He huffed out a disbelieving sound. “Right.”
“I mean it.”
“Good times, right?” he said, one brow up, a grin curving his ridiculously beautiful lips, a sparkle in those deep green eyes.
“The best.” A laugh burst from her, quickly turning into a pained groan. “Crap, my head.”
“Ah hell, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”
“No. No, it feels good to laugh.” She smiled and lost her breath when she met his gaze and got caught up in it. “It was worth it.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “It was. Every second. I’d live through those five days again for you, Leo. Hell, I’d live it on a loop for the rest of my life if it was the only way I could be with you.”
Emotion swelled up, filling her, warming her. “Same.” She squeezed his hand and nodded. “Good thing we don’t have to.”
***
“Where’s Bo?” Leo asked over breakfast the next morning.
Elias met her eyes and looked away, feeling crushed yet again at the loss. “Haven’t seen her.”
“Since when?”
“Since I fell in the river.”
She threw down her napkin, shoved her tray out of the way, and moved to get out of bed.
“Leo! You’ve had a concussion, you can’t—”
“Can’t?” She stopped him midsentence, her eyes huge and direct in that way she had. It pummeled him right in the solar plexus. “Ican, Elias. You know that.”
He shook his head and felt the beginnings of a smile on his lips. “You can. I just want you better.”
“I’m better.” She walked to her closet and pulled it open. “Let’s go.” Reaching in, she grabbed some clothes and started throwing them on.
He wasn’t exactly sure how to handle her right now. On the one hand, she needed to get back in bed. On the other, this was Leo. The woman he loved. And he loved her because she wouldn’t give up. Ever.
“Listen.” He stood and walked over to where she was struggling into a pair of jeans, clearly not in any shape to go tromping through the woods. “Von’s helping me. We’re heading out there every day, looking for her.”
“Well, I want to go.”
He opened his mouth to tell her that she needed to stay in bed and then shut it. After a second, he asked, “I’m not gonna change your mind, am I?”
“No.”
He nodded, watching as she started to throw more shit into a bag. “What are you doing now?”
“Packing.”
“For what?”
“In case!” She backed up and looked around the room, wide-eyed. “Who are you and what have you done with Elias?”
“What are you talk—”
“The man I know and grew to love in an absurdly short time would never leave home unprepared.” She stepped toward him, dropped the bag, and put a hand on his chest. “It’s one of the things that attracted me to him.”
“Preparedness?”
