“I am always, always with you. I will love you, always. But I want you to live. I want you to love.”
My shoulders tremble, and I fall to my knees. “I can’t.” I sob. “I should have done something more. I should have saved you. I should have saved you both.”
“Oh, but you did. You saved us every day by living.” Ashton places a hand on my shoulder.
I look up at the two people I never thought I’d see again. I stand and hold them in my arms. “I’ll see you again.”
But not today,my heart responds.
* * *
A beeping sound awakens me. My eyes open, and I squint against the harsh fluorescent lights. There’s a tube in my mouth, and I want to tug it out so I can breathe.
“Aidan.” Ocea’s frantic voice reaches me. She blocks out the light, which now surrounds her like a halo.
“Water,” I croak. And she reaches for a glass. She removes the tube from my mouth and places a few small droplets at a time. My throat feels parched; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. The water is like heaven, second best to her face, which is tired but still beautiful. “I missed you.” My voice is wheezy.
“I thought . . . I thought I’d lost you.” The admission has her looking anywhere but in my eyes. I want to tell her that I’m here that I’m not going anywhere, but my eyes are heavy, and I need to sleep. She holds my hand as I drift off.
* * *
After a week in the hospital, I am finally settled in Kyle's house. The fact that I have no broken bones and got off with smoke inhalation and a severe concussion that had me in a coma for two days is something that pisses Kyle off. Mrs. Wills refused to let me go to my apartment. She has chicken soup and all kinds of home remedies I had to have.
“Thank you, man. For not giving up on me when I was a right asshole to you.” I tell him.
“That’s what friends are for, bro. We got each other’s back. It’s the bro code.”
“Uncle Aidan, are you going to marry the pretty lady that comes to visit you here?”
I laugh and pull Gaby into my arms, and proceed to tickle her. “You’re a sneaky little thing, aren’t you?”
“Stop it!” She giggles, and I kiss the top of her head. She runs off, almost knocking over Moira, who walks in with coffee.
“Sorry, Aunt Mo,” she says sheepishly.
“That’s okay, pumpkin.” Moira smiles down at the little girl affectionately.
“This is for you two. Lunch is almost ready.”
She places the cups on the coffee table and earns herself a smack on the ass from Kyle. “Domestic Goddess,” he teases. She flips him off and saunters out of the room. Mrs. Wills adores Moira, and her being a doctor impressed Kyle’s mom even more.
“So you two are a thing now, huh? How’d Megalodon take it?”
“How do you think she took it? Like a flesh-eating monster,” he says in a low voice. “I haven’t told Moira everything, but I have a protection order against Meghan.”
“What? When did that happen?”
He sighs. “Moira had an accident; someone bumper-bashed her good and proper. Let’s just say I have my suspicions.”
“You can’t keep that shit from her. Meghan is a loose cannon. She could be dangerous, man.”
“She’s just acting out. She’ll simmer down.”
I wasn’t too sure about that, but I trusted Kyle to handle the situation.
“So, how are things with you and the Nightingale?”
I let out a growl. “I don’t know. She comes to visit, you guys know that, but she’s distant, and I don’t know how to approach this thing. I’m not used to any of it. I’m giving her space. I think that’s what she wants.”
