Chapter 55
FIFTY-FIVE
Lachlan submitted to hospital protocol and allowed Grey to push him to recovery in a wheelchair after Maddy came out of surgery.
Being wheeled around wasn’t so bad considering how shitty he felt at the moment.
His head ached, the lights hurt his eyes, and his right side hurt like a bitch where the chest tube had gone in.
But he was alive, and he could breathe without feeling like he was suffocating. And more than anything in the world, he wanted to be there for Maddy when she woke up.
She had risked everything to save him, while injured, traumatized, and scared out of her mind. Every time he thought about it, his heart swelled with pride and then constricted in terror. She could have drowned so easily or succumbed to hypothermia if Grey hadn’t gotten to them in time.
They both owed Grey their lives.
Naya had arranged everything for him. The recovery room nurse smiled at them when they entered. “Perfect timing. She should come to anytime now.”
She tugged the light blue curtain back to expose Maddy lying in the bed. She looked so beautiful yet fragile, eyes closed, breathing gently.
A powerful rush of emotion overwhelmed him. He sucked in a painful breath, his injured side aching. Swallowed hard and blinked as tears stung his eyes.
They’d both nearly died a few hours ago. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Couldn’t imagine having her taken from him that way. He would fight for her.
Grey positioned him next to her and put the brakes on the wheelchair. “I’ll give you guys some privacy, but I’ll be outside when you’re ready to head back.”
He went to step away but Lachlan caught his arm and clamped his fingers down tight. Grey’s pale blue eyes shot to him.
“Thanks, man.” His voice was rough.
Grey gave a short nod and glanced away, uncomfortable. “You’d’ve done the same for me.”
Hundred percent. “Yep.”
He clapped a hand on Lachlan’s shoulder. “Just glad you’re both okay.” A slight smile softened his brother’s face and warmed his ice blue eyes. “You shoulda seen her go after you, Lach. She was gonna haul your ass back to that boat or die trying, busted arm and all. Fuckin’ badass.”
Lachlan smiled back. Maddy didn’t realize it, but she’d won Grey’s eternal admiration and loyalty today. “My little badass.”
“Yep, and you’re a lucky bastard in more ways than one.” Grey squeezed his shoulder and let go. “Take care of her, brother. Tell her I said hi.”
“Will do.” He curled his fingers around Maddy’s hand, careful of the IV in her vein, and stared at her. Memorizing her delicate features that belied the steely core in her petite body.
There was no way he could let her go now. Could never let her go. Not after today.
Maddy stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering. Her head turned toward him on the pillow, her deep blue eyes focusing on him blearily for a few moments.
“Hi,” she said at last, her voice weak and hoarse. “You’re here.”
He smiled, flooded with tenderness. “Promised I would be.” He leaned forward to kiss her softly, stroked her messy hair back from her face. “How you feelin’?”
She frowned a little. “Woozy. And my wrist still hurts.” She glanced down to look at the fiberglass cast that covered her from elbow to the middle of her hand, leaving her fingers free.
The nurse came to check on her. “Everything looks good and your vitals are perfect,” she announced, then handed Lachlan a cup with a straw in it. “She can have this now.” She raised the head of Maddy’s bed and left.
Lachlan held the cup and adjusted the straw so Maddy could drink. She made a low sound of pleasure, swallowed a few sips and then leaned back against the pillow with a sigh. “That’s good, thanks.”
He set the cup down and slid his hand beneath hers to twine his fingers around it.
“You scared me today,” she said, watching him. “You were floating out there on your back, and you weren’t moving. Even when I got to you, you could barely open your eyes.”
“Yeah, that’s all fuzzy. I don’t remember anything after diving into the water.”
“How did you know about the bomb?”
“Blaine relayed your message to Grey. He called me, told me about my truck—”
“I thought you were in it when she detonated it.”
He made a low sound and kissed her cold fingers. “No, but thank God he warned me that there might be another one on the boat. I found it just as it activated with ten seconds on the timer.”
She squeezed his hand. “Your poor boat.”
“I’ve got good insurance on it.”
“We’re lucky Grey came for us when he did.”
“Yeah. He says hi, by the way. You’re his new favorite person.”
She blushed. “Don’t be silly.”
“You’re my favorite person.”
She stilled, met his gaze.
He swallowed to clear the restriction in his throat. “You jumped into the ocean with no gear or training and a broken wrist, all to save me.” Her bravery still astounded him.
“You were coming to save me. I wasn’t going to let you die because I was afraid and had a broken wrist,” she said with a frown.
Of all the things she could have said, of all the ways she could have phrased it, that was pure Maddy. He grinned but then sobered, his heart thudding painfully against his bruised ribs.
He knew this was all happening fast. Was aware that their emotions were heightened after everything they’d been through. But he’d never dreamed he would feel this way again.
He took her pale face between his hands and stared into those beautiful deep blue eyes. “I love you, Maddy.”
She blinked. “You…love me?”
“Yeah. I know it’s fast, and I don’t want to rush you, but that’s how I feel.”
She kept staring at him. Frowned a bit.
He could tell she was thinking hard. Could see the gears in her head turning as she evaluated everything and tried to make sense of her own feelings before putting them into words.
He could’ve saved her the trouble. But she had to come to the realization on her own.
A tremulous smile curved her mouth, a sheen of tears filling her eyes. “I love you too,” she said in a wobbly voice.
“Sweetheart, I already knew that, because your first instinct was to risk your life to save me.” That told him everything he needed to know.
“So what happens now?” she whispered. “I still need a full-time job with benefits, and all the ones I’ve applied for are far away—”
“Hey.” He kissed her to quiet her, seeing how overwhelmed she was becoming. “I don’t want you to worry about any of that right now. We’ll figure it all out together once this is all behind us.” Compared to everything they’d just gone through, everything else would be easy.