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“I do?”
I took my phone out and snapped some quick photos, then held the screen up so he could see them.
“Well, shit,” he said.
I laughed because it wasn’t like him to swear. I kissed the side of his head. “You’re gonna have a whole lot of data to study after this. They ran bloods and brain scans and all kinds of tests.”
He didn’t reply to that, and when I studied his face a little, his eyes were trained on mine. Almost like he was seeing me for the first time.
“You okay, babe?” I asked.
He smiled again, slow and dazed. “I love you,” he murmured.
My heart thumped and my pulse rapid-fired in my veins.He just said... He just said the words. He just told me he loved me.
He was high, mind you. On whatever drugs they’d given him. But he’d said those three words I’d been dyin’ to hear.
I barked out a laugh and wiped a tear from my cheek. “I love you too.”
He slowly lifted his hand to my face, his eyes scanning me like he was tryin’ to commit it to memory. “It’s true. Always been true.”
I nodded, holding his palm to my cheek. “I know. But thank you for saying it.”
“Should have said it before now.” He was getting tired again, his blinks getting longer. “Not afraid anymore. Need you to know it.”
I cried into his hand, nodding, and I kissed his palm. “I know, Jem. I know. But I gotta say, it’s real nice to hear it.”
He smiled and closed his eyes. “So tired.”
“Go to sleep, baby.” I kissed his forehead. “I’ll be right here.”
“Right here,” he mumbled.
I brushed his hair from his forehead as he slept, taking in his beautiful face.
I didn’t even notice the doctor was standing at the foot of the bed. He kinda startled me. “He’s asleep,” I said, like he couldn’t see that himself.
“He’ll be very tired for a while,” he said.
“But he’ll be okay, right?”
The doctor’s expression gave nothing away. “He’s young and very healthy. He shouldn’t have survived at all. The fact he’s made it this far... his odds are good. Other concerns may present themselves, but for now, he’s stable. Maybe you should get yourself some breakfast. The nurses tell me you’ve been in the hallway all night.”
“I can come straight back though, right?”
He gave a nod. Even smiled. “Sure.”
I followed the doctor back out to the hall where my entire family stood. Dad and Ellis were there now too. All their eyes zeroed in on me, waiting for some kind of news.
“I spoke to him. He said he feels better and that the drugs were good, and he swore,” I said with a teary smile. I tried to get a hold of myself, but seeing the concern on their faces, all I had was more tears. “God, I’d really like to stop fucking crying.”
Mum gave me a hug, and then Ellis joined us, and he fake-whispered, “What kind of drugs?” I nudged him, but I knew he was joking. “Come on,” Ellis said, his arm around my shoulder. “You need food. Did you sleep at all?”
“Don’t think so.”
“Then we’ll all have breakfast,” he said. “Like the freaking Brady Bunch.”
And we did. All six of us.
