Page 78 of Lifeline

“Yeah, oh,” Reno said with a shake of his head. “So be ready to do a lot of groveling in the future. And you’re going to owe me big, and Mika for that matter, for running interference on your behalf. And if you don’t or you take advantage again, don't think you will, but if you do, remember we know all the best places to bury someone. Not joking.”

Aidan frowned and opened his mouth, but Reno shook his head. “You already broke the no-talking rule once; I’m not letting you go again. I’m going to piss.”

We watched Reno make his way out of the room slowly but carefully, and Aidan blinked. “Should he be up walking around without help?”

“Probably not, but he’s the one of you three who got out in better shape somehow. Jake will be pleased to know his heroics helped save Reno,” I said with a shake of my head as I pulled the chair closer to his bed.

Aidan looked at me. “So, Jake is⁠—”

“Critical but stable. We’re waiting for him to wake up so we can see the extent of any brain damage he might have.”

“It…would be kind of hard to tell the difference.”

I stared at him and let out a huff of breath because, like hell, he was going to make me laugh. “Nice to see that your brain is working enough that you can still turn it off before making a comment.”

“Sorry,” he muttered, his fingers twitching, and I knew what he wanted. “I…was Reno⁠—”

“Telling you without telling you he’s going to forgive you one day and want to trust you again?”

“Yeah.”

“He was,” I said and took his hand in mine, a little annoyed by the look of relief on his face. “Don’t think you’re out of hot water. You risked your life to save me and Reno, so you’re in my good books and it’ll probably get you points with the others, but don’t think that means you’re free and clear.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “I just⁠—”

“I know what you ‘just,’” I muttered as I shook my head. “But Reno, in his infinite stupid wisdom, reminded me what loving someone means. And sometimes it’s not pretty because it means having to look at someone you love and realize you’re so fucking mad at them you can’t think straight. But it also means that when they fuck up, really and truly fuck up, you have to try to find a way to move past that.”

“I don’t think betrayal of trust is one of those things,” he said, and it sounded too close to how I had felt when I’d talked to Reno before about what I had done to him. Except now I was in Reno’s position and despite my anger and hurt, I could see what he’d been saying.

“You’re sorry?” I asked, hating it but deciding that maybe there was some merit in Reno’s approach.

“Yes,” he said, raising a brow. “Dunno if I can even say how sorry.”

“And you were trying to figure out how to tell us?”

“Well, yeah, I just⁠—”

“Feared losing us, but you were going to do it?”

“Yes…eventually.”

I knew that cringe was because he wasn’t sure when ‘eventually’ was and I was going to have to process that at some point. “Would you do it again?”

“If it meant coming to the outpost, meeting all of you, getting to have the time I did with you? In a heartbeat,” he told me, and I felt my breath catch. “Even if it means I lose all of you.”

I wasn’t done, but there it was, the thing that made my decision for me.

“I meant,” I said around my tightening throat, “would you do something like that to us again?”

His eyes went wide. “What? No, fuck no. God, Mika. I know I deserve a lot, but not fucking that.”

I grunted. “Fair enough. Now…if you were given a chance to stay and put up with the anger, the mistrust, the attitudes, all of it to be forgiven…are you prepared to do it? Think about what that means, Aidan. That’s a lot of shit thrown your way, sometimes fairly, sometimes not.”

He opened his mouth, but at the pointed look from me, he looked down at our joined hands. His fingers rubbed mine, and then he turned and looked at the empty bed, then toward the door, his face screwed up in a thoughtful expression.

“Yes,” his voice was soft, but there was so much more to it. I believed him immediately.

“Then I guess that’s what we’re going to have to aim for,” I told him, laughing when his eyes went wide.