“I love you, Tinker.”
I love you too, Pan.
CHAPTER 29
Alexis
The steady beeping fades into the background after a while, my body slowly settling into the unfamiliar comfort of the bed, the ache in my eye dull but persistent, like a reminder I can’t quite shake.
It’s only when I shift slightly, testing what I can and can’t do, that I feel it.
Warmth resting across my legs.
I still.
Then carefully, slowly, I lift my head just enough to see.
Dex.
He’s slumped forward in the chair beside the bed, his arms folded beneath his head where it rests against my legs, his hand still wrapped around mine, like he refused to let go even in sleep. His hair is tousled, his shoulders tense even now, like his body hasn’t caught up to the fact that it’s over.
My chest softens instantly.
“Dex…” My voice is barely more than a whisper, rough from disuse, but it’s enough.
He stirs, shifting slightly, and the movement pulls at something sore in my body, making me wince before I can stop it. His head lifts immediately at the sound, eyes snapping open, sharp and alert before they soften the second they find mine.
“Tinker…” He’s up in an instant, hands hovering like he doesn’t know where to touch first, like he’s afraid of hurting me.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, but my voice doesn’t quite carry the way I want it to.
His jaw tightens, his eyes scanning me, searching, checking.
Then he sees it.
His hand moves to the blanket, hesitating for half a second before he lifts it slightly, and I feel the shift before I even follow his gaze.
The faint outline of fingers against my thigh.
His breath cuts off.
His hand freezes midair, his whole body going rigid as his jaw locks, something dark flashing through his eyes, sharp and immediate, like he’s right back in that room and this time he won’t stop.
“Dex…”
My hand moves before I think about it, slow but steady as I reach for his face, my fingers brushing his cheek.
The change is instant.
The anger, the violence simmering just beneath the surface, dissolves into something softer, something that pulls tight in my chest for an entirely different reason.
So much love it almost hurts to look at.
“I’m okay, Pan,” I whisper.
His eyes close briefly as he leans his forehead against mine, a breath leaving him like he’s been holding it in since the moment I disappeared.
“I was so scared of losing you, Tinker.”
