Chapter 24
Tab
Levi grips my hand, squeezing. I squeeze back when the nurse inserts my IV. “You’re okay,” he says. Luckily, the nurse makes quick work of it, and I let out a big sigh when it’s done.
She leaves me and Levi alone. He’s been sitting in the chair next to my hospital bed since this morning. He even got excused to miss the flight to the next game. He’ll follow them when I’m out of surgery, but only because I made him promise to go.
“Look how strong you are,” he says, moving my bangs off my forehead.
Being in the hospital doesn’t make me feel strong at all. It reinforces the fact that something big happened to me, something irrevocable. “If it was McNally, I hope you make him pay.”
“Oh, he will. Don’t you worry. The guys are on it.”
I give him a small smile, and a shiver runs up my spine. He pulls the covers up for me then grabs my hand again.
A few days ago, I confronted him about keeping secrets, and he came clean about everything that was going on. Nala, the team, what happened to that poor girl who was on his dating show, and the fact that the police are currently investigating the fire along with the fire inspector.
From what we can tell, McNally hasn’t been interviewed yet, but I have, along with Raeann.
Then afterward, they spoke with Micah. I just told them the truth.
I had no idea who’d done it. But when it came to Raeann, they asked her if she had any idea of anyone who would want to hurt her, and she had to tell them the whole story with the morning show again.
She pointed out the entire thing was on her social media, in detail, to provide proof.
She shook while she relayed the information, but Micah and Athena were right by her side.
“Hey, I’ve been wanting to ask you,” Levi says. “I’ve been working on a little something.”
“What’s that?”
“How would you feel about moving in with me after the surgery?”
“Wait, what?” I ask, stomach tugging. “You want me to move in with you?”
“I’ve wanted you to move in since I climbed back down that fire escape the first time. Too much work.”
He grins, and it warms my belly.
“Move in with me, Tab. I’ll take care of you.”
“What about when you’re not there?”
“Then Raeann can come over. And I’ll hire you a nurse. Or if you’re more comfortable staying with Raeann while we’re gone, you can do that. Or you can travel with me. You can have whatever you want. I just want you with me all the time.”
My face flashes with heat. “You really want me to?”
“More than anything. And if you don’t say yes, I’ll have to tell the movers to stop bringing over your stuff.”
I laugh. “You didn’t.”
“I did. Raeann is supervising right now.”
He pulls up a text thread and shows me a video of men packing up boxes in my room.
“I can’t believe she let you get away with that.”
“Hmm. She said something about you wanting a big, tough football player to boss you around a bit.”
I try to keep from smiling, but it doesn’t work. Pretty sure I did say all those things. “Well, if you’re going to be like Micah, you’ll have to take it to the next level.”
“I don’t have to be like Micah. I have to be like me.
” He kisses my hand. “I set up a security system. I got the paperwork to change your mailing address—all I need is your signature. I hired an interior designer to come chat with you about any changes you want made when you feel well enough, and I have another little surprise for you when you get back home.”
“That’s a good start,” I tease, but in reality, my heart beats overtime. Levi is everything I could have dreamed of.
“It’ll make me feel better if you’re with me.”
“Me too.”
The nurse comes in, followed by the anesthesiologist. “You ready, Tabitha?”
I hold on to Levi’s hand tighter as panic sweeps through me.
“I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“It’ll work,” Levi states with that confidence I love so much. I swear he could talk me into anything. He quickly touches a few buttons on his phone, and I hear it ringing. Raeann picks up, and soon, Micah is in the picture, too. “She’s going in for surgery.”
“Girl, you got this,” Raeann exclaims. “I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too,” I say, my eyes heating and tears threatening to spill.
“Good luck, Tab.” Micah smiles. “Everything will be fine.”
They wave, and then Levi ends the call, standing when the nurses start to wheel me away. He walks with me a little, but stops at the doorframe, bending over to kiss me. It’s a quick brush of lips, but I savor it, as if I could bottle it and take it into surgery with me. “I love you.”
The moment in time sticks there like I can commit it to memory. I swallow hard, realizing I’m about to say words that I’ve never meant more in my entire life. “I love you, too.”
He holds on to my hand until he can’t anymore, the nurses rolling me down a hallway lined with fluorescents.
“You got this, Rapunzel!”
They turn into a room at the end of the hallway, and somehow, I have a smile on my face.
The harsh lights make my eyes open slower than normal. Long, drawn out blinks until the brightness focuses, and I can scan my surroundings. I’m in the recovery room, machines beeping intermittently. A hand slips into mine and all I can see is Levi.
He stands next to the bed, his gaze studying. He smiles. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I croak, realizing my throat is very dry. He hands me a cup of water, and I gulp it down.
My arm pulses with pain, and I cringe. Taking stock of myself, I feel the pain exactly where the doctor said I would. My inner thighs, where they took the skin from, and my arm, where they relocated it.
A nurse comes up then. “How are you feeling, hon?”
“Okay,” I answer, waking up a little more. “Just a little sore.”
“We put some pain reliever in your IV. We’re sending you home with a prescription for pain meds, too. It’ll all be in the discharge paperwork.”
“I can grab your prescription.”
“You, sir, have a plane to catch.”
“I don’t think I can,” he says honestly, peering at me from head to toe.
I give him a small smile. It’s sweet that he wants to help. “You do,” I tell him, mustering all the strength I have. “Because I’m going to watch it on TV, and I want to see you wiggle that butt of yours.”
The nurse laughs while Levi acts shocked. “I feel violated.”
“You like it.”
He gives me a wink. “If you’re going to make me…”
“Of course I am. The Wildcats need you. How else are they going to score any points?”
I can see Levi’s head practically grow three sizes in front of me. Curious, since I didn’t think he could get any more confident than he already is. “You’re right.”
“I know.”
“But you’ll be okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him.
He takes a key out of his pocket, a purple studded Pet Threads keychain hanging off it. “This is yours.”
I can’t keep the smile off my face. The nurse sees to another patient as he leans over and presses warm lips to my forehead. “You ready to start an adventure with me?”
“I’m so ready,” I tell him. “I should probably tell my mom and dad that I’m moving.”
“No need. I called them up.”
I laugh. “You called my mom and dad?”
“They love me, by the way. Though, we’ll have to help your dad to become a football fan.”
“He likes baseball.”
“So I hear.” Levi moves the hair away from my face. “Raeann is on her way. I’ll call your parents on the way to the airport and tell them you’re okay. I’m sure they’ll want to talk to you when you’re up to it.”
“I’ll call them,” I promise. “Text me.”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can. Call me if anything happens. Anything,” he states more seriously.
“I will. I doubt Raeann will leave my side.”
“I thought of that, too, and I put a bed in the spare room in case she wanted to spend the night with you.”
I grip his hand. “You’re sweet.”
He traces his fingertips across my cheek, then reaches over to press a kiss to my lips. My lids flutter closed. He’s gone too fast, though. “I’ll score for you.”
“You better. I’m not dating some rando who rides the bench.”
He laughs, the sound filling the room, and then he slips away, waiting until the last second to turn.
Levi Soucy sure does know how to make an exit.