Page 45 of Hunt You Down

“You’re more than welcome to stay with us as long as you like,” André added.

Dylan thanked him for the offer, and I was brought a thick packet of discharge papers. I still needed to be careful because of the concussion, and I needed to see a doctor in a couple of weeks to get the stitches out. With prescriptions for antibiotics and painkillers, I was finally allowed to go home.

Since my suit had to be cut off, I was given a pair of hospital scrubs to change into. I repeatedly apologized to André, who in turn told me to cut it out every time.

André held onto me tight as we left the emergency room. Still wobbly, I elected to lay down in the back seat. The thought of riding in the car made me nauseous all over again. Dylan nearly exploded when he saw the Aston Martin, and I wasn’t surprised that he asked to drive.

That didn’t bode well for my motion sickness.

Exhausted, André was happy to hand the keys over and thankfully, Dylan took it easy on me.

André let me and Dylan into the building while he parked. My brother stood next to me with his neck craned like a kid in a movie. “Whoa,” was all he said.

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Dylan reached for the door, jumping back when Charles opened it for us. With a weak laugh, I stepped in ahead of him. I’d quickly grown accustomed to it.

André found us by the elevators, where I’d found a comfy spot on the floor to sit down. My legs felt like jelly, quivering if I dared to stand for more than thirty seconds. The only thing that had me leaping to my feet was André offering to carry me..

Once inside the apartment, André led Dylan to the guest room while I went to André’s and collapsed onto the bed, shoes and all.

My eyes were shut, but I heard the moment André entered the room. I braced myself for the light, but it didn’t come. Instead, André flipped on the lamp next to his side of the bed.

“Is Dylan okay?” I mumbled, already on my way to being asleep.

“Passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.”

I pried my eyes open. André tugged his tie loose and started on the buttons of his shirt. His eyes were ready to close as he lazily undressed. “Can I help you get changed?”

I rolled onto my back and forced myself to sit up. “I wouldn’t mind if you helped me out of these scrubs.”

With a smile, André undid his watch and set it on his nightstand. He kicked his pants to the floor, leaving them there. He tickled under the hem of my shirt, making me squirm before he tugged it off. Pressing his lips to my cheek, he worked the pants off my hips and tossed them aside.

When he finally climbed into bed, I rolled over to lay on his bare chest. His heartbeat in my ear was the only thing to give me the courage to say what I did. “I could go,” I whispered, with tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.

“What?”

“I could go home with Dylan. Y-You’ve never done this before, and I’m not exactly ideal to be someone’s first relationship. I’ve been nothing but trouble, and I’m afraid that it won’t get any easier. So if you want me to, I could go back to Georgia and leave us at that night on Bourbon Street—before you knew about all my demons.”

André rose onto one elbow. “Look at me,” he demanded in a stern tone. Reluctantly, I lifted my gaze to his. “I love you.”

My breath whooshed out of me. I don’t know what I expected but it sure as hell wasn’t that.

André continued. “I know it’s fast but it’s true. I was scared to death last night, but I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you a thousand times if that’s what you need: I’m all in, and nothing is going to take that away. Now, if you want to go home, I can’t stop you, but I love you, David. All I want is for you to be happy and safe” He tipped my face to his, brushing the tear from my cheek as he did so. “I don’t use that word lightly.”

“So, I’ve heard.” My voice broke, my throat was tight. When I spoke, it was nothing more than a whisper. “I love you, too.”

After a promise of washing my hair for me the next day in a way that wouldn’t compromise my stitches, André let me drift off to sleep.

Just before I fell into unconsciousness, I whimpered a quiet, “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Not giving up on me.”

Chapter Twenty

André stayed with me over the weekend, but had to be back at work Monday morning. With Penn’s paternity leave starting early, André had to pick up the slack. Thankfully, Dylan was able to call in some favors to stay with me until the concussion faded.