Chapter 44
Cara lay under heated blankets, her body slowly remembering what normal temperature felt like. The ocean had been shockingly cold, the kind that made your lungs seize and your thoughts scatter.
Her hands shook under the blankets. Not from cold anymore. From exhaustion. From three weeks of tension finally releasing.
From the realization that Gabe had seen too much.
The lockpicking. Her ability to con, to play roles. This had all started out so simply––help the man find his brother…and leave town. Now, her entire future was at stake. Dom had built her an impressive profile, but anyone with the access Gabe had could dismantle it in a heartbeat.
The door opened.
Her body tensed automatically, checking exits and assessing threats before she could stop herself.
Gabe stood in the doorway, exhausted, but his eyes were steady on hers.
Her heart did something complicated in her chest.
He crossed to the chair beside her bed and sat carefully.
"David says thank you. For saving his life."
"He's good?"
"The doctor says he'll be fine." Gabe's voice was rough. "Because of you."
"Anyone would have jumped."
"No." The word was firm. Certain. "Most people would have frozen. Or panicked. You didn't."
She didn't know what to say to that.
Silence settled between them. Not uncomfortable exactly, just weighted with everything they weren't saying.
"My boss called," Gabe said finally. "Morrison. He's actually pleased with how things turned out. Said I did good work. Turns out helping root out corrupt smalltown cops buys a guy a little grace."
"That's good."
"Yeah. But he needs me back in Philadelphia. There's an active IA investigation I was supposed to close three weeks ago." He rubbed his face. "I'm leaving tomorrow. Noon flight."
"Of course," she managed. "You have responsibilities."
"Yeah."
The awkwardness stretched between them. Two people who'd been through crisis together. Who'd saved each other's lives. Who had something neither could acknowledge.
Cara was too tired to think clearly or to maintain the careful walls she'd built. Part of her wanted to ask if he'd come back. Part of her wanted this to be goodbye so she could breathe again.
"Get some rest," he said finally, standing. "Doctor says they're releasing you in a couple hours. Wade’ll get you home."
She wanted to say something profound. Or heartfelt. Or funny. Had he felt the same sparks?
Not that it mattered. He had a life in Philadelphia. She had a fake life here. Plus, they had the whole, Special Agent/fugitive issue….
Even if Gabe liked her, too, there was no way forward.
Instead she said, "I'm glad you found David. Glad he's okay."
"Me too." He paused at the door. "Cara?"
"Yeah?"
"You saved his life tonight. I know you don't want recognition or attention. I know you've got your reasons for keeping to yourself." His expression was unreadable. "But what you did mattered. Thank you."
He left before she could respond, the door closing behind him with quiet finality.
Cara lay in the too-warm room and stared at the ceiling.
She'd been expecting an interrogation.
Instead he'd given her space. Respect. Trust she hadn't earned.
Lord, I'm so tired. Too tired to keep all the walls up. Too tired to figure out what I'm supposed to feel.
The prayer felt raw. Desperate.
She closed her eyes and let exhaustion pull her under.
Gabe would leave.
She'd go back to being Cara Sweet, highly average baker.
But tonight, in this too-warm hospital room, she let herself feel it all.
The relief that David was alive.
The fear that she'd exposed too much.
The ache that came from watching someone walk away.
The hope that maybe, somehow, this wasn't the end.
Just a pause.
Outside, through the closed window, the ocean crashing against rocks. Relentless. Eternal. Unchanged.
The same sound that would be there tomorrow.
And all the tomorrows after.