“Remi?” I ask. My voice is scratchy, and he quickly grabs a cup of water from the table beside me and puts the straw between my lips.
“Safe.”
“Lily?” I ask before drinking anything.
“She’s okay. They’re all okay…” he assures me, and I relax, taking a small sip of water to relieve the burning feeling in my throat.
We’re interrupted by the arrival of the floor nurse, and then the doctor, who checks me over before explaining everything that happened and their plan of treatment. By the time they all clear out, my eyes feel heavy again.
“You should sleep,” Koen says, noticing my yawn as he exits the bathroom. He’s changed into a pair of sweats—clearly he’s not going anywhere.
“Lie with me,” I say, and I watch him freeze.
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” I assure him, scooting over to make room on my right.
He looks conflicted.
“Please?” I blink up at him. “I just want to fall asleep in your arms.”
He lets out a sigh but comes over to the right side of the bed anyway, carefully sliding into it, holding his breath when I lay my head down on his chest.
He’s so warm—solid. We lay like that in silence for a few minutes while I listen to the sound of his heart racing inside his chest. It’s so loud.
After a few more minutes, I feel his body relax and his heartbeat slow, his arm coming around to hold me closer to him.
“Don’t go, okay?” I say, afraid he might try and sneak back to the chair once I’m asleep. “Stay with me?”
Koen works his jaw, tightening his arm around me while pressing a light kiss to my forehead.
“I’ll stay, baby. I promise.”
Satisfied, I snuggle deeper into his chest, and while exhaustion ebbs at me, I force myself to stay awake until I hear his breathing even out and his heartbeat slow to a gentle rhythm.
He’s asleep.
And after listening to a few more beats, I join him.
94
HOME
BRIAR
TWO WEEKS LATER
“This is a bad idea.”
“Shut up.”
“It’s a bad idea.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t ask for your opinion,” I sass, the corner of my mouth ticking up.
Koen grumbles something unintelligible behind me, all while keeping a firm grip on my waist as I fight for my life on top of frozen water.
“Stop moving your feet so much!”
