I shook my head, chuckling. “You’re all drugged up, you have no idea what you’re saying. You won’t remember any of this tomorrow.”
“I may be drugged, but I know exactly what I’m saying. And I couldn’t forget what I’ve been thinking about for days.”
“Days?”
“Yes, days. So don’t imagine that it took a near-death experience for me to want to marry you.” His eyes had cleared. “It only took you leaving for me to realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. And I want that life to be a long one, so you’d better plan on marrying me. You’re the wise one. Look where making my own decisions has brought me.”
I started to laugh through tears, a hysterical laugh that I did my best to stifle, but not before it brought the nurse back into the room. She gave me a stern, disapproving look.
“Ms. Nielsen, is anything wrong?”
I shook my head, still giggling uncontrollably. It was a combination of shock, trauma, and all the pent-up anxiety from the day.
“Everything is fine, Nurse.” Sebastian smiled. “My fiancée is a bit overwhelmed.”
“Fiancée?” I stopped laughing. “I didn’t say I’d marry you.”
“You didn’t say no either.”
The nurse watched us, a puzzled expression on her face.
Sebastian patted my hand. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay? Go home and take care of our son.”
“He’s staying over at Janine’s friend’s house. She’s a good sister-in-law.”
I caught myself only when Sebastian’s eyes narrowed shrewdly.
“I meant she’s a good sister. To you.” I shook my head. “Those drugs of yours are affecting me, too. I’d better get out of here.”
I stood, but Sebastian gripped my hand firmly, his eyes serious. “Jesse, I meant it. I know it’s not the right time, and I’ll organize a proper proposal when I get out of here, but please think about it, so that when I go down on one knee with a ring in my hand, you’ll say yes.”
Our gazes met, entwined and enthralled. For the longest moment, there was nothing in the universe but us. Everything else faded away—the nurse, the beeping, the humming, the monitors, the world, and the horrors of today.
Sebastian’s grip weakened, bringing me back to reality.
The nurse cleared her throat behind me.
“I’ll say yes,” I promised my lover. “Please rest and listen to the nurses so you can come home soon. I love you.”
I bent to touch his lips with mine, gently, trying to draw strength from our kiss, as well as send him all the positive healing energy I could.
“I love you too,” he whispered. “Take care, please.”
“I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Reluctantly, I let go of his fingers, thanked the nurse, and walked out of the ICU in a daze. How the hell was I supposed to tell Janine we were engaged?
Chapter Thirty
Jesse
I decided to let Sebastian tell her. It wasn’t cowardly; I was being considerate. After all, it might have been the drugs talking, and it was possible that the next day Sebastian wouldn’t remember any of it. He might even freak out at the thought that he’d asked me to marry him—although I was going to kick his ass if he did.
I had no idea how it had happened, but Sebastian Wright had succeeded in doing what no one else ever had—he’d made me excited about the idea of marriage.
When I pushed open the doors to the waiting room, I was shocked to see Sue, Lily, Nikki, Ange, and Cam talking to Janine. Sue saw me first and rushed over to me.
“Honey, how are you doing? How is Sebastian?”
