41
The door to Alec’s room opens to my left and my brothers step out, not surprised in the slightest to find me with my ear practically glued to the wall.
I caught some of the conversation between the three of them, but the walls are thick here, and it’s not easy to eavesdrop.
“Is he still alive in there?” I ask.
Rafe drapes an arm around Gage’s shoulders. “What do you take us for, little Hudson? Of course he’s alive.”
“And in one piece, I swear.” Gage draws an invisible cross over his chest, a smile tugging at his mouth as he stops in front of me, his expression turning serious. “Does he make you happy, sis?”
“So happy,” I say, the words falling from my lips with ease.
He reaches forward, squeezing my forearm. “Good. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, you know? For you to be happy, and safe. I know I’ve been overprotective and overbearing in the past, but it’s only because I want the best for you. You’re my baby sister and I love you.”
“I love you too. Both of you,” I say, my eyes flicking across to Rafe before I reach out for both of them. They close in and envelope me in a hug, sandwiched in between them. I can’t remember the last time we did this, maybe when we were kids? But it feels so good.
“I um… I need to tell you something,” Gage begins. “We said no more secrets between us a while back, and I intend to keep that promise, so this is the final one…”
I ready myself for what he’s about to tell me, and by the grave expression on his face, I’m anticipating that it’s bad.
“I knew Dad didn’t have long left to live. When he had the stroke last year, they did some scans at the hospital and Dad told me that the cancer had spread to his lungs and to his liver and that his life expectancy was shorter than we first thought. He made me promise to keep it to myself because he didn’t want you to worry.”
What?
“I didn’t want to keep it from either of you, but I couldn’t go against his wishes,” he goes on. “I did it out of love for him and for the both of you. Dad didn’t want you to bear the burden of knowing, and to be honest, neither did I. It was bad enough carrying the knowledge by myself, I didn’t want that for either of you. Rafe overheard me talking to Della and found out, and after everything we’ve all been through of late, I wanted you to know too. Full disclosure.”
“You shouldn’t have had to shoulder it by yourself, Gage. It was unfair of Dad to make it your responsibility. We’re family, that means we share the burden and help each other through the pain. Thank you for telling me the truth, it means a lot.”
As much as I hate it that he kept me in the dark, yet again, I can’t bring myself to be angry at him. Deep down, I know he’s telling the truth. Gage’s instincts have always been to protect those he loves, even if his methods are questionable.
“You’re welcome. Now, get your butt back in there and be with your guy,” Gage says.
“Okay.” I smile, and after a breath-stealing hug from both of them, they leave the hospital and I head back into Alec’s room.
“I hear your balls are intact and still firmly in place.”
“That they are,” he chuckles as I take up my earlier position beside him on the edge of the bed.
“Didn’t I tell you there’d be nothing to worry about? My brothers care about you, and they know your intentions towards me are good.”
“Not up here they’re not…” He taps his temple, “In here they’re very very bad.” His hands band around my waist and he tugs me closer so I’m lying on top of him.
“I love you.”
He brushes the tip of his nose against mine. “I love you too, princess.”
As I stare down at him, I can’t imagine a single moment of my future that he’s not a part of. He is my future.
“Marry me,” I blurt out.
He blinks up at me, his mouth opening and closing. Speechless.
I straighten, moving off of him. My heart is racing in my chest as I process what just fell from my lips.
“What?” he finally asks.
I meet his eye, emboldened by the hint of a smile on his lips as he stares up at me. “Marry me, Alec. This was not planned at all and it kind of just fell out, I didn’t even know I said it until I did it. I’m sorry it’s bad timing and we’re literally in a hospital and nothing could be less romantic than that, but nothing has ever felt more right than when I’m with you and I can’t think of anything I want more than to be your wife and spend the rest of my life with you, however long or short it may be. All I know is that I want it to be with you. I want to build a life with you. I want all that lovey-dovey shit; the big house, the white picket fence, a couple of dogs running around. I want you to wrap me in your arms when you get home from work and kiss me senseless. I want to buy you crappy Valentine’s day gifts that you toss in a draw and never look at again. I want people to stop and stare and say how sickeningly in love we are with each other. I want to be lying on my deathbed someday far in the future and know that I lived a life full of love and that I loved you just as hard. I want all of that with you as my husband. I understand if you say no, it was as much as a surprise to me as it was for you and I get it if y—”
My rambling is silenced as Alec’s mouth crashes to mine, eating up my words as his hands dive into my hair, dragging me down with him as I fall on top of him. His mouth glides over mine, our tongues lashing and our teeth clashing as the kiss turns desperate, like we can’t get close enough.
We’re both panting when we break apart.
Alec traces the scar down the side of my face with his thumb before pecking one more kiss to my lips. “All of what you just said… I want all of that too. Every single part of it. I can’t imagine walking through this life without you beside me and to have you as my wife would be the greatest honour a man could have, and I am so fucking lucky that it gets to be me.”
My heart skips a beat. “So… you’re saying yes?”
“Yes. Fuck, princess, of course I’ll marry you. I’d marry the fuck out of you today if I could, but I want everything to be perfect. A perfect wedding for the perfect bride on one condition.”
“Okay…?”
“I want to buy you an engagement ring. Seeing as how you stole the opportunity of asking you to marry me myself, I want to at least be a part of one age-old tradition.”
I smile. “Deal.”