Chapter 46 Evie
Aiden smiled as he walked out of the hospital room and saw me.
My heart jumped, still not used to this all being out in the open.
He took three large steps toward me, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck as he pulled me in for a kiss.
“No flowers?” he asked.
“You’ve been in the hospital for a few hours. That does not mean you earned flowers.”
“But I got stabbed to save you.”
I wrapped an arm around his waist, leading him toward the exit.
“I feel like you think that’s going to impress me, but you are not the first guy that has been stabbed for me.”
“I know,” he groaned, leaning on me a little more. “Competition is fierce. Am I the first guy that has been stabbed for you but not by you?”
I thought it over. “No, actually, but I still appreciate the effort. And the saving me part. I really appreciate that. Also, how have we known each other so long and I haven’t stabbed you even once?”
“Because I’m the damn angel in this relationship.”
We stepped outside, my car now parked front and center.
“Your car? Where’s my bike?”
“At the house? Mason took it back for you. Did you think you were going to walk out of the hospital and drive us home?”
“No,” he said, smiling as he reached the passenger side door. “I thought you were going to drive, obviously.”
“Right, because what’s better than me driving a bike on my own and not falling over? Adding a six-foot-four bulk of man on as my backpack.”
He laughed, grabbing my hand as I turned on the car and pulled out. Silence surrounded us, and while that would normally be comforting, I knew there was something left we still needed to talk about.
“I kind of left before I had a chance to know how you and Rook left things.”
“We left things on a high note. We were about to fight before realizing you were gone and hadn’t come back.”
“Great, so we are going to walk into another fight.”
“We’re good. It’s all okay, and if it isn’t, I’m going to make it okay.”
“Are you sure? What about losing everything? I kind of had my own moment of facing that and felt the fear firsthand. I’m sorry I forced that one on you.”
His head fell back onto the headrest, a smile on his face.
“You blackmailing me is the best thing to ever happen to me. I’m a lot of shitty things, Evie, but I couldn’t cross that line.
Especially when I didn’t know if you ever felt that way.
I don’t know if I ever would have been able to if you hadn’t forced my hand.
I wanted this. I wanted you. You can blackmail me into whatever you want, psycho girl. It works out in my favor in the end.”
I didn’t say anything, letting the silence stretch between us. I wasn’t mad. I knew there was no black-and-white answer in what happened and that Aiden would always be loyal to Rook and me, which had been pulling him in two separate directions for weeks.
I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, feeling Aiden’s gaze on me even as I kept my eyes on the road.
He’d been staring at me the entire drive, and I knew I needed to say something.
“You okay?” I asked, my voice coming out softer than I intended.
Aiden let out a breath, shifting slightly in his seat. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
“Dangerous.”
He huffed a quiet laugh but didn’t argue. I glanced over, catching the way his jaw flexed before he finally spoke.
“Guess I should’ve known, huh?”
“Known what?” I asked, parking the car next to the house. He didn’t move to get out yet, still looking at me.
“That it was always going to be you.” His voice was quieter now. “I don’t think anyone has ever compared to you. I should have been more honest with myself that there would never be anyone else.”
My throat tightened and he reached out, his hand running down my arm until his fingers threaded into mine. “Even when I told myself it couldn’t happen. Even when I pushed you away. I still fucking knew.”
Heat prickled behind my eyes, but I blinked it away, forcing a smile. “You knew, huh? And yet, you fought me at every turn?”
“Of course I did. Have you met you?” he asked, turning toward me now.
I gasped in mock offense. “Excuse me?”
He grinned, reaching over to grab my free hand. His fingers laced through mine, slow, deliberate, like he planned to never let go.
“You drive me insane, Psycho,” he murmured, thumb brushing the inside of my wrist. “And you are the single best thing that has ever happened to me. I only hoped, but I didn’t think there ever would be a chance of actually having you.”
A lump crawled up my throat, thick and stubborn.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
So I only held on.
My fingers curled tighter around his like maybe—if I gripped hard enough—he’d never slip away. Like maybe this was finally something I wouldn’t lose.
Aiden let out a slow breath, flipping my hand in his, his calloused fingers dragging rough, lazy patterns across my palm.
“Aiden?” I asked, barely above a whisper.
His fingers stilled, his eyes flicking up to meet mine. For the first time in my life, Aiden looked nervous.
He lifted my hand to his lips, pressing one slow, careful kiss against my bare ring finger.
My heart stopped.
My breath caught.
“All mine,” he said with a smile, his voice rough, teasing, but laced with something deeper. “Forever.”
A deep wave of peace rolled through me at the words.
For a second, I could picture it—flashes of something I hadn’t dared to dream.
Aiden at the end of an aisle.
His leather jacket traded for something sharp, black, and just as lethal.
The look in his eyes as he watched me walk toward him.
A vow whispered against my lips.
I let out a shaky breath, shaking my head. “You are the absolute worst.”
His grin widened. “And yet, you’re still here.”
I rolled my eyes, unbuckling my seatbelt. “Don’t think this means I’m saying yes yet.”
He laughed. “That yet is the best word I’ve ever heard.”
This was all mine, forever.
I leaned over, my lips meeting his as he tried to pull me in. He hissed in pain, but kissed me harder.
“Good luck knowing how long you will have to wait.”
“I’ve learned I have plenty of ways that will make you give in. I might even try my hand at blackmail. I don’t think I need luck now.”
And for the first time, I knew I wasn’t in control. I had a strong feeling Aiden had already decided how the rest of our story would go.
And I knew I was going to love every second of it.