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“You’re awake.” His brows snap, and he hurries to the edge of the bed, settling there. “Hey, baby bird.”
His sharp intake of breath stops my heart from beating. His knuckles brush down my face as he bores that heavenly gaze into mine.
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again.”
I let out a small, weeping laugh, placing my hand in his. And I hold it, my soul trembling from the overpowering emotions.
“You mean you missed me?” I tease.
Instead of answering with words, he drags his mouth to mine and kisses me so slowly, so tenderly, the backs of my eyes sting.
“I can’t live without you,” he whispers, the heat of his breath making me feel more alive. “Does that answer your question?”
With one hand curled around the back of his neck, I hold him to me and cry because I can’t live without him either. Somehow, this man has become so much more. I’d give him anything, give up anything, to be in his life for the rest of mine.
“Are you in any pain?” He pulls back and gives me a once-over.
I shake my head even as I grimace.
“Liar.” He grabs the call button and presses it.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting you more meds.” He gets to his feet and paces,grabbing the back of his head. “I can’t believe you went into that house without me.” He grinds his jaw. “Kayla…why would you do that? Do you know how crazy I was when I saw your car outside?”
With a sigh, I pat the spot on the bed beside me. “Come sit with me.”
Roughing out an exhale, he returns to me, and instead of simply sitting there, he lies beside me and gently moves my head across his chest.
“I thought she was in danger, A. I couldn’t just leave her there.”
“That fucking bitch,” he growls. “I swear, Kayla, if I could kill them both all over again, I’d have much less mercy. But I couldn’t afford to do what I wanted to them, not with you and Sophia in danger.”
“How is Sophia? I was just thinking about her.”
“She’s fine.” He kisses my temple. “Keeps asking about you. She told me she asked Santa to make you better.”
“Aww, seriously?” Moisture builds in my eyes.
For a moment, I imagine it. A little Sophia of our own. But us as parents? That’s not our path. It can’t be. We’re not cut out for that life, too bruised and broken to parent anyone.
A man in a white coat struts in, with a nurse not much older than me behind him. He scratches the salt-and-pepper hair behind his ear.
“Ms. Jenkins, we are all happy you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Alive,” I laugh even as it hurts to.
“That is always a good sign.” He clears his throat uncomfortably, and that’s when I know something else is wrong.
A notices the shift in his demeanor, his eyes bouncing between the doc and me. “What is it? What do you need to tell us?”
“Well…” He glances down at me. “Are you comfortable with mediscussing things with your boyfriend present?”
“Yes. Whatever it is, he can be here for it.”
“Alright.” He nods. “Your surgery went well. We did get the bullet out. However, because of where the bullet hit, I’m afraid that your…”
“Please, just say it,” I tell him. “Trust me, nothing can scare me at this point.”
