Page 94 of I Can't Even

I pressed the barest of touches to her ace-bandage-wrapped hand and said, “I’m so fucking mad at you right now.”

I was.

I was livid.

Mad that she’d trusted him.

Mad at myself for trusting her instincts when it came to him.

Mad that she’d gotten gas when I’d told her not to.

Mad that she’d almost taken herself away from me.

Mad that my brother had gotten shot and had taken the attention away from Ellodie.

Mad. Mad. Mad.

Just. So. Mad.

She cracked her eye open.

Just one.

The other one was swollen shut.

She had a shattered cheekbone that would take months to heal.

But that was only the tip of the iceberg.

She had so, so many more injuries.

But that deep blue of her eye was the best thing I’d ever seen in my life.

“Calamity,” I growled. “You are in so much trouble.”

Her lips parted.

And a single word came out. “Kiss.”

I closed my eyes, felt the tears fall, and bent down to give the barest of kisses to her cracked and bleeding lips.

“Love.” She breathed shallowly. “You.”

Another tear fell.

“Love you, too, Calamity. So fuckin’ much that I can’t wait to let you have it when you’re better,” I whispered.

“The.” She drew another breath. “Baby?”

The baby.

I hadn’t even thought to ask.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I didn’t even think.”

Some dad I was going to be…

“Think,” she breathed. “Now.”