Chapter 70
We left the hospital later that evening.
My scans had come back clear, and aside from a few scrapes on my hands and a bruise on my head, they said I’d be fine.
I didn’t even end up needing stitches, which I found quite ironic considering it felt much more warranted now than when I fell on the stairs during the BBQ all those months ago.
Jay pulled up to his cabin just as the sun was setting over the lake, the sky casting a soft, serene glow across the water. When we stepped inside, Luna rushed toward us.
I knelt carefully, scratching behind her ears. She whined and gently licked at the bandages on my hands.
“I’m okay, girl,” I murmured. “I’m okay.”
When I stood, Jay set the hospital paperwork on the table and turned to me, concern still etched across his face.
“Do you want to go up to bed?” he asked gently.
I shook my head. “I probably won’t be able to sleep until later tonight.”
It was only five o’clock. I’d had a few restless hours of sleep at the hospital between scans, and I definitely needed more. But I was feeling reluctant. I really didn’t want to give my brain the option to dream up Dr. Pike’s evil sneer again.
He nodded, still tense. He hadn’t relaxed once since he’d found me.
“No worries,” he said softly, brushing his fingers against my shoulder. “How about a bath instead?”
I nodded immediately. “That would be nice.”
“I’ll get it started.”
He disappeared down the hall while I curled up on the couch with Luna. A few minutes later, he returned.
“The bath’s ready,” he said quietly. “I hope you don’t mind—I drew it in my bathroom.”
I opened my mouth to object, then closed it.
“I don’t mind,” I said, heat creeping into my cheeks.
I still hadn’t told him everything I’d been feeling. When Dr. Pike found me, I’d been on my way to tell Jay I loved him.
I still wanted to.
I just didn’t know when the right moment would be to express that now.
I followed him to his side of the house, nerves and curiosity tangling in my chest.
His bedroom was spacious and rustic. It had dark wood, distressed décor, a fireplace across from a massive king bed draped in plush blankets, and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that opened onto the deck.
Then there was the bathroom.
There were marble floors and a circular ottoman in front of several long rectangular mirrors.
On the counter sat a fresh pair of Jay’s sweats for me.
There was a walk-in shower with multiple heads.
And the bathtub was deep and luxurious, with a small step leading up into it.
Antique brass fixtures gleamed against the soft lighting, and through the massive window above the tub, I could see the snowy mountains beyond the lake.
It felt unreal.
“I’ll wait outside,” Jay said quietly. “Take your time.”
I nodded, and once the door closed, I turned to the tub. There were hordes of bubbles nearly spilling over the edges.
I slipped out of my clothes and paused, staring at my dirt-covered shirt. There was some dried blood too, and the fabric was torn.
Whatever just happened to me had been real.
I had the proof right in front of me, but it still felt like a horrific nightmare.
Folding the ruined clothes, I set them on the counter, then stepped carefully into the steaming water. The heat caused me to shiver as I sank into the water and the hordes of bubbles.
I let out a long, grateful sigh.
When I leaned back to rest my head, I accidentally knocked it against the edge of the tub, and pain flared.
“Ow!” I yelped, more startled than hurt. Why was I like this?
The door flew open.
Jay rushed in, panic all over his face. “Are you okay?”
Then he froze, clearly realizing he’d charged into the bathroom without thinking. His cheeks turned bright red, and he immediately spun around.
“I—I’m sorry. I just—are you okay?”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed.
“I’m fine, Jay. There are so many bubbles in here you can’t see anything anyway.”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “I just wanted to make sure.”
“It’s okay,” I said, smiling. “You know you only need a few drops, right? You didn’t have to use the entire bottle of bubble bath.”
He groaned softly and scratched the back of his neck. “I might’ve overdone it.”
I laughed again—actually laughed. I hadn’t expected to laugh at something so soon.
“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll, uh… go.”
“Wait—” The word slipped out before I could stop it. “Will you sit with me for a minute?”
He stilled in the doorway, his back still turned. Then he leaned up against the frame.
“Whatever you need from me, Amor.”
I swallowed. “Maybe we could talk.”
I felt ridiculous asking him to stay in the doorway with his back turned, but I didn’t want to be alone for some reason. And I’d missed him in a way that felt impossible to explain.
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked, moving to sit down on the floor.
“Well, for starters, you haven’t relaxed at all since you found me.”
He tensed up again, and I heard him exhale sharply.
“Hope…” He said roughly. “I don’t think you understand how angry I am. That he hurt you. And if I’d just searched harder, maybe I could’ve found you sooner—”
“Jay. Stop.” I shook my head. “You couldn’t have stopped this.”
“I know,” he said. “I just can’t help but think about what would’ve happened had I not found you.” He muttered something in Spanish under his breath.
“You came looking for me,” I said firmly. “You found me. You saved me. It’s all okay now.” I leaned my chin on the edge of the tub. “Thank you for coming to find me.”
“Always,” he said, his voice low and rough. Then he sighed.
“I’ve never felt so violent in my life. I want to find him and hurt him for hurting you—”
“Stop,” I said softly, wishing I could reach out and touch him. “That won’t do anything.”
“I know,” he said, exhaling heavily.
“He’ll get what he deserves. He’s in custody now. It’s out of our hands.”
He nodded, but his shoulders were still tense. “I wish I could protect you from everything.”
“That’s impossible,” I whispered.
“I know,” he said softening a little. “Doesn’t stop me from wishing I could.”
There were so many things building inside me, so much I wanted to say, but I didn’t want to confess everything while I was still sitting in a mountain of bubbles.
“I’m going to wash my hair now,” I said. “But can we talk when I’m done?”
“Of course.”
He stood and closed the door behind him.
I washed the dried blood from my hair with the soap he’d left out. It smelled incredible, and I scrubbed carefully until every trace of dirt, grime, and blood was gone. Once I felt human again, I stepped out and wrapped the towel tightly around myself.
I changed into the oversized sweats he’d set out and padded back into his room.
Jay was sitting on a pile of oversized floor pillows in front of the fireplace. Orange flames flickered in the hearth, casting shifting shadows along the walls and making everything feel warm and cozy.
“Feeling better?” he asked, looking up as I approached.
“Much better,” I said, lowering myself onto a cushion beside him.
I pulled a blanket from the pile next to the pillows and wrapped it around my shoulders.
“I can help you get your car back tomorrow if you want,” Jay said.
“That would be great, thank you.” I hadn’t even thought about Mason’s car still sitting on Main Street in Big Bear. I didn’t know what it would be like going back there, but I didn’t think I’d have much of a choice. I would have to face it eventually.
We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the fire crackle. I tried to steady my breathing and gather the courage to tell him what was on my mind. But then he spoke again, and I bit my tongue.
“How was the conversation with your mom?”
“Um, it was actually okay,” I said, looking down at my hands, fiddling with the corner of one of the blankets.
“She admitted she was in the wrong, and she feels horrible for not standing up to my father all this time. I don’t know exactly how I feel about the whole apology yet, but maybe this will be the first step toward something in the future. ”
“That’s good,” Jay said. “I’m glad you got some validation today.”
“Me too.”
He looked down and pursed his lips. “I, um… reached out to my dad while you were away.”
“You what?” My eyes widened. “Did you really?”
“Yeah, I, um…” He reached up to scratch his neck.
“I’ve been talking more to my therapist. Especially while you’ve been gone.
He urged me to tie up the loose end with my dad.
He said it might help me heal. Not to excuse my behavior, but I do think my past hurt from my dad leaving—and what happened with my mom—has led me to make poor decisions.
I’m going to be flying to Spain to see him and my grandmother in the spring. ”
“Jay, that’s a huge step,” I said, honestly shocked by his openness.
“Maybe we can both start rekindling family relationships together,” he said, giving a small smile.
It made my heart ache.
“Jay,” I finally said, breaking the quiet. “I need to tell you something.”
He turned toward me expectantly. “What is it, Amor?”
There was a pause, and I sucked in a sharp breath.
“I love you.”
I didn’t test the water. I didn’t ease into it. After everything that had happened today, after being reminded how fragile life is, I couldn’t justify holding it back any longer.
He stilled, like he hadn’t been expecting that.
“I was going to tell you last night. After I got home…”
He was still frozen, staring at me like he was afraid to move—like if he did, I might take it back.
“I realized it was cruel of me not to consider what you’ve already been through. Losing someone else—how much that would hurt you.” My voice wavered as nerves tangled up my explanation. “I can see now that you kept things from me because you were scared.”
I swallowed and forced myself to keep going.
“And I can’t be angry at you for that, because I know that feeling. Being afraid. Being anxious. It can be completely paralyzing.” I drew in a shaky breath. “It wasn’t fair of me to expect you to handle those emotions perfectly when I can’t even control them myself.”
My hands trembled in my lap, but I didn’t look away.
“So, I guess what I’m saying is I forgive you for everything. And I hope you can forgive me, too. Because I did fall for you, despite all my attempts not to. I can’t imagine loving anyone else—”
He closed the space between us before I could finish. His hand slid into the hair at the back of my neck, and he pulled me toward him, pressing his lips to mine.
I was grateful not to have to continue my speech; it was getting rather lengthy.
A soft, pleased sound escaped me and I lifted my arms to wrap them around his neck, welcoming the kiss.
He didn’t hold back. He held me fiercely to him, his mouth moving on mine like he’d been starved for these last few months.
He tilted my head with a gentle press of his thumb beneath my chin, deepening the kiss.
His tongue explored across mine, and he grasped at my bottom lip until I was flushed and positively humming.
Then he moved. Abandoning my mouth, he started to pepper soft kisses on my neck, and then across my shoulder.
I reached for his shirt, my fingers fumbling with the hem, and he didn’t hesitate. He reached behind him with one hand and pulled it over his head.
He pressed me into the plush rug, caging me in. The fireplace was right beside us, and behind my closed eyelids, I could still see the flicker of the flames.
His hand fell to the curve of my waist, and he gripped my hip bone as his mouth returned to mine, sending an electric shock through my body. I let out a breathy sound, a whole new round of butterflies entering my stomach.
He pulled back, his nose brushing mine, his eyes closed still.
“I love you too,” he murmured. “Thank you. For forgiving me.”
I ran my finger through his hair and gently brushed a kiss to his lips. “You have to promise that you won’t ever let your fears get in the way of being honest with me again.”
He nodded. “I promise, Amapolita.”
Then he leaned in to kiss me again. And all the hurt and pain became swallowed up in my love for him.
Relief and joy flooded through me in a way I didn’t think was possible. I was finally letting go of everything I’d been holding inside, allowing myself to open up and let him in.
He wasn’t perfect. And I most definitely wasn’t either.
We were human.
But we could be human together.