“And we’re out. Hannah, let’s go,” Liam interrupted as I stood there staring at Luke like he was going to vanish if I so much as blinked.
“But … but …”
“Now, Hannah!” Liam said forcefully, grabbing her by the elbow and guiding her out the door.
I heard her muttering something about it being her office, but that didn’t slow Liam.
“What … what … are you doing here?” I managed to splutter, unable to peel my eyes off him. He looked good. Maybe a little tired but the way he filed out that uniform had my whole body on alert.
“It was you,” he stated matter-of-factly, stepping toward me.
“What was me?”
“You saved her.”
“Saved who?” Luke was making no sense and I was too shocked that he was standing in front of me let alone trying to keep up with what he was talking about.
“You donated and saved Isla.”
Oh fuck.
“Who told you?” I asked, shock shaking my voice.
“It doesn’t matter who told me, what I want to know is, why you didn’t.”
“I ... I … I’m sorry.” This was my moment. Knowing I might not get another, it was now or never. “I wanted to tell you, I really did. But you already had enough to worry about. You needed to be focused on Isla. She needed you.”
“And I needed you,” he cut me off, exasperated.
“I fucked up. I should’ve told you. I know that now. But at the time, I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting you.”
“Geez, Charlotte! I didn’t need you to protect me. I needed you to trust me. I thought the worst. And the things I said …”
“I deserved them. Hannah and Liam were at my place taking care of me. Liam slept on the couch to make sure I didn’t need anything …”
“That’s my job!” Luke snapped, raising his voice.
“You needed to be here with Isla. She needed you. I didn’t want to take you away from her. I thought I was doing the right thing. I was trying to do the right thing.”
“Charlotte.” Luke’s voice softened, and the flood gates opened, tears streaming down my face. Luke reached for me and the moment his hands wrapped around my arms, tugging me toward him I felt myself melt and my heart, the same one I’d been trying to duct tape back together for weeks, started to beat again. Beating again with hope, even if it was only faint. “You saved Isla.”
“I only did …”
“If you say what anyone would, I’ll spank your ass.”
I couldn’t hide my shock. I wasn’t expecting that.
“I didn’t walk away. I never wanted to walk away. I loved you both so much. I was just trying to make it one less thing you had to worry about.”
Luke reached up and brushed one of my tears away with his thumb. “We’ll always worry about you. We love you, Charlotte. It’s why we were so hurt when we thought you left. We needed you. We wanted you right there with us.”
“And I wanted to be there. I really did. I’m so sorry I wasn’t. I fucked up. I should’ve been honest with you, but I didn’t do it to hurt you. I’d never do anything to deliberately hurt you. I hope you know that.”
“I do.”
“You do?”
“I do. I always did. I think I was just so angry and scared and I may have overreacted. And I said some things I wish I could take back.”
