Chapter 25
Asher
Asharp pain stabs through my shoulder, and I forcefully pry my heavy eyes open.
I blink, trying to figure out where I am. The white ceilings blur above me, and the incessant beeping of the machines makes my head ache. I sniff at the sharp scent of antiseptic in the air.
Hospital. I’m in a hospital.
The memory returns gradually, and my heart lurches violently.
Roxanne.
I push myself upright before common sense can intervene. A sharp pain tears through my side again.
“Fucking hell!” The curse leaves me through clenched teeth.
Movement beside me catches my attention, and I turn. Immediately, I breathe easily again.
Roxanne is asleep in the chair beside my bed, curled up into a ball. Relief fills me as I lean back on the bed.
She's okay.
Nothing else matters. I spend the next few minutes simply admiring her.
Her hair is slightly messy. Dark circles sit beneath her eyes. One of her hands remains curled loosely atop the mattress beside me, as though she fell asleep holding onto me and never quite let go.
Something warm settles inside my chest. The fact that I nearly lost her drives me wild.
I reach out carefully and brush my fingers against her hand. The movement wakes her immediately.
Her eyes fly open. She blinks in confusion, as her eyes slowly widen.
“Asher.”
Before I can answer, she's already on her feet. The next thing I know, her arms are around me. I try to wrap mine around her, but only manage with one as pain protests against the embrace.
She buries her face against my neck. We stay this way for a while, holding each other like our lives depend on it.
Finally, I pull back enough to look at her. My hands immediately move over her arms, her shoulders, and her face.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” I ask.
Roxanne stares at me, frowning. “You're the one in a hospital bed.”
“That's not an answer.”
Her eyes immediately soften. The look she gives me makes my heart tighten painfully.
“No,” she says quietly. “I'm okay. You saved me.”
I finally feel the tension leave my body.
Roxanne settles carefully onto the edge of the bed. For a while, neither of us says anything. Then she looks down at her hands and tugs at the hem of her top.
Immediately, my attention sharpens. “What?”
She worries her lower lip between her teeth. The gesture makes me want to kiss her. Instead, I wait.
Finally, she lifts her eyes to mine. “Did you mean it?”
“Mean what?”
Her expression flickers. And I realize exactly what she's asking.
It’s definitely my love confession. I hadn’t planned to tell her that way. In fact, I was planning on organizing something sweet to tell her. However, in that moment when my life flashed before my eyes, all that mattered was to let Roxanne know I loved her.
I didn’t want to leave this world without doing that at least.
I should probably answer her immediately to ease the worry lines on her face. However, a terribly irresistible idea occurs to me.
I narrow my eyes thoughtfully. “Hm. What exactly did I say?”
Her mouth falls open. The look of disbelief is magnificent.
“Asher.”
“What?”
“You know what,” she argues softly. “Did you forget what you said at the warehouse?”
“I was unconscious after that incident, so I’m afraid I don’t remember what you’re talking about.”
Her eyes narrow. The beautiful blue of them flashes with pain. Seeing that tugs at my heartstrings, but before I can refute my claims, she glares at me.
“How could you forget?” She tugs at my hair. “I can’t believe you.”
A smile threatens to fill my face, but I suppress it.
“Forget I asked.”
The hurt in her voice hits me harder than the bullet did. Immediately, I regret the joke.
“Roxanne.”
She looks away. My throat burns as I reach out to her.
I've spent years misunderstanding this woman. I don't ever want to be the reason she looks like that again.
I take her hand. She resists for approximately half a second before allowing it.
I gently tug her closer, cup her face, and kiss her. The moment our lips meet, her breath catches. Mine follows immediately afterward.
When I finally pull back, her forehead rests against mine.
“I meant it,” I say, my voice coming out husky. “I meant every word.”
Her eyes shimmer instantly. My thumb brushes beneath one of them as I smile softly.
“I love you, Roxanne.”
The words feel right in my ears. Even better than when I said them in the warehouse. It seems like the more I say this out loud, the deeper my feelings for her grow.
“I love you,” I reaffirm.
A small laugh escapes her. “You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that.”
I press another kiss to her forehead, then her cheek, and finally the corner of her mouth.
“I'm going to keep saying it.”
A smile begins pulling at her lips. “Oh?”
“Every day.”
Her grin widens as she scoots closer to me. She grips the side of my face and kisses me.
When she pulls back, her cheeks are flushed. The sight remains one of my favorite things in the world.
She lets out a soft laugh. The sound fills the room and my heart.
Roxanne shakes her head fondly and reaches for my hand. “I love you too, Asher. I’ve been keeping it bottled up for so long.”
I pull her closer to me as the world around us fades into the background. Nothing compares to the woman sitting beside me or the child we're about to bring into the world.
I find myself looking forward to the future, and this time, when I imagine it, Roxanne is standing beside me exactly where she belongs.