“Abe dropped off your car,” I say, holding up the keys.
“Good.I need to get you home.You’ve been on your feet too much today.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you were running around doing something every time I checked on you.”
“I liked it,” I admit as he lifts me into his arms and carries me out of the clinic.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”He sets me in the passenger seat of a fancy SUV.“I regret not checking out nursing school when I first went to college.”
He smiles down at me, brushing my hair away from my face.“You can help at the clinic anytime.You have a business degree, right?”I nod.“You can run the front desk, or heck, I’ll train you myself to help out with patients.You can go back to school.There’s a good medical and nursing school not far from here.I can drive you to classes.”
“I don’t have the money to go back to school, Christian.”
“We have plenty of money, mate.You can do anything that you want.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Leaning in, he presses a kiss to my lips.“Let me know what you decide.”
He closes the door and circles the hood to slide behind the wheel.Taking my hand in his, he intertwines our fingers as we leave the parking lot and drive up the mountain.It’s a short drive, and we’re soon pulling into a driveway.
I turn to look at him.“This is your house?”
“Ourhouse.Unless you hate it.We can move.”
“It’s nice,” I assure him.
“Let’s get you inside.”
A second later, I’m in his arms.
“I can walk.I’m not that tired.”
Christian ignores me.
We enter the house, and I look around, taking in the simple furniture, the blanket tossed over the couch, the books on the end table.
“I’ll give you the tour after I feed you,” he says.
I smile as he carries me into the kitchen and sets me gently on a stool at the counter.
“You cook?”I ask.
He nods.“Nothing fancy, but I make a mean grilled cheese.Or eggs.I’m good with eggs.”
I smile at his excitement in taking care of me.
That’s when I realize how much I need someone like him in my life.I’ve been alone for so long, pushing myself to be better and better, and all for nothing.Christian is proud of me for simply being who I am.He loves me, all of me.He doesn’t care if I got perfect grades.He just wants me to be happy.
He loves me.Truly loves me.
And I love him.
I can’t believe I almost ran away from this.My life would’ve been so sad and lonely if I’d chosen to go back to New York.
