But then, amid their noise, he heard the rush of feet outside the door. The slapping steps came closer, and Seb’s heart picked up speed as he swung his legs off the side of the bed.
“Make room,” he said as bodies moved from the doorway. “My wife is on the way.”
And then there was his Sunshine.
The woman who owned his life.
His small pocket rocket, the one he lived for, was hurling herself through the door like a destructive tornado. Their eyes locked, and Seb’s world righted again, the air exiting his lungs. Emotions swelled in his chest; his love for her had no bounds.
It was as if the world disappeared, and he was already reaching out a hand to her when she threw herself through the parting brotherhood and came for him.
One step. Two steps. He saw her mouth his name, and then Sunny was in his arms, and they both sighed simultaneously.
She was shaking as she fixed her arms around his shoulders.
“I’m okay,” he reassured her, palming the back of her head, holding her as close as possible, drinking in her scent. She was trembling from head to toe, and Seb squeezed her slight frame tighter in his arms, like he could fuse them as one. The half a day apart felt like decades.
While she crawled onto the bed and into his lap, he looked over her shoulder at everyone. “You guys don’t need to stick around.”
Feet shuffled out.
“We’ll get some food from the cafeteria,” his mom said. She leaned over and kissed Seb’s head. Preacher did the same, and Tanner gave two thumbs up at Seb before they all exited. But Seb heard Ruby say. “Now we can discuss this crazy idea you have about leaving, Tanner Shane.”
He didn’t know what that was about yet; Seb’s entire focus was on Sunny; once they were alone in the hospital room, he stroked a hand up Sunny’s back and under her hair to hold her nape. “You can let it all go now, baby.”
She broke a second later.
A wail of anguish left his wife like nothing he’d ever heard before and never wanted to hear coming from her again, but he knew his Sunnyneeded the release from holding herself tightly together. She sobbed in his arms for long minutes as a lone tear of relief dripped from the lower lashes of Seb’s eye.
“I thought we weren’t going to see each other ever again,” she said around a sob. Seb cupped her face and brushed the falling tears away with his thumbs.
“That won’t ever happen. You’re stuck with me. No more crying, yeah? You’re breaking my fucking heart, sunbeam.”
Cupping his face, her warm fingers traveled over Seb’s bruised face, and he watched her watching him. She next brushed his hair from his forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay? Your face is turning purple.”
“I’ve got you in my arms, so I’m good, baby.”
Sunny didn’t seem convinced and spent the next moments examining him with tender touches. He was ready to go home, but they made him stay for observation due to the drugs and his blacking out.
But it was okay because he kept Sunny with him.
There was no way either of them was spending the night alone. Once the families had taken off, he showered and pulled her into the too-small hospital bed with him. She rested her head on his shoulder, clasping his hand to her chest, playing with his wedding band.
She hadn’t asked about what had happened yet with Dwayne. He’d prefer she didn’t know, but he’d share if she wanted to know, and it would be the last time he spoke that man’s name. He was dead to Seb in all ways he could be dead to him.
“I’m sorry for the things I said over the phone. You know I didn’t mean them, don’t you?”
He thought she was going to ignore him when she finally spoke. “I don’t think I’ll ever recover from hearing you breaking up with me, Sebastian.”
Oh, god, his wife was gearing up for a dramatic performance, and he couldn’t fucking wait as his mouth twitched at the edges.
“Even in sixty years, when I’m serving you dinner, I’ll still wonder, is it today he breaks up with me again?” she fake sniffled, but smiled with it.
That was his resilient Sunshine.
She was his heart and his strength.
“You claimed me long ago and tied me in a lifetime contract, Sunshine.”
