Page 158 of We Are Just Us

Then his mouth moved again. That same voice, barely above a whisper.

“Did I win?”

The question was so unexpected, so perfectly Rory, that a laugh burst out of Kieran. Sharp. Relieved.

“Yeah,” Kieran said, his voice cracking. “You totally won.”

Rory’s mouth twitched. Almost a smile.

The silence settled again. Heavy but not uncomfortable. Full of everything they couldn’t say yet. Everything they were trying to process.

Samantha glanced between them. Saw the whole conversation happening without words—the way Rory was still staring at Kieran, the way Kieran was rooted to the spot, unable to look away.

“I’m going to give you two a minute,” she said gently.

“You don’t have to,” Kieran started.

“Yes, I do.” She squeezed Rory’s foot gently. “I’ll be right outside.”

She left. The door closed softly behind her.

And then it was just them.

Kieran walked forward. Slowly. As if moving too fast might make Rory disappear.

He stopped beside the bed. Looked down at Rory. At his pale face. At the collar around his neck. At the tubes and wires that made him look less like a person and more like a science experiment.

Kieran reached out. Took Rory’s hand.

It was warm. That was good. That meant blood flow. That meant alive.

But it didn’t respond.

No grip back. No fingers curling around his. Nothing. Just Rory’s hand, limp in Kieran’s palm.

Kieran stared down at their hands. At the lack of movement. At what that meant. He should say something. Should tell Rory it was okay. That they’d figure it out. But his brain and mouth weren’t connecting and the words wouldn’t come.

Rory was looking at him. Kieran knew it. Could see it in his peripheral vision.

When Kieran finally looked up, he saw the tears.

Rory was crying. Silent tears sliding down his face. His expression barely moving, probably couldn’t move much with the collar, but the tears were there. Unmistakable.

“Please don’t cry,” Kieran said. His voice was steady. Strong. He’d cried enough today. Right now, Rory needed him to be strong. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Rory’s raspy voice came again. Barely audible.

“You saved me.”

Kieran blinked. “No, I didn’t. The paramedics—the doctors—they did.”

Rory’s eyes held his. Intense. Certain.

“You...” He swallowed. It looked painful. “Saved me.”

Kieran’s chest tightened, too full. “Well,” he said, his mouth twitching into a small smile. “I mean, I did make you pretty amazing sandwiches this morning. So technically, I saved you from starvation.”

Rory’s face barely moved. His eyes were glassy, half-focused from the anesthesia, but somewhere behind the fog, they found Kieran.