The nurse left, and I stepped closer to Sebastian’s bedside. Although I’d been terrified that I would lose my shit, an eerie state of calm descended over me. The lower side of his body was covered by a sheet. Under it, I detected substantial bandaging around his left thigh. His left shoulder was bandaged and secured to his body by a sling. The black ink of his tattoos contrasted with his ghostly pale skin.
To me, he’d never looked more beautiful. He was alive. Had the paramedics on the scene and doctors not acted as quickly,had he been unable to get the blood he’d needed from myself and other donors, the man I loved could have been lifeless right now.
Sebastian opened his eyes. The sparkle in them was dim, but it grew bright when he saw me.
His cracked lips curved into a smile. “Hey, babe. How are you doing?”
I forced a smile and sat gingerly on the bed next to him. I took his right hand in mine, careful not to disturb any of the tubes and wires surrounding us.
“Probably not as bad as you,” I said.
I restrained myself from crushing his hand and throwing myself on top of him to hug him until I cracked the rest of his ribs.
His hand was bruised, the knuckles scraped. He had a Band-Aid on his forehead and another on his left cheekbone.
“How are you feeling?” I stroked his hand as gently as I could.
His lack of strength as he squeezed my fingers worried me.
“I’ve been… better. I was just cruising through the city… then, out of nowhere, it all went south.” His words were spaced out, as though it was hard for him to focus on them. “It started with this weird hesitation… The throttle felt off, like the bike was having second thoughts about… moving forward. I thought I was just rusty, but it wasn’t that. The hesitation turned into… resistance, and the brakes… they felt spongy. I squeezed them, but the response was… sluggish. Something was seriously wrong.”
He closed his eyes, recalling the chaotic moment. “I looked for a safe spot to pull over. I swerved to avoid traffic… and the front tire hit something on the road. Next thing I knew… I was flying through the air… and I heard glass shattering all around me.”
He squeezed my hand, his eyes struggling to keep me in focus. “I wasn’t speeding, Jess. It wasn’t reckless riding. The damn brakes gave out. Maybe because the bike had sat too long in the garage, I don’t know…”
I squeezed his hand as gently as I could. “It was just bad luck. Sometimes that’s all it is. But you’re damn lucky to be alive, Sebastian.”
“I heard… you saved my life.”
“Saved your life? I don’t know about that. I just donated some blood. I do that now and again.”
“But this time you did it for me. Thank you.”
I gazed at him, tears welling up in my eyes. “I’d give my life for you, you idiot. I love you more than anything.”
He started to laugh, but stopped and winced, his hand going to his ribs. “Shit, that hurts.” He focused his blurry eyes on me. “That’s a hell of a love declaration.”
“I’m sorry, Sebastian. This would never have happened if you hadn’t gone with me to Ben’s house this morning.”
He frowned. “Are you kidding? Who’s the idiot now? Whatever went wrong with the bike could’ve happened anytime, any day. Besides, it happened when I was on my way to the gym, not when I rode back from Staten Island.”
“But you wouldn’t have taken the bike if it weren’t for me.”
“I might have. Look, Jesse, this is ridiculous. Like you said, this was just bad luck and my own stubbornness for refusing to listen to you and Jan, and never buying the damn bike in the first place. There’s no culprit here.” His mouth twisted into a lopsided smile. “Do you think… it’s too late to sell it?”
I scoffed, pressing my lips against his bruised knuckles. The tears I’d hoped to be strong enough to hold back left hot trails down my cheeks.
“Baby, please don’t cry.” Sebastian reached out to wipe them off. “I’m going to be fine. I know this has been scary. I’m sorry.I’m so sorry I put you and Jan through this. If... I could start over again, I would listen to you both. You told me not to ride that bike.”
I lifted my teary eyes to him. “Are you saying I was right?”
“You’re always right. I’ll never disobey you again, I swear. From now on, you’re Ms. Always Right. You should be, anyway. Mrs. Wright. With a W.”
My heart jolted, as if a bird was trapped inside my chest—however weird that image was. Had that been a marriage proposal? And if it was, why was I excited instead of freaking out?
Sebastian mistook my silence for fear.
“What’s the matter?” he teased. “You gave me your blood, but you won’t give me your hand?”
