Chapter 29
Jessica
Charlie slams through the hospital door so forcefully, I jump.
From the second Charlie handcuffed Russ Decker, it had been a madhouse of activity as cops swarmed the cabin. After a tearful reunion and Charlie raging about my injuries, they carted me away in an ambulance, and I haven’t seen him since.
Just the sight of him looking all hot and grumpy in his tactical gear has my heart bursting with love for him.
I press my lips together and gesture to the occupants sitting in vinyl-covered chairs at the side of my bed. “Charlie, I’d like to introduce you to my parents.”
He comes to a crashing halt, his gaze swinging to my parents, who are watching him with amused interest.
He lets out a frustrated growl and rakes his hand through his hair. “Fuck. Um. Wait.” He looks at me imploringly before turning to my parents. “Sorry?” He ends it as a question.
Oh my god, he’s adorable.
What has happened to me? I’m soft now.
Falling in love and almost dying has changed me.
“No, no, I get it.” My dad holds up his hands. “I mean, I don’t want to hear about it, but I get it.”
My mom assesses Charlie. “Maybe you can cut him some slack, considering he saved our daughter’s life.”
My dad nods. “Sounds reasonable.”
“Thank you. This isn’t how I envisioned us meeting.” His expression is sheepish before resting on me and turning endearingly murderous. “I’d have liked to meet under better circumstances, but as usual, Jessica had other plans.”
“Understandable, but you can’t say this isn’t more entertaining than the traditional Sunday dinner.” My mom’s voice fills with the same scolding tone she’s been using on her three children since we were old enough to find trouble. “Not that you’re excused from attending the next one, mind you.”
Charlie saved my life, and now he’s part of the family.
Which is good, because he’s mine now, and I’m not letting him go.
His brow furrows. He glances at me, and because the pain meds have subdued my headache to a dull roar, I’m able to nod in encouragement.
He shifts his attention back to my mom. “I will be there.”
“Excellent,” she says, straightening the stack of magazines she has with her to keep herself occupied as she sits vigil.
Charlie takes a deep breath and exhales, like he’s fighting to contain himself. “Thank you for the invitation, and I hope you don’t rescind it when I’m done, but I am furious with your daughter and incapable of being calm.” Charlie’s eyes land back on me. “Jessica needs a very stern talking-to.”
My father, clearly fighting a laugh, says in a solemn tone, “You have no idea how many times I’ve said those exact words.”
“I have an idea,” Charlie says through gritted teeth.
I’d roll my eyes if my head didn’t hurt, so instead, I touch my bandage. “Okay, that’s fair. I promise you can bond over yelling at me, but can it wait until my head stops pounding?”
Charlie’s expression twists with anger and fear before worry washes over him. He rushes over to me, takes my hand, squeezing my fingers in a death grip.
The second we touch, my emotions threaten to veer out of control.
“Do you need a doctor? Let me go call someone.” He tries to leave, but I clutch him tight.
“No, I’m not dying, I’m just…” I trail off, tugging him back. In this second, I need him like I’ve never needed anyone in my life. It’s a need so fierce, it’s clawing up my throat. He’s all I want right now.
The only person in this world I feel safe with.
His midnight eyes flash with barely contained fury like a lightning storm.
“Jessica.” His voice breaks.
“I’m sorry.” I clutch at him, clenching my teeth to keep the swell of tears at bay. My voice is too tight to tell my parents to leave.
Our gazes are locked together.
His fathomless, clinging eyes are no longer guarded, and I see everything.
His panic.
The fear of losing me.
His desperation to find me.
His regret.
And under all that chaos, I see something else.
I see his hope.
His belief.
In me. In us.
All the volatile emotions we’ve been repressing threaten to rip free. A strangled sob clogs the back of my throat.
“I…” He trails off, his fingers grasping mine.
I squeeze back, nodding.
In the silence, everything we need to say swells, needing to be spoken. To be revealed.
“It’s going to be okay,” I manage to squeak out.
There’s a shuffling, and my mom says, “Why don’t we… Um…” More movements and chairs scraping across the floor. “Leave.”
I should say goodbye, but I can’t.
I can’t look away from Charlie. Can’t break the bond between us. In this moment, my connection to him is the only important thing in this godforsaken world.
And as we stare into each other’s eyes, I know with utter certainty he feels the same way.
After what feels like an eternity, my parents leave the room, and it’s finally just him and me.
The second the door clicks shut, I burst into tears. “I’m sorry. I—”
“Shush.” He cuts me off, reaching for me, only to stop himself. His expression creases in frustration. “Where can I touch you so I don’t hurt you?”
“Nowhere.” I cry harder, harder than I’ve ever cried before. “They gave me meds, but everything hurts.”
He pushes my hair away from my cheek and gently wipes his thumb over my tears. “I wanted to kill him.”
“I know.” I twine our fingers together. “But I’m glad you didn’t. I can’t lose you.”
His grip tightens. “I’ve never been so scared in my entire life.”
I start to cry again.
“Baby, please don’t cry.” He moves closer, careful not to touch me, but close enough that my body feels safer. He cages me, pressing near enough for me to feel the warmth of his body. “What can I do to make it better?”
I make no effort to hide my tears. “I thought… I was so scared.”
“You were so brave.” He gently brushes my lips with his.
“I’m so mad at myself.”
“None of that. You’re perfect.”
I sniff. “Do you really think so?”
“No, but you’re hurt, so we can pretend for tonight.”
I giggle and then grimace when my bruised ribs protest. “Don’t make me laugh.”
His jaw hardens. “Every time you wince in pain, I want to punch something.”
“That’s a downgrade from murder. See? You’re processing the trauma already.”
He hangs his head, before clearing his throat and taking my hand. “That first night, you told me not to fall in love with you, but I didn’t listen.”
My heart swells, but I do my best to play it cool. “I told you it would happen, Charlie.”
“You did. You warned me, but I couldn’t help it.
” His dark eyes glisten, and he chokes out, “I love you so much, Jessica.” He grips my fingers like I’m a lifeline tethering him to this earth.
“I know I don’t have a lot of experience…
” His voice cracks. “But I would die for you. I would burn down this fucking world for you. There is literally nothing I wouldn’t do for you. ”
“Nothing?” My chin quivers.
“Nothing.” His voice is absolute.
“What about babies?”
His lips quirk with the first hint of a smile. “Would you want that? With me? Even though I’m a risk?”
I melt for him, everything turning into a gooey mess I can’t stop. I gingerly touch his jaw. “Charlie, there is no other man on earth I would trust to be the father of my daughters.”
He laughs, and it’s strained and full of the emotions he’s repressed for a lifetime. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
In this, he needs my reassurance. To know he has my complete trust and I’m not about to deny him. “I have a confession to make, but you can never tell anyone.”
His fingers tighten on mine. “My lips are sealed.”
I lower my voice. “I never read The Second Sex.”
He bursts out in a real laugh, the one that comes from his belly. “You little liar.”
“In my defense, I had Women’s History the same semester I had Con Law with the most feared and hated professor on campus. Professor Stanovich was a brutal tyrant, and something had to go.” I touch his hand. “So I’m afraid you’ll have to teach them the foundations of feminist theory.”
“I can do that.” He raises my hand and kisses the tips of my fingers. “I have a confession too.”
“I’m listening.”
His eyes are wet and shiny when they meet mine. “I hate overnight oats.”
I nod solemnly. “That’s disappointing to hear, but you still have to eat them for your heart health.”
“Okay, that’s fair.”
Tears well in my eyes, and my throat is tight when I speak. “I love you, Charlie.”
“I love you too, Jessica.” His gaze searches mine. “So, we’re doing this?”
“We’re doing this.” There’s not a single doubt in my mind.
“Good.” His jaw turns hard. “But don’t think just because we’ve declared our intentions, you’re getting out of what will be an epic and lengthy talking-to.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” We both know where all of his stern talking-tos end up.
“Good. But for now, I will leave it at this.” He grips my jaw lightly. “If you ever do anything like that again, you will not like the consequences.”
“I promise I will never, ever do anything like that again.”
“What were you thinking?”
I nibble my lower lip. “I was thinking I could take advantage of the way he couldn’t take his eyes off me at the bar.”
He growls. “I’ve clearly been letting you off easy.”
“I’m sure you’ll get me straightened out eventually.” I pull him closer, already frustrated that I’m not healed enough for him to hold me. “But you can’t say I’m not exciting.”
“You are heart-stopping.” He leans forward and brushes his lips over mine. “Is that okay?”
“Yes. More.”
“Did I really say I was going to spank you in front of your father?” His tongue slides over the seam of my lips.
“You did.”
“He seemed okay about it.”
“I don’t want to talk about my dad.”
He deepens the kiss but keeps it nothing but a tease. “All the things I want to do and talk about are off the table tonight.”
I wrap my hand around the back of his neck. “The doctor says we can’t have sex for three weeks. It was the first thing I asked when I saw him.”
A pained expression fills his face. “Was your dad there?”
“Of course.”
He sighs. “I’d wait a thousand years for you.”
Against his mouth, I whisper, “Don’t leave me.”
“Never.” And then he claims me with a soft, gentle, completely unsatisfying kiss.