Page 131 of The Broken Keys

Even the doctors say dumping the details of the past she can’t remember could be catastrophic. It’s for that reason Ican look her in the eyes and continue to grow our relationship.

The love we share isn’t something I’m making up. It’s real, and that’s what I’m gonna focus on.

We leave and are walking down the front steps when Jaxon’s voice cuts through the air behind us.

“Cash, a word?”

My muscles tense. Livianna glances back, then at me with a questioning look.

“Go ahead and get in the car, love. I’ll be right there.” I fish my keys from my pocket and hand them to her. “Pick out some music for the ride to the store.”

She takes them and meanders toward the loaner car parked in the gravel off the circular driveway. The second she’s out of earshot, I turn to face Jaxon.

He descends the steps with that controlled precision he’s known for, hands tucked into his pockets like he’s trying to keep himself from reaching for something he can’t have. He meets me near the last step.

“What’s up, Jaxon?”

“We need to get a couple of things settled.”

I suck in a breath and my words come on the exhale. “What do we need to settle?”

“I appreciate the updates you’ve been giving me, but I need more from you.” He glances up at the sky, then brings his gaze back to me. “I’m not asking you to do anything that would cause her harm.”

“What do you need now?”

“How’s her health?” He slides his sunglasses on. “Physically, I mean.”

“She’s healing well.” I cross my arms over my chest. “The bruises are fading and everything else is the same. She isn’t showing any signs of remembering anything.”

“She should have a follow-up.” His tone sharpens with anxiety he’s barely masking. “They need to make sure there’sno internal damage they missed, no complications from the…”

“That’s not necessary. She’s doing fine.”

“How can you be sure?” He advances a step closer, and for a second, I catch the desperation bleeding through his usually impenetrable armor.

“I know what you’re alluding to, Jaxon. And believe me, she doesn’t have any unresolved medical issues regarding her loss.”

“It was our loss.”

“Yeah, I’m aware.”

“Then humor me. How do you know she’s healing well?”

“Okay, if you really wanna know, she’s stopped bleeding and shows no signs of complications.”

“That doesn’t mean she isn’t in need of more medical care.”

“Jaxon, trust me. She doesn’t need to see a doctor.”

“Why are you so confident you know how she’s feeling?”

I drag my teeth over my lip, knowing what I’m about to say is gonna crush him even more than he already is. “Because I’m running out of excuses for why we can’t be intimate.”

He freezes. His entire body goes rigid, and something shatters in his expression—a realization he must not have let himself think about until now.

He recovers quickly, but I saw it. The moment he realized that keeping her safe meant losing her completely.

“Be careful with her, Cash.”