Chapter 21 #2
I drop my head, and recognition dawns in Blaine’s expression. He loosens his grip on my shirt but doesn’t let me go.
“Seeing him lying there, unconscious…” Tears well in my eyes again, and I press my lips together, shaking my head violently to try and clear the image from my head.
“I thought I’d lost him. For a split second, I thought I’d lost him.
I’m not leaving him. I could never leave him, and I’ll never hurt him. But I can’t lose him, Blaine.”
Alex wraps his fingers around his husband’s wrist and pulls him off me.
He nudges Blaine out of the way, who moves with minimal effort, then steps in front of me.
Alex loops his arms around my chest, and I crumble.
I cover my face with my hand, crying into my palm as he rubs my back in soothing circles.
“I’m so sorry, Hunter. I can’t begin to imagine the fear you must have felt seeing him like that, especially given the way you lost your husband,” Alex says softly.
Blaine scrubs his face with his palm and sighs. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be an asshole.”
I dismiss his apology with a shake of my head, wiping my eyes with my palm. “He’s your brother. I get it.”
“Is that why you became a firefighter? Because of your husband?” Alex asks.
“Yeah. I had to finish up my contract with the Navy, and as soon as I was eligible, I left. I had no fucking idea what I was going to do with myself. Civilian life was so weird to me, but then my uncle offered me a place to stay. A few months later, he mentioned joining the fire department, and something clicked in my brain.” I take a steadying breath before saying, “I couldn’t save my husband, but I could help save other families from experiencing the same heartbreak as I did. ”
Alex smiles sadly, sympathy swimming in his eyes.
“Does he know this?’ Blaine asks, and I assume he’s referring to Elliot.
I nod. “He knows.”
The three of us are silent for a moment, the heavy weight of my confession lingering between us until the nurse comes over and says, “He’s awake. He’s asking for someone called Hunter?”
My head snaps toward her.
“Go,” Alex says, giving my arm a light push. “We’ll wait out here.”
My gaze flicks over to Blaine, almost asking for his permission.
He gives a silent nod and hooks his arm around Alex’s shoulders.
Not wanting to wait another minute, I head down the hall to Elliot’s room.
I rap my knuckle lightly against the open door to alert my presence and step inside.
He’s sitting up in the bed, the oxygen mask no longer covering his gorgeous face.
He looks tired. There are slight shadows under his eyes, his skin still paler than usual, but he’s still the most beautiful thing in the world.
“Hi,” I rasp, walking around the bed to take his hand.
“Hi.” His smile is slow and sleepy. “I heard you carried me out like a real fireman.”
I let out a choked laugh. “Yeah, I did, and I don’t ever want to do that again, okay?” I cup his face with my other hand, and he closes his eyes, leaning into my touch.
“Unless it’s into the bedroom,” he mumbles, his lips kicking up in a small smirk.
Warmth fills my chest at his flirty tone. Fuck, I love him so much.
“Yeah, maybe,” I say, stroking my thumb over his cheek.
“The nurse said the doctor is on his way to let me know my results of the X-ray and blood tests and whether I can go home.”
“That’s good. How do you feel?”
“I’m fine. I’m just tired, but I get like this after a panic attack.” His smile is sad. “I was the same after you rescued me from the elevator.”
I run my fingers through his hair, brushing it off his face.
“It’s natural to feel drained. Your body goes into fight-or-flight mode to protect you, and the comedown from that can be exhausting.”
He hums in agreement before asking, “How’s Boomer?”
I smile fondly. “He’s fine. Your head coach took him to the vet to be checked over, and he’s all good.”
“Good,” he mumbles.
“Why did you run in, El?” I ask, even though I already know the answer. “We would’ve got him when we arrived. You didn’t need to risk yourself.”
“I didn’t think I would get locked in,” he admits, then yawns. “Plus, I didn’t want him to be scared. Dogs have big hearts too. They feel things, and they would risk it to protect us, so we should do the same for them.”
“He did protect you.”
He slowly blinks his eyes open. “He did?”
“Yeah. He was lying on you when we got there, and he was licking your face and neck to try and bring you to consciousness.”
“He’s the best.” He smiles. “As are you.”
Elliot’s results come back all clear, and he’s free to go home. They advise to take it easy for the next few days, as it can take a while for lungs to heal even from minor smoke inhalation, so it’s looking like he’ll be on day-to-day game-time observation.
Blaine and Alex follow us in their car back to Elliot’s apartment. Only when we step out of the elevator on Elliot’s floor, they don’t come with us.
“We’ll come by later with Ernie,” Alex says with a soft smile, pressing the button to hold the doors open. “I’ll bring some dinner too.”
“Only if you’re sure. I’m happy to cook,” I offer.
“Of course. We’ll come by about six.”
Elliot and Blaine share another hug before they let the doors close. We head down the hall to Elliot’s apartment. He leans against me as I unlock the door, then lead him inside.
I grab two bottles of water from the fridge and follow him down to his bedroom. The moment he turns around and he gives me his sweet smile, the control I had on my emotions snaps. The bottles land on the floor with a thud, and I step into his open arms.
“Hey, I’m okay,” he says, hooking his arms around my shoulders.
Wrapping my arms around him tightly, I tuck my head into his neck and let the dam break.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he whispers.
“Don’t be sorry. You listened to your heart, and I don’t ever want you to apologize for that.”
“I love you.”
I kiss his neck over his pulse point, reveling in the feel of it beneath my lips, a reminder he’s still here. Lifting my head, I press a kiss to his lips.
“I love you too. So fucking much.” I kiss him again. “Please don’t ever leave me.”
“I won’t. I promise. You’re stuck with me now, Lieutenant. I’m going to cling to you like a koala.”
Smiling, he slides his mouth over mine again, and I melt into him. The kiss is comforting. Calming. Grounding me in a way I desperately need.
He’s here.
And I’m never letting him go.