"I absolutely am." Sebastian grinned. "I've earned at least six months of guilt-free overstepping."
I laughed, gathering my purse from the chair. "On that note—feel better, Sebastian. Rosie, always a pleasure."
She pulled me into a hug that smelled like lavender and hospital coffee. "Take care of my boy," she murmured against my ear.
"Always."
Candace waved from her perch by the window, legs tucked beneath her. "Have fun, you two."
"You're not coming?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"We have plans for the night," she teased.
"Please tell me you didn't bring that fucking puzzle," Sebastian groaned.
She reached into her bag, dragging out an atrocious puzzle of a labrador retriever, grinning like a cat.
I bit back a smile. Candace had spent nearly every day this week at the hospital, keeping Sebastian company while Rosie recovered. Sheclaimed it was to help out, to give Damien and me one less thing to worry about. But I'd known her for thirty years. I saw the way her eyes lingered on Sebastian when she thought no one was watching. The way she laughed too hard at his terrible jokes.
"Text me later," I told her.
"Will do." She smiled, but her attention was already drifting back to the bed.
We said our final goodbyes and slipped into the hallway.
Damien's fingers interlaced with mine, a quiet certainty that steadied me.
The distant beep of monitors faded behind us as we walked down the hall. Only days ago, I'd walked these same floors, terrified of what each new hour might bring. Now Sebastian was cracking jokes and flirting with nurses, and the man beside me felt solid again.
The elevator doors slid open and we stepped inside, the silence comfortable. Damien's thumb traced lazy circles against my knuckles. I leaned into his shoulder, letting my eyes close.
"Tired?" he asked.
"A little." I tilted my head to look at him. "But not too tired."
Heat stirred behind his eyes—banked beneath the exhaustion. "Good."
The lobby was quiet, visiting hours winding down. Damien released my hand at the entrance.
"Wait here. I'll pull the car around."
I nodded, watching him disappear into the parking garage. The evening air was cool against my skin. A welcome relief after weeks of sterile hospital air.
Headlights swept across the pavement. The sleek black car rolled to a stop in front of me, and I ducked inside quickly, sinking into the leather seat with a sigh.
Damien's arm crossed the console to rest on my leg. "Hear me out. What if we didn't go home tonight?"
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I mean—" He glanced at me, a playful edge tugging at the corner of his mouth. "We've been cooped up forever. Hospital. Work. Hospital again." His thumb stroked the exposed skin of my upper thigh. "I think we've earned a night out."
"We can't be seen together," I reminded him. "Nathan's already sniffing around. If someone spots us at a restaurant, a bar—"
"I said out. I didn't say public."
I narrowed my eyes. "What does that mean?"
He kept his gaze on the road, but I caught the smile he was trying to hide. "It means I know a place. Discreet. Private." A pause. "Very private."
