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She sounded worn to the bone when she answered. “It was a little hard to sleep through you two bickering.”
I reached across Colton, making sure I caught my armpit right in his face, so I could rub her arm. “How’re you feeling?”
“Much better, aside from the fact my bed’s turned into Grand Central Station. Seriously, how are we all fitting on my full-sized mattress?”
“No idea,” I said. “But I’ll get out so you can have room. I should probably get going anyway.”
As I slipped off the bed, I met the kid’s gaze. He smiled up at me so smugly I had to mouth the word, “Fucker,” at him, to which he mouthed right back, “Asswipe.”
Damn, I was turning him into a potty mouth. That couldn’t be good.
After pulling on my clothes, I went around to Caroline’s side of the bed and knelt beside her, touching her hair. Her eyes opened slowly.
“I’ll call later, okay?”
When she nodded, I touched my mouth to hers gently. “Take it easy today. I’ll see you when I check in for blackmailing duty with shit-breath over there.”
“I have to work this evening.”
I frowned. “Maybe you should take the day off to recuperate. That food poisoning kicked your ass, baby.”
Her chapped lips only widened as her smile grew. “Listening to you worry about me is hot.”
With a wistful sigh, I stroked her hair some more. “If only I took advantage of sick chicks.”
“That bruise around your eye is sexy too.”
Leaning in close until my nose touched hers, I grinned. “Then I’ll keep it perpetually black and blue, just for you.”
“Are you guys going to kiss goodbye already?” Colton complained. “I want to go back to sleep now.”
“We already did, punk.” I nudged the back of his head. “Now quit being a Peeping Tom and let me say goodbye properly.”
He snorted, and Caroline and I grinned at each other. “I don’t want to leave,” I admitted on a whisper.
“I don’t want you to either.” She reached out and touched my jaw. But her eyes were growing drowsy.
“Get some sleep,” I told her and kissed her hair.
Her eyes were already closed by the time I pulled back. “‘Kay,” she mumbled.
“Okay,” I said right back as I stood. “Love you.”
“You too,” she slurred.
I stood there a moment, watching her and her brother curled up together and falling fast asleep against one another. I glanced at the window but knew I couldn’t leave that way; no one would be able to close it behind me, so I held my breath and tiptoed to the door. I peered into the hall as I cracked it open. It was fairly dark still, so I stepped into the shadows and darted toward the opening that led to the kitchen. I half expected to find Gamble there, sitting at the table and drinking coffee, just waiting for me, but the room was empty. I escaped out the back door, and hiked to my truck.
After I made it home, I crawled into my own bed, but I couldn’t sleep. Everything felt wrong without Caroline next to me. I was tossing and turning when a sudden thought struck me. “Holy shit.” I bolted upright, my eyes widening.
I’d told her I loved her. It hadn’t even occurred to me what I was saying when I said it. It’d just come out as natural as breathing.
I’d never told any female, besides my mother and sister, that I loved her.
I have no idea why I was so panicked by the idea. I’d known it was true for a while, but still, I didn’t have to go just blurting that shit out to everyone.
Maybe she hadn’t really heard me. She’d been half asleep and had mumbled back her answer as if she was talking to her brother, or something.
Wait, shit. She’d said she loved me back. I wondered if she’d remember that?
