She flinches at his booming voice. The pills rattle in their bottles as her shaky hands continue their work.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asks, not caring about the tremble in her voice. Trying her best to keep the situation under control, she continues getting the supplies ready.
“I’m sorry,” he breathes.
“It’s alright. You are going through a lot right now,” she starts.
“No, it’s not alright, but that’s not what I mean. I am so fucking sorry I left you. I should have stayed by your side and went to the hospital. I was reckless and impulsive trying to make sure Dmitri was dead. I wanted to make sure he couldn’t hurt you again, but I only made sure he did. I fucked up, I know that. But I can’t stand you being this pissed at me. Even when we found you and you fucking hated me, at least you would talk, make littlesmartass comments, yell at me if I did something you didn’t like, now you won’t even give me that much,” he shouts.
Liz turns to face him, finding his legs swung off the bed, trying to stand, and she rushes over. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she applies enough pressure to hold him down without hurting him. Tears roll down her face, falling into the space between them.
“I’m not mad at you.”
“Then why? Why are you treating me like you wish I never came back? Is it that guy you’ve been seeing?”
His words cut her to the very core. She had no idea he didn’t want the space she had been giving him. “What? There is no guy,” she says, shaking her head, confused as to why he would ever think there was anyone but him. “I don’t know what you went through while you were gone, but from how you acted when you woke up… well, it seemed like you needed space from me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. You sitting across the room, refusing to even look in my direction, that hurt more than any wound he inflicted on me.”
“I never meant to hurt you, Ry.”
Hearing her whisper his name is all he can take. His hands grip her waist, pulling her against his chest. Strong hands slowly move across her back until a set of arms are holding her like they never want to let go.
“I was so scared. When we first got to you, I refused to let you go. My hand was wrapped around yours the entire twenty-six hours we flew home. The only reason I stopped was because they made me, but as soon as I let you go, the doubts started creeping in. I remembered every word you said that day, and how I felt once you guys got me out. I didn’t want to push anything with you. I knew we would talk eventually, but that was never more important than your healing.” Her hands move from his shoulders, gliding uphis neck, under his mask until her fingers find his shaggy hair, scratching his scalp the way he loves. The deep growl he lets out radiates through her chest.
“Baby, look at me,” Riley orders, loosening his grip, allowing Liz a small step back. Tears rim her eyes as she does what he orders. “Every word from my mouth was a lie to get him to let you go. I thought Mikey’s big mouth would have told you everything that happened after.” His shimmering amber eyes drop to the long pink scar stretching across her neck.
“He said there were some things I needed to hear from you.” Her hands still, wondering if he will tell her everything their friend refused.
The warmth disappears from half of her body. Riley reaches up and pulls the mask from his face, gently tossing it aside. His hand finds its way to her face, cupping her cheek, his thumb gingerly rubbing back and forth.
“Did he tell you I cried when I thought I lost you?” he asks. “Or that I begged you not to die, begged you to stay with me?”
She nods against his hand.
“Did he tell you that I love you?”
Tears pour from her, unable to control it as she shakes her head.
“Good. I should have been in the hospital with you, I should have been there to tell you the moment you woke up. I love you, Liz.”
Sobs wrack her body hearing what she needed to hear for so long. Her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug as she cries into his shoulder. They stay like that, holding each other, crying tears of joy, refusing to let go until the sobs slow.
When they do, Riley pulls her face to his, placing gentle, loving kisses on her lips she is quick to return. A blaring alarm from across the room snaps them out of the moment. Placinga final deep kiss on his lips, Liz releases him so she can finish what she came to do.
As quickly as she can, she gathers his medication into a cup and rushes back to him, shoving it into his waiting hand, not looking away until he takes the pills. Back on schedule for the day, she helps him get nestled into bed, still insisting on rest so his body can heal.
Riley snatches her hand, not wanting her to leave now that he finally has her by his side once more. “Stay with me,” he pleads.
“If I do, will you behave? I know you’re in pain, even if you’re too macho to admit it,” she teases, poking him in the massive bruise covering half of his bicep.
“I will be good if you tell me everything that has been going on. Mikey won’t tell me shit and I’m really curious who you’re going to dinner with,” he says, anger simmering in his eyes. “Again apparently,” he adds, patting the bed next to him.
It sinks under her weight as she crawls in. Reaching down, she interlocks their fingers, holding his hand as tight as she did on the plane.
“First of all,” she starts, cupping his cheek and turning his head to face her. Her lips brush his in a single kiss. When she pulls away she meets his eyes. They are lighter, the happiest she has seen since he returned to her. “I love you.” A smile tugs at her lips, Riley beaming next to her, lowering his head to kiss her again. “Second, what the hell are you talking about?”
“I was in and out for a while, so I may not remember much, but some guy said he was taking you to dinneragain.Fucker looked me in the eyes when he said it,” he grumbles, anger simmering in his eyes, only made worse by Liz giggling into his neck.
