Page 121 of Exile and Embrace

“How much is that?” Her voice breaks, her gaze dropping from mine.

“Aves, you are my entire world.” I choke down the lump in my throat, trying to form more words.

I almost lost her today, and the thought is making me sick to my stomach.

“If I hadn’t gotten to you in time today, I wouldn’t have been able to go on. You mean everything to me. I would give up my life a thousand times over just to protect yours for one more day. I love you, Ava.”

I squeeze her hand, softly, afraid of hurting her.

“That call hurt me. It cut deep. And then there are a thousand more questions that brings up. What if something else becomes a threat to me?” Her bottom lip quivers as she looks at the cut in my lip. “What if something happens to you? I’m not going to survive you dying, Finn.”

I kiss her bruised knuckles and run my thumbs lightly over her raw wrist. “Nobody is going to be a threat to you again. I’ll kill them before they get the chance. I love you, Ava.”

“I love you, Finn. You’re my world too. Don’t ever do that to me again.”

I get up and hold her tight in my arms, my hands running up and down her back as she sniffles, her arms snaking around me, her tears soaking my shirt. “I’m never going to do that again, Aves. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, and I was an idiot to push you away. If I had lost you, I don’t know what I would have done.”

Ava kisses the base of my neck. “You would have been fine.”

“No. I wouldn’t have. My life hasn’t been the same since you walked back into it in those scrubs, calling me an idiot for getting in a fight on my first day of prison. Reconnecting with you when I went to jail was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Her sobby laugh wavers as her fingers curl into my shirt. “You were an idiot.”

“I was. I can’t regret that, though. If it had never happened, I wouldn’t get to call you mine.”

She pulls her head from my shoulder to look at me. “Can we go home now?”

“Sure. Let me just talk to Dawson for a second and then I’ll see where those discharge papers are.”

I kiss the top of her head before getting up and going over to the door where the man that has become a friend stands guard.

He turns to the side, keeping one eye on the hall.

I clear my throat. “I have a lot of things I need to tell you.”

Dawson shakes his head. “None of that is important. You’re with us now, and you’re loyal to Cillian. Let’s just get your lady home.”

“We’ll talk about it later, then.”

He rolls his eyes. “The two of you are perfect for each other. You can explain the rest of the story to me later. And trust me, I’m going to want all the details, but she needs you right now. I can wait.”

It takes a few minutes to hunt down the nurse with the discharge papers and bring them back to Ava.

As soon as they are signed, the nurse takes them back. “I’ll be back in just a moment. Don’t leave until then.”

Ava scowls at the door. “She’s probably going to go get a wheelchair. I’m not being wheeled out of here like a damn invalid.”

Dawson snorts from his position in the doorway.

I sigh as I gather the stack of her clothing from the other side of the room. “Aves, you are an invalid. Just let her get the wheelchair.”

“Finn, if you don’t help me out of here, I’m going to do it myself.”

I go over and help Ava to her feet.

She stumbles, her legs almost giving out beneath her.

I scoop her up, holding her close.

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