“AmIokay?” she cries. “Areyouokay? You just spent half the night in surgery! They wouldn’t let me see you. I thought…” her lip wobbles, “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
“After spending a few months in a coma, half a night isnothing,babe,” I assure her, using my good hand to wipe a tear from her cheek. “Can you give us a minute, doc?”
“I’ll give you about five, then we have a lot to discuss.”
“Fine,” I can’t take my eyes off of my girl, sobbing with relief into my chest, the show of emotion and vulnerability so unlike her it hurts to see. “Just let me talk to Brig first.”
When the door clicks behind him, I use the bandaged hand to lift Brigit’s chin, making her look at me.
Little tracks of tears run down her face.
“Hey,” I say softly.
“I’msofucking mad at you,” she tells me, throat clogged with heavy emotion.
I nod, smoothing her wild hair, “I know.”
“I should hate you,” her lips tremble.
Guilt burrows into my stomach, “I know.”
“You stalked me. You tracked my phone. Set upcamerasin my apartment.” She lists off the many crimes I committed in a reckless effort to be closer to her. “Youliedto me.”
“I never lied to you.”
“Lie by ommission,” she bites.
I can’t stop the small smile raising one corner of my lips, “Okay, Miss Lawyer.”
“I hate you so much right now,” Brigit's voice is so small, so heartbroken, it makes me sick that I’m the one who caused it.
“I love you so much every second of every day,” I confess in response, but her only reply is to cry harder and hide her face in the hospital blanket.
“Why should I believe you?” she mutters into the blanket, hiding her distraught face from me. “I was just another fucking target. You kneweverythingabout me and used it to earn my trust— my—” she can’t finish the sentence, breaking into furious sobs.
“You were never atarget,” I assure her. “I loved you the second I set eyes on you, and then my life went to shit and I loved you the only way that didn’t put you in danger. Every bone in my body wants to protect you, keep you safe from this world. But I can’t imagine missing another second we could have together. I wasted so much time and almost never got the chance to let you know me, too. I’ve loved you twice and almost lost you twice. I can’t make you love me back, but I refuse to keep living without you if there’s even a possibility you could one day.”
“For fucks sake,” she cries. “Of course I love you. All of this only hurts so muchbecauseI love you.”
“Brigit,” I make her look up at me again, trying not to lose sight of her fury in the face of her confession. “I wish I had an explanation that would make everything okay. But I don’t. I can’t take any of it back.” The door opens, our time alone running out, but I can’t stop until she knows the whole truth. “And I was going to tell you. I was always going to tell you, I promise.”
“It’s true,” a sardonic voice comes from the open door. “I even told him he was a fucking idiot because of it.”
My eyes dart up, and there’s my best friend leaning casually against the wall like there isn’t a massive bandage wrapped around his shoulder and torso.
“Shut up,” she pleads with Skyler before turning her full attention on me, “That’s what you were going to tell me? The thing you were terrified of?”
I nod, “I swear to god. You can hate me for now. That’s fine. I deserve it. But Ipromiseyou, Brigit, I’ll spend the rest of our lives making it up to you.”
Her lip wobbles, but she gives me the slightest nod, just enough to let me breathe a sigh of relief, pulling her to me to kiss the wild hair on top of her head.
“Sorry, Cormac,” Dr. Prentiss returns in a hurry, scowling at Skyler. “The nurses didn’t even try to stop their new hero from storming in.”
“It’s alright,” I laugh. “He won’t admit it, but he was just worried about me.”
“Worried Brigy stormed in here to kill you,” he grins. “Not that I’d blame her.”
Dr. Sad-Eyes chuckles nervously, his eyes darting between me and Brigit and me, “Do you want him here? I’ve got security outside just in case.”
