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Yvette looks over, her eyes catching mine. There’s something in her gaze, and I optimistically hope I’m not reading it wrong, and it truly is an understanding deeper than words. It’s enough to kick my brain into overdrive, telling me it's time to come clean. It might be reckless, laying it all out like this, but I can’t hold back.

“Yvette,” I start, voice rougher than I intend, but resolute. “This probably sounds insane, but from the moment you opened your eyes, something hit me right in the goddamn heart. In that instant, I knew I wasn’t just rescuing some accident victim—I was rescuing my future.”

“Your future?” She looks as confused as I felt the first time she looked at me.

“That’s right and I’m not going anywhere, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Her eyes flicker with something akin to surprise, and why the hell wouldn’t they? I mean, we met amid twisted metal and sirens, and now here I am, spilling my guts like some love-struck asshole. It’s got to come off weird, or maybe even downright unhinged.

But there's something raw and enlightening about the truth. I’m not even trying to rein it back because there’s an intensity in my chest that’s growing stronger by the second.

“I probably sound like some crazy stalker,” I continue, self-mocking, trying to ease the tension in the room. “Showing up here, wearing my heart on my sleeve, but you’ve got this way of making the impossible seem not just possible, but inevitable.”

She stays silent as she processes my little verbal bombshell, her expression shifting through disbelief, humor, and something else. God, I hope I’m not reading her wrong. I’m hanging by a thread here, grasping onto the hope my impulsive revelation hasn’t scared her off entirely.

“You’re serious,” she says finally, her voice steady, holding a note of curiosity.

As I stare into her striking violet eyes, I can tell she’s watching me like I’m some puzzle she hasn’t quite figured out yet. The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. I need her to know that somewhere between the chaos and calm, she took a swing at my heart and landed the punch.

“As a heart attack,” I reply, attempting nonchalance but knowing I’m failing spectacularly. “Falling for my curvy little soulmate during a highway disaster isn’t exactly what I expected when I woke up yesterday morning, but here we are.”

The corners of her mouth quirk up slightly, and I feel the tightness in my chest ease a little as hope flows through my soul.

“It’s not as insane as it should be,” she admits, shaking her head like she can’t quite believe it. Don’t worry, little knockout, I can’t believe it either. “Crazy stalker vibes and all seem to be the norm in this crazy town.”

“You aren’t wrong,” I mutter more to myself than her. Relief rushes through me, an intoxicating antidote to the anxiety coursing through my veins. “I’ve been bitten by the Silver Spoon Falls love at first sight bug and I couldn’t be happier.”

Her brows lift a bit, measuring her reaction with a lawyer’s precision, weighing every word as if it might just tip the scales. It's a guarded look, one that reminds me you're not supposed to gamble your heart on a hunch.

Still, I push on. “I’m winging it here, but I want to see where this goes. Just give me a shot to prove what I’m feeling is real.” Great. Now, I sound like a love-sick fool.

She’s silent and calculating like she’s already in the courtroom, and I’m either the surprise witness or the last-minute defense. And she’d be smart to slam that gavel down on my ass and tell me I’m nuts. But she doesn’t.

Instead, she takes a breath, and it feels like the universe is holding its breath with her. “Okay, Banks. I’ll give this a chance. But my job has taught me to be cautious.”

Damn if relief doesn’t hit me like a sucker punch. “That’s all I’m asking for. Just a chance. I’m gonna work on making it worth your while, knockout.”

Right then, a nurse steps in to do the routine checks, relieving the heavy atmosphere around us a little. Yvette shoots me an annoyed look at the interruption but lets the nurse do her job.

Once we’re alone again, the room feels warmer and cozier, and I can’t help myself. “So, Ms. Cautious Attorney,” I say with a playful edge, “What’s your verdict so far?”

She smirks, that hint of mischief making a return. “Not guilty of complete madness but we’ll have to see what the future holds.”

Her response wraps around me like a lifeline, easing the tight band around my chest a little bit.

We chat throughout the afternoon mostly about inconsequential things. Each word further dismantles the barriers between us, giving me hope for our future.

It's midmorning and the hospital is bustling with the shuffle of nurses and the muted beeps of machines. Honestly, hospitals are terrible places for thinking, which I’m reminded of as I watch Yvette gather her things with that determined set of her jaw. After a flurry of paperwork and discharge instructions, today’s the day she’s finally getting out of here.

Romi and Sullivan show up right as we manage to bundle everything together, jittery energy in the space between us all. Romi’s already waging a full-scale invasion, insisting her sister stay with them for a while.

“Not happening,” I tell them, maybe a bit more firmly than necessary. “She’s coming with me.”

This earns me a raised eyebrow from Romi and a curious look from Sullivan.

“She needs rest, quiet, and more importantly, she needs someone to make sure she’s safe from fucking Richard Hecken,” I continue, strong and unbending.

“She will be safe at our house,” Romi insists, mutiny flashing in her expressive eyes.