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“All I could think about was that we’d finally found our way back to each other.”
Emotion flooded my chest and it almost hurt to breathe. Carefully, I eased onto the edge of the bed beside him. Lane scooted over to make room. His hand lifted, cupping my cheek with impossible tenderness. There wasn’t any hesitation. Something stronger than gravity pulled me toward him.
His lips met mine carefully, gently, before it turned into something that felt like desperation, urgency, and relief. Our kiss felt like coming home. My fingertips brushed the rough stubble along his jaw, carefully avoiding the bandage. His fingers flexed gently against my waist, like he needed the reassurance that I was really there. The kiss deepened for only a moment before we both pulled back.
Our foreheads touched. We breathed the same air, neither of us opening our eyes.
“I love you.” The words escaped before fear could stop them. Lane went perfectly still as his forehead pressed more firmly against mine. When our eyes met again, his were already shining.
“Cali.” His voice cracked, and the sound unraveled something inside me. Once, Lane would’ve buried every vulnerable part of himself beneath a joke. Anything to keep people from seeing where he hurt. Not anymore. Now he let me see it, trusted me with it.
“I love you more.”
“I should’ve said it sooner.” A quiet laugh escaped.
“Me too.” His smile returned, soft and entirely him. “Guess getting hit with a baseball bat gave me some perspective.”
A groan slipped out just as he laughed. He reached for his head.
“Lane,” I scolded.
“What?”
“You cannot use a traumatic injury as a romantic gesture.”
His grin widened. Then he immediately winced again. “Still hurts.”
I laughed despite myself and leaned forward to kiss him again, simply because I could. He was here. I was here. We loved each other. For tonight, that was enough.
Fifty-Eight
Lane
Ihated being fussed over, which would’ve been fine if everyone in my life hadn’t apparently decided I needed exactly that.
“Slow down,” Cali said
“I’m walking.”
“You have a severe concussion.”
“My feet are fine! I think you just like bossing me around.”
My eyes slid to Cali. She looked back. Completely serious. The corner of my mouth twitched before a laugh escaped. Instant regret followed as pain throbbed through the side of my head.
“See?” she said.
“Ugh.”
Jace snorted from my other side. “Doc’s been like this all morning.”
“Traitor.”
“Just saying.”
A shake of my head proved spectacularly stupid. The world pitched sideways for a second, and Cali’s hand immediately wrapped around my arm.
“Lane.”
