He smiled softly. “Is that what you want?”
I nodded. “Does that work for you?”
“Let’s try it out. I’ll turn out the lights, and you get into bed.”
I snuggled under the covers. Each little grunt he gave out made my heart race. Maybe I should ask him to rearrange furniture more often.
Finally, he sat at the desk and clasped my hand. “Goodnight, pidge.”
“Goodnight, Angel,” I said.
The glow from his laptop screen highlighted his pretty features. He looked so serious, hardworking, and focused.
He still hadn’t said that he loved me. Maybe once everything else was settled…
His lip twitched up, though his gaze didn’t leave his study guide. “You’re staring.”
I scrunched under the blanket. “Sorry. Is it too distracting?”
“A little. But I’ll admit, it's flattering. Do you need me to read you a bedtime story?” he teased.
“Tell me the one about…cardiac arrhythmias,” I said, squinting at the study topic on his screen. Maybe I’d learn subconsciously.
“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a heart began to beat out of sync.” He started reading the clinical text, his thumb smoothing the ridges of my knuckles.
It all sounded so serene and magical in his soft, confident tone.
Something from a dream.
My dream.
An old one, maybe. But if I could make it a reality…if I could help save somebody…
Trying to visualize how that'd work made my eyelids heavy.
The idea of learning and caring for people every day didn’t fill me with dread. It was honorable and interesting. I could give and receive to the best of my ability. Angel would do that for his patients, and especially for me.
I didn’t need him to tell me he loved me. He showed me.
And maybe I was dreaming, but I was almost sure I heard him say, “Hearts can be complicated. But mine belongs to you, Tori.”
Chapter twenty-eight
Bad Fit
We lugged our bags to Kat’s place so early that fog swam around our ankles on the way in.
Using the spare key, I shouldered my way into the entryway and waved at the doorbell camera to reassure her and Victor this wasn’t a break-in. From her texts last night, this was all fine, as they were staying at his place.
“The first thing I wanna do after we unpack is take a nap,” I said. “I’ll need it to deal with Giselle this morning.”
Maybe I was more exhausted than I realized, because I stumbled into a heavy box by the entryway.
“Scrubs,” I muttered, rubbing my shin.
Angel pushed other boxes out of the way. “What’s all this? Donations?”
“I think it’s probably what she’s taking to Victor’s. They’re officially moving in together,” I said, limping down the hall.
