A moment passes before I ask, “What happened to Trevor?”
Jack lets out a sigh. “He got away too easily in my opinion—and lucky my crew handed him over to the cops rather than let me deal with him.” His voice is hard, and I can see his shoulders tense. “He’s facing attempted murder, arson, and trying to destroy evidence which hopefully will land him in prison for a very long time.”
“That sounds pretty bad,” I admit.
Jack scoffs. “For what he did to you? To Evee? He deserves to rot in the ground. I know it’s my job to help people, but I just can’t help but think if I knew it was him—” He pauses, shaking his head.
“I’m just happy we’re okay,” I tell him, squeezing his hand. Jack is a better man than Trevor will ever be, and Jack being the one to save Trevor’s sorry excuse for a life shows that.
Looking at the man in front of me, the man who saved me in more ways than one, I feel the words on the tip of my tongue, the ones I don’t want to go any longer without saying, not wanting Jack to go any longer without knowing.
I think falling in love with Jack was inevitable, since the moment our paths crossed.
Somehow, the universe brought us together when we needed each other most, and I don’t want to know what it’s like living a life not loving Jack as hard and as loud as I possibly can.
I’m about to tell him just that, but he beats me to it. “I love you, Rumi.”
Tears blur my eyes, and I think a part of me knew this moment was coming from the first time I saw those jade green eyes. “I love you, Jack.”
CHAPTER 45
JACK
Rumi is finally clearedto leave the hospital, and I had been dreading this day since she woke up.
Not because I didn’t want her to heal and go home but because the fire left nothing salvageable, nothing left to go home to.
Both her and Ava lost almost everything in the fire, anything that they didn’t have on them or in their car.
Ava handled the news fine, just thankful that Rumi and Evee were okay, but I was worried Rumi wouldn’t feel the same.
She’s worked so hard to get to where she is, and everything in that house stands for the life she made for herself after leaving Minneapolis.
And now, it’s all gone.
But I should’ve known she wouldn’t care, that the tangible stuff didn’t matter to her, that it’s all replaceable.
I’m not scared of starting over, firefighter, she told me when I broke the news that the house and all of her things couldn’t be saved.
Emerson offered the girls to stay with her, having already chatted with Ava about possibly moving in—knowing about myplan to ask Rumi to move in with me the day of Trevor finding her—but I convinced Rumi to stay with me.
“I could get used to living in your clothes,” Rumi says from her spot on my couch. Her hair is damp and brushed back, having showered when we got home from the hospital. The bruises on her face and neck are fading, the cut on her lip almost healed from the wound Trevor inflicted almost a week ago, but the skin around her eyes is still pretty swollen.
Her feet are in my lap as we watch one of Evee’s favorite movies. She’s barely staying awake on her mom’s chest, and I want to show them both the surprise I have planned before she falls asleep for the night.
“I need to show you two something,” I say softly and then gently move Rumi’s legs off me, so I can stand.
“Right now?” Rumi asks, surprised, and I hide my smile at the slight annoyance in her tone.
“Yes, pretty girl. Right now.” I lift Evee from Rumi’s chest, her arms stretching before rubbing her eyes with her palms as she looks at me with droopy eyes.
Rumi stands, still moving a little stiffly from the injuries to her side along with the bruises on her arms and legs, and anger stirs in my gut. I tamp it down, keeping my face neutral, wishing there was more to do than just wait for that fucker to get what he deserves.
I interlace my hand with hers and lead her down the hall to one of the bedrooms, the one I’ve been working in the last two weeks—since the last night Rumi was here.
I was driving myself crazy when I wasn’t at the hospital with Rumi. When Evee slept in the Pack ’n Play, I worked in here, wanting it to be perfect for when I finally got to ask Rumi the question that’s been heavy on my mind since the first night she spent here.
Opening the door and turning on the light, I lead Rumi into the nursery I put together with the help of Emerson. Deciding to do a jungle theme with rainbow accents, I wanted it to capture the children’s book Rumi is writing,The Rainbow of Emotions,and her main character, Callista the Chameleon. I know the book is her dream, but I also know that she is writing it with Evee in mind. With Emerson’s help, we were able to create a space that is perfect for her.
