He smiled and shifted, positioning himself so he could lie her back onto his chest.
“Missing you. Sadie’s pissed that Charlie came to see you and she didn’t. They want to know if you’re going to stay with us when you get out.”
“You make it sound like I’m being released from prison.” She laughed; it felt a little like that now she was feeling well.
“I’ll be glad when you’re not here.”
Rayah nuzzled into him, inhaling his scent. “How come you’ve not been by much?”
She felt him sigh.
“I wanted to give you space to think. I said a lot.”
“Not really. You told me something big and I wondered if you regretted it? Whether it was rescuer’s emotion or something.”
He laughed and she felt his fingers curling into her hair. Her body responded, remembering what he was usually doing when he played with her hair.
“That’s not a thing, Ray.”
“I know. But you were practically ghosting me and I thought you wished you hadn’t told me that… that…”
“I love you?”
“That.”
“I’m glad I told you. It hasn’t changed. I was worried you’d say it back when you didn’t mean it, because you had survivor’s loyalty or something.”
It was her turn to laugh. “That’s not a thing either. And even if it was, I don’t have it. I’m in love with you, Jonny. I just wish I wasn’t telling you this in a hospital bed.”
He smoothed her hair. “I don’t care where we are. I’m just glad you’re saying those words when you’re not oxygen deprived. For the record, I still love you. Even if I have to rescue you from burning buildings.”
“That’s the last time. I hate to think how worried you were. How everyone was. The kids didn’t know, did they?”
“No. They were in bed. I told them the morning after. Charlie was worried. Harry made a comment and then went back to his stick insects and Sadie asked if the fire had singed your hair.”
Rayah giggled, a sound that she wasn’t sure suited her. “Priorities.”
“Yeah. That’s my daughter for you.” He paused and she felt his touch become tender. “And you’re in love with me?” He said the words as though they were made of glass.
“Very much.” She shifted closer to him. “I have been for a while.”
He moved so he could see her and frowned. “How did you feel about me when you were trying to set me up?”
“Kind of the same.”
“Even when I was pretending to see Robyn?”
“Even then. More now.”
There was another pause before he spoke. “Rayah, why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I figured you’d simply let me down easy. I never got any vibe that you were interested. I didn’t think you saw me that way.”
She heard him sigh and then he moved her in his arms so they were both lying on the bed, her partially on top of him.
“I didn’t. But the only times I’ve thought about a woman as a partner have been when I’ve been out in the city for the night and it’s been a hook up. That didn’t happen often, Ray, you know that.”
“I know you had women you met up with more than once.” It kind of hurt. There had been women he’d seen as being attractive and had been interested in, and she hadn’t been one. That smarted although she knew she wasn’t being entirely logical.
