
I can't believe that after everything we've been through, that he's still doing this.
I can't believe that he told me he loves me, and it was part of a fucking goodbye.
I continue standing here, taking in one deep breath after another.
Filling my lungs with life.
Regrouping.
Gathering my strength.
And then, I'm running.
Down the halls. Past the nurses. Past the patients. Taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. And then out the front doors.
I don't stop until I'm standing in front of Jacob, preventing him from going any further.
“No!” I say, my chest heaving from the run but also from all the emotions swarming through my body. “You don't get to decide that.”
“Remi–”
“No!” I cry out. “I am not a delicate flower, Jacob. Yes, I may be passionate about what is right and wrong, and feel it deep within. I feel the pain. I feel yourpain.” I slam my hand to my chest. “But don't underestimate what this heart can handle.”
I move into his space that tiny bit more and lift my hands to his jaw.
“You're not askingme to endure anything . . . because Ilove youand I've already decided that I'll go through every bit of pain and suffering, right alongside you. We'll face every shitty thing that comes our way, together.”
He closes his eyes, dropping his forehead to mine as he slides his arms around my back, letting my words hang around in the air a moment before he absorbs them and whispers, “God, I don't deserve you.”
“Yes, you do. One day you'll see that.” I angle my head up so that I can press my lips to his and then linger there, basking in his warmth and the comfort of feeling him holding me. “Please don't ask me to stay away.”
His grip gets that much tighter as he looks down at me. I can't imagine that his wounds aren't hurting as his body presses into mine, but he's been through so much that it mustn't phase him at all.
“I always knew you were stubborn.”
I smile despite myself. “When it comes to the important things, yes.”
He lowers his head so that his cheek is resting on top of my head and then sucks in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Are you really sure you want this?”
“Yes. With all my heart.”
There is no delay in my answer, no doubt in my voice. I know what I want.
And it's him.
After pulling back, his beautiful ocean-colored eyes search over my face before he slowly nods and then answers quietly, “Then I won't ask you to stay away.”
I grip his shirt, dropping my head gently to his chest. Breathing out a sigh of relief. And for a while, we just hold each other close, soaking in the moment as if time isn't a factor. As if the hurdles ahead are tomorrow's problem and not ours.
