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“Then sleep in the spare bed they brought in.”
“I’m not leaving him!”
“It’s three feet away, Brooke.”
“I don’t care.”
Alex swears. Normally, he’s significantly more patient with Brooke. But right now, he sounds like he’d be willing to burn the whole world down just to get his sister to rest properly.
I don’t hear the rest of the conversation, because sleep is already pulling me back under, that beautiful brown-haired woman beckoning to me with a laugh.
When I wake again, my eyes finally open. The room is dark, only a faint light coming in through the windows, like the sun is just beginning to rise or just finishing going down.
Aside from a few faint voices in the halls and a lot of beeping noises, it’s silent. But I don’t care about any of that. All that matters is the familiar warmth of a small, soft hand in mine.
I turn my head. She has a chair pulled up to the side of the bed, her legs curled under her. Her body is half on the bed so she can rest her head on my thigh.
My sweet Daisy.
For a minute, I take in her sleeping form—hair up in a messy bun, wearing a T-shirt that’s half-covered by a hospital blanket that’s falling off her shoulders. I can’t imagine she’s comfortable, but I have a feeling that was the last thing on her mind when she fell asleep.
Anger mixes with the radiating pain in my chest at the sight of the faint bruises on her cheek. I can barely see them in the low light, but there’s no hiding them.
“Daise,” I whisper eventually, squeezing her hand. She moans, and I squeeze her hand again.
As she comes to, she raises her head with a wince. Her hand pulls away from mine as pushes herself up and rubs her neck.
"Ow,” she grumbles. But then her hand absentmindedly finds mine again as she yawns. She adjusts in her chair before leaning back down in a new position, her head still on my thigh.
“Daisy,” I say.
She jumps upright. “Blaze?”
A nurse enters the room, her eyebrows rising at the sight of me awake. She’s just about to speak when I interrupt her.
“Get out,” I say.
Brooke shrinks back. Her hand slides out of mine.
I grab it again, wincing at the pain the movement causes. “Not you, Brooke.” Bringing her palm to my mouth, I kiss it softly. “Never you.”
I ignore the nurse, who hesitates before realizing that she is absolutely, definitely intruding on a moment that’s meant for no one but me and the woman I love. When she leaves, I tug on Brooke’s arm until she’s perched tentatively on the edge of the bed.
“Closer.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispers.
“Get your ass over here.” I’m already in pain. What’s a little more?
She blinks at me. And then slowly, gently, she curls up into my side, careful to not so much as touch my chest. I wrap an arm under her, ignoring the pain it causes. It doesn’t matter. I just need her close.
“I got shot, huh?”
“Blaze, I’m so sorry. For everything. I never should’ve left. I was confused and scared, but that’s not good enough. Not at all. And I know that. I—”
“Brooke.”
She stops, blinking up at me, her hand fisting my hospital gown.
