Page 95 of The Fighter

We spoke quietly, but Holden was out like a light and slept like the dead. “Of course I did. I’m the best uncle.”

Her eyes went soft like they often did around me lately. “You really are.”

She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and a bowl of grapes. As she sank into the chair near me, she tugged her legs under her and popped a grape in her mouth. “So tell me what you were up to the last few days.”

Of course, I’d made it seem harmless, like Con and I were just busy, respectable people. “Look, I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t want you to worry, but it’s about Devlin, Mar.”

She froze with a grape halfway to her mouth. “What?”

With a sigh, I told her as much as I dared, leaving out most of the gory parts, but she deserved the know the truth, and I vowed not to lie to her again. She listened intently, eyes misting when I talked about Con upstairs in the bed healing.

“How is he?”

“A terrible patient.”

She laughed. “I haven’t known him long, but I can see that.”

“He doesn’t always have the sunniest personality, but when he’s in pain and can’t stalk around the apartment like he’s a king? He’s intolerable. I love him, but he’s the worst right now.”

She rolled her lips between her teeth, and her eyes glittered with delight. “Youlovehim?”

I scratched at a flake of dried frosting on my sweatpants. “‘Course I do.”

“Have you told him?”

“We haven’t said the words yet, but…” I shrugged and looked away.

“Do you want to?”

“Sometimes I think I do, but other times I think I already know.Wealready know.”

“What do you love about him?” She asked softly.

My whole relationship with Con flashed before my eyes. When we met at the bar. The first time he fucked me. The way he always knew exactly what I needed, even when I didn’t.

“Heseesme, Mar. I think he did from day one. He can read me like a book, and he never makes me feel like that’s weak. He makes me feel strong when he sees me.” I smiled. “He’s thoughtful, but he can be grumpy about it. He likes dumb action movies that make no logical or physical sense. He’s smart, like disgustingly smart, but never makes me feel stupid. He touches me like I’m priceless. He knows just how far to push me but doesn’t cross the line. He’s…” I sucked in a breath. “He’s imperfect and perfect all at the same time.”

A tear tracked down Amara’s cheek, and she brushed it away with the back of her hand. “I can’t believe you’re this sappy.”

I laughed, and she did too. “He changed my brain, I think.”

“The best love does.”

We lapsed into silence. Holden sniffled, mumbled something in his sleep, and then settled again.

Amara’s eyes were free of tears now. “And Devlin? Where is he?”

“I haven’t gotten a report from Nik yet, but he’d tell me if anything went wrong. As far as I know, he’s far away from here. And he’s in no condition to do much of anything.” I swallowed as I remembered the feel of his flesh under my fists. The blood. “I made sure of that.” I lifted my gaze to hers. “He’s not dead. I didn’t… I don’t want that. I never wanted that. For anyone.”

She rose and climbed into my lap, and I went rigid. She hadn’t touched me this much since we reunited. It’d been soft fingers on my arm, a grabbed wrist, maybe a held hand. But this, where she bundled against my chest in a way she had done so many times when we were kids, stole the oxygen from my lungs.

“Breathe,” she said softly, small hand on my chest.

Right. Breathe. I forced myself to inhale and exhale.

Her scent surrounded me, and her hair tickled my chin. I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes, laying my cheek to the crown of her head.

“I know who you are,” she said softly.