He stilled.His expression changed.And the look in his eyes...Then he started blinking.His lips quivered, and she realized his eyes were filling with tears too.
“Oh no,” she cried, bending close to hold him again.“No, please don’t—”
“Everyone out,” Gavin ordered suddenly behind her.
Cassie glanced back to see a flurry of motion as Gavin herded everybody else out into the hall and shut the door.Tristan’s hand sliding around her nape brought her attention back to him.She raised her head.
He gazed up at her, eyes still wet with tears.“Please don’t cry,” she whispered in distress, her own eyes filling.
“I was starting to think you might never say it...”He pulled in an unsteady breath.Swallowed.“Do you mean it, Cass?Don’t say it just because I’m lying here like this.”
“I mean it.I’ve never meant anything more in my life.”She gave him a tremulous smile, her pulse galloping with a dizzying blend of terror and elation.“I’m in love with you, Tris.”
“Oh my God,” he whispered, and drew her close with his good arm.His face was buried in her hair.“I’m in love with you too, Cass.”
She laughed softly, her tears slipping free.But she’d suspected he loved her.Had for a while.“So why are we both crying?”
“I dunno.But I’ve never been this happy.Maybe that’s why.”
“Yeah, maybe.”This was what love was supposed to feel like.So huge it hurt—in a good way.
“You’re really mine,” he said, a touch of awe in his voice.
She nodded.“That goes both ways, you know.”
His deep chuckle made her smile.“I’ve been yours for a long time now.”
Oh, damn...When he said things like that it pierced her heart.She kissed his mouth gently.Paused to kiss every cut and bruise she could see on his face.“Any better now?”
“A bit.”He shifted, grimaced.
She helped shift the pillows behind him.“Molly was downstairs.She said the surgery went well.”
“Happy to say I don’t remember any of it.”
Ha.“Did the surgeon talk to you in recovery?”
“Said it was a complete fracture, but both ends of it weren’t displaced, so she didn’t need to use any hardware to set it.”
“She?Nice, and that’s great news.What else?”
“The bullet didn’t actually hit the bone, and I’m lucky it didn’t, or my arm would’ve been mangled.The shockwave as it traveled through the back of my arm was enough to break it clean through.”
She winced.“So what’s the prognosis?”
“Hopefully, six to eight weeks for the fracture to heal.A few months more until the bone is full strength again.The doc said my radial nerve was affected, so I’ll have some weakness and numbness in the back of my arm and hand.Hopefully not permanent, but no triceps dips or pushups for a while.”
“I’ll take it.”She leaned down to rest her head beside his on the pillow.Curled her fingers around his right hand.“I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“What about you?”
“I’m all right,” she murmured.
“I couldn’t get to you.”His voice roughened.“I could hear you, but I couldn’t get to you, and I was out of ammo.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Tris.And I’m glad he’s dead.”She ran her fingers through his hair, her heart turning over.Why the hell had she waited so long to let him in?“It’s over now.But you and I are just beginning.”
He nodded.Pulled in an unsteady breath.“You and me, Cass.”
