Page 95 of The Lies We Tell Ourselves

“Oh, baby. You know I felt like I knew you that night when we all ended up here. Selene spoke about you so much, and you’re exactly as she described you. Strong, loyal, and totally devoted to him.”

“I let him down, Clara. I hurt him, and it’s inexcusable.”

“We all make mistakes, kid. Even Jamie isn’t perfect. He kept the stuff about his dad from you because he thought he was protecting you, but all he did was make both of you vulnerable.”

“No. His heart was in the right place. He always put others before himself. Even if that means he has to suffer.”

“I know. He’s so like his mom in that way. She hid her pain at the end.”

“He never told me what happened to her. That’s why I…” He huffed out an exasperated breath. “I’m sorry I yelled at you, demanding she be here.”

“Water under the bridge. Anyway, I need to dash back for Zack and Jessie. I thought I’d bring them by after dinner to see him. He’s always loved his little sunbeam.”

“Sounds good. I can’t wait for my hugs.”

Aunt Clara chuckled. “They adore you just like they do Jamie.” She kissed my cheek and ran her fingers through my hair. It took everything in me not to react. Selfishly, I wanted Dillon and I to have some time alone before the rest of the world barged in and burst our bubble.

The door clicked shut, and I opened my eyes. They were drawn to Dillon’s face like they instinctively knew where he was. His profile was as stunning as the rest of him. His strong jaw was hidden under a dark beard that hid its sculpted lines, but he was no less impressive. I breathed him in for a minute and felt the melancholy coming off him in waves. He was staring blankly at the door and hadn’t noticed me move. “Dil?” I rasped.

His chair flew out from under him and went skidding across the room as he jumped to his feet and faced me. Disbelief flickered across his face seconds before his eyes started leaking.

“Are you crying?”

“Nah, it’s just allergies.”

I snorted and winced. “Y-you don’t have them.” My voice wavered as mine started to water too. The air thickened, and the next thing I knew, he was blanketing my chest, and I was in his embrace. I inhaled his musky sea salt scent and finally felt like I could breathe through the unending pain.

He gave me a watery smile and cupped my face, thumbs stroking over my cheeks. “Is this real, or am I dreaming?” He inched closer until his lips brushed mine.

“If it’s a dream, it’s just about the most perfect one I’ve ever had.” I chuckled and felt his wicked grin against my lips, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his. My tongue ran across my bottom lip, teasing him with the barest touch and making him groan.

“Oh, baby, I want to kiss you so badly, but I don’t want to hurt you.” Instead of answering, I closed the distance between us and melded my lips with his. As his lips brushed mine, I felt whole. Dillon completed me on a molecular level; his atoms merged with mine, fusing us together in a way not even death could take from us.

I lifted my hand and stroked my fingers along his nape as he sunk into the kiss. It was chaste, with only our lips teasing against each other, but I could feel the ramifications in my soul. Nothing had ever felt so perfect. I pulled back when my neck started to ache, and my lungs screamed for air. “I need to brush my teeth,” I whimpered as I choked on emotion. “My throat hurts. Do you think I can have a drink?”

Dillon looked at me like I had two heads, and that cute little furrow formed between his brows. “I have no idea, little crow. Let me get the doctor. She’ll want to know you’re awake, and then I can let?—”

I held up my hand to stop him. “Can’t it just be us for a little while?” And oh, how he melted into a puddle of goo before me and turned into a blundering fool unable to get his words out. When I laughed and wheezed, he gave up, nodded, and went to get the doctor, promising to return with a drink.

The day passed in a blur of doctors, tests, and random people stopping by to see me. I didn’t recognize them, but I felt deeply indebted to each and every one of them. Without them and their help, I might not be here, so I could suck it up and be polite. I plastered a smile on my face until I was losing the battle against my heavy eyes, and Dillon growled at the last nurse that came in to remove my drips and catheter. Ugh. That is a process I don’t ever want to repeat. I’d made Dillon leave the room and get me a latte so I wouldn’t have to live with the embarrassment of him watching. After that ordeal, she gave some of the good stuff, and I faded away into a blissful painless sleep for a few hours.

When I finally woke, my eyes immediately darted to the window. The sky was an array of pastel shades; the yellows, reds, and oranges merged into deeper blues that announced the onset of night. A yawn split my face, and I heard a loud squeak that had me wincing as my heart took flight.

I blinked a couple of times to clear the last remnants of sleep that clung to me and focused on the little princess bouncing like the Energizer Bunny at the bottom of my bed. Her curls danced across her shoulders, but it was her shimmering amber eyes that had me fighting the damn waterworks again.

“Hello, my little sunbeam.”

“JJ!” she cried and jumped up onto the bed, which shook with the force of her exuberance. Luckily, Dillon caught her before she landed on me and sat her on his hip to keep her weight off of me.

“Hey, beautiful.” I held my arms out and wrapped them around her. Her body shook with the force of her emotions, and her tears soaked my chest. I held on to her until her cries turned to whimpers. She looked at me through glassy eyes. “I was so scared, JJ. I didn’t want to lose you like Auntie Selene.” Her words landed like a punch to the solar plexus and stole the air from my lungs.

“Me either, sunbeam.” I cupped her face and smiled. “I just need a little rest, and then I’ll be home so we can celebrate Christmas.” The silence in the room was a dead weight. I looked at everyone gathered in my room and saw them visibly wince. “What?”

“Christmas has been and gone, Jamie,” Zack said as he sat down on my other side and gave me a gentle hug.

“Oh.” I chewed the inside of my cheek. “H-how long?”

“That’s probably best for the doctor to talk to you about, Jamie,” Uncle Daire said, guilt shining in his eyes. “Having us all here is a lot for you to cope with, considering you only woke up a few hours ago.”

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