It doesn’t work.
A warm hand lands on my back, rubbing up and down as it heaves with shuddering sobs. I cry until my throat’s raw and my breath is coming in hitching, hiccuping gasps.
Luca stands by me the entire time, his hand resting on my back. Every once in a while, he sweeps up my spine. Other times I’d almost swear he gently shushes me. At one point, I barely make out him telling me everything is going to be okay.
When I finally manage to get my shit together, I raise my head. Luca’s hand falls away from my back, and I force myself to meet his gaze.
His face is as tear-stained as I’m sure mine is, but he’s got a slight grin. “I knew, you know. Y’all weren’t hiding shit.”
That somehow makes me laugh. It’s choked off and broken, but I’ll take anything right now.
“Yeah?”
Luca nods slowly, sobering. “I’m happy for you guys.”
“I love him,” I say. “I’ve loved him for a very long time.”
I brush my fingertips down Arlo’s arm, careful to avoid his bandaged-up areas.
“I know you do. It’s easy to see. He’s gonna be okay.”
I sure fucking hope so.
Luca sighs. “I’m gonna go get Austin now, okay? Do you need anything?”
I shake my head. The only thing in this world I could possibly need is for the love of my life to wake up. For him to smile at me. For him to blink up at me with those beautiful, mismatched eyes.
I need him to be okay. I need him to be alive and okay. That’s all. And Luca can’t give me that.
Luca slips out of the room, and I bring Arlo’s still hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it before carefully moving it back to the bed.
“I love you, baby boy. Come back to me, okay? You’ve made it through the hard part. I’ll take such good care of you, I promise.”
I drag my fingers over his, avoiding the bruising and redness on his knuckles. “I’ll help you bathe, and I’ll help you with your wounds. I’ll take time off work, even.”
More tears start falling, and I don’t even bother trying to stop them. “You can move in with me. As soon as you’re able to leave the hospital. I’ll make sure you have everything you need. And then you don’t have to worry about a thing except getting better.”
“Just please,pleasecome back to me.”
Chapter 13
Jasper
Iwakewithagasp, the steady sound of Arlo’s heart monitor quickly reminding me of where I am. The lingering effects of my dream—a dream where I was installing a pool in my backyard—remind me of something else. Something fucking important.
The kids.
How could I have forgotten about the kids? I carefully untangle my fingers from Arlo’s, then stand. Pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, I breathe him in. “I’ll be back, baby boy. I gottafigure something out with your babies. I’ll take care of them until you can. I promise.”
Reluctantly, I slip out of the room and head to the nurses’ station.
“Hey, do you need something?” Mark asks. He’s been the nurse taking care of Arlo. He’s been amazing with him.
“Yeah. Did he have his phone on him when they brought him in?”
I should already know this, but everything was all fucked up, and I didn’t really know what in the hell was going on. Outside of worrying about Arlo, my brain is basically nonexistent.
“Uh…” Mark glances around, then recognition lights up his face. “Yeah, he did. It was in the pocket of his jeans. It’s dead, but maybe it just needs charged.”
