Page 206 of Matteo

As if I would just up and leave him like this. I've been here since early morning, when he came in to get prepped for surgery.

“Can you stay the night?” A smile plays on his beautiful lips.

“I don't know if they'll let me.” I was going to leave only when they threw me out.

“I can make it happen,” he says quickly. “Would you have a problem with that?”

He's still so careful about displaying his wealth and power.

I take his hand and shuffle closer. “I'd love to stay the night.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “Want me to arrange for you to stay in my bed?”

My eyes widen, and I play along. “Can you get a double bed put in?”

He laughs, then immediately winces, the color draining from his face and one hand instinctively moving to his abdomen. “I wish,” he murmurs, settling carefully against the pillows. Everything about him is slower, and weaker. I can’t wait to nurse him back to full health again.

“I'm not leaving your side,” I promise, “Unless I get thrown out.”

The surgery has drained him. His messed-up hair that I love so much now lies flattened on one side from sleeping. Dark shadows haunt the skin beneath his eyes. Every movement is slow and strained.

“Thank you for being here.” He tries to squeeze my hand, but his grip is weak.

“I wouldn't have it any other way. I told you I'd look after you.”

He grins. “Still waiting for the nurse's outfit.”

“You'll have to be well enough to come home for that.”

“Oh, something to look forward to.”

I kiss his hand.

“Just having you to wake up to, here, has made my day. Honestly, Elizabeth, you're the best thing...”

We stare at one another for the longest time. No words needed. We know what we mean to one another.

I want to tell him he's the best thing to happen to me, because he is, but I'm on the verge of tears now, because my heart is full, and the tears I want to cry are happy tears. At last, I have someone to care about and someone who cares about me. Someone who cares about what I eat, where I go, whether I’ve made it home safely, whether I’m working too hard, whether I’ve slept enough.

I have that now.

And I feel the same way about him.

I put both of my hands around his, and we sit silently, just staring at one another. Smiling. Thinking.

“Have you really bought the nurse’s outfit?” he asks.

I'm about to answer, when the door bursts open and a team of people walk in. It’s his brothers. All of them. I notice a ridiculously oversized card first, then two of them carry enormous bunches of beautiful flowers, and Enzo carries three huge helium balloons: Get. Well. Soon.

It wouldn’t surprise me if their girlfriends forced them to buy these. Rio pulls out some magazines, and snacks. Zach balances two large cardboard coffee carriers, each packed with steaming cups of coffee.

Exclamations and greetings shatter the quiet of the room.

“Fuck, you look like death.”

“Brother, you don't look too good.”

“Did they leave you any functioning organs?”