My lips clamp at his name on her lips. She squeezes my hand.
“It doesn’t matter what you try to tell me, or what anyone else says about you, Noah.” She lets go of my hand and places it on my chest, right over my heart. “If you were really that man, I wouldn’t be able to feel your heart beating, or know that you mean so much to me. Losing me won’t happen.”
My head is telling me to protest and force her to walk away but she’s right. Losing her doesn’t work for me either. She shifts her body, turning into me and takes hold of my jaw with her soft fingers, moving me so I’m facing her.
When she kisses me, it’s sweet, full of something I’ve never had with a woman before. Wrapping an arm around her back I pull her closer and open her mouth with my tongue and she lets me, clutching my cut as we kiss harder.
It isn’t the kind of kiss that will go any further but it’s enough to say she means every word. My phone rings and I sit back. It’s Nashville. Taylor nods and I stand up but don’t leave the room.
“Jesse is okay, he's on IV meds. They said it’s nothing to worry about but his immune system is causing issues.”
“Thanks.”
We hang up and I fill Taylor in. “That makes sense,” she says.
“He’ll be okay?” I trust her more than I do what the doctor told Nashville.
“I can’t promise you anything,” she gets up. “But he’s strong. He fought to protect Oscar. With everything he had, he kept him safe.”
A ball of emotion swells up my chest and into my throat and she steps into me again, hugging me tight. We stay like that for a few minutes until I kiss her forehead and step back.
Without saying anything she knows. “We’ll be okay.”
“Stryker will stay with you.”
“Maybe I’ll invite Dana over.”
“No one knows about this place, and it stays that way.”
“I was joking.”
“You think this is a time for joking, Cherry?” It’s said sternly but she sees the twitch in my lips.
“Dana has a thing for Stryker,” she whispers, like he is standing outside listening.
Truth is he’ll be by the front door and that is where he will stay, all night if he has to. We will need him at some point but for now, there is no one I trust more with these two people I love.
“Tell her to forget it.”
“I’ve tried.”
“I mean it. He’ll never be what she wants him to be.”
Taylor stares at me, reads the seriousness and nods. She promises she will be okay, and I let her know I’ll get everything her and Oscar need sent over as soon as I can.
“Noah,” she calls as I walk to the door, I turn and look at her. “Don’t freak out.” She sees my confusion. “I love you. And Nero too.”
“We both love you back,” I wink at her and it makes me really fucking happy to see that smile.
Only we could say something so damn important to one another that way. Maybe she is in shock and doesn’t really mean it. No, Taylor isn’t like that. She may have said it that way because of what we went through but it was sincere. I meant it too.
I check in on Oscar one last time, then walk down the hall to Stryker.
“Guard them with your life.”
“No need to ask, Prez.”
“I’ll get Raven to bring some things over for them.”
