Page 29 of Off-Limits Mate

Amara. Come back to me.

Jasper.

I fight, then. I have to figure out a way to tell him that I’m here. That I’m fine. And that I love him.

I feel that from him, too. This kind of unwavering love that I know we both have for each other. That we share. That’s ours.

Hold on, Jasper. Hold on….

“Amara?”

I blink. Everything seems totally blurry. It’s like my eyes disconnected for a while, and they’re taking forever to come back. I keep blinking them, until the room finally swims into focus.

The surface under me is hard. Really hard.

Looking around, I’m confused. I try to sit up, but Jasper gently puts a hand on my shoulder. “Easy.”

“Am I on the kitchen table?” I croak.

Sheesh. I sound like I need a good coat of grease.

“Yes,” Jasper says quietly. “It’s the only place that we could put you where we could see the…”

Everything comes rushing back. The fight. The blood. My leg…

I sit up, with Jasper supporting my back. I glance down at my leg. There’s no wood. Nothing sticking out of me. No river of blood, just a hole in my comfy pants.

I run my fingers over the spot. “What… how…”

“Amara,” Jasper says, his voice laced with relief.

I look at him. His face is open, like he’s amazed. Amazed that I’m alive? I think so. I smile at him, because right now, I’m so overcome with love…

“Me too,” he whispers.

My eyes widen. “Did I say that out loud?”

“No. But you didn’t have to.”

“Did you read my mind?”

“Kind of.”

“How… why…”

Then it all snaps into place. In my mind, the dots connect. When I look at Jasper again, my eyes are wide. “I healed from that huge piece of wood punching into my artery.”

“I’m so fucking sorry, Amara,” I hear Nolan say from behind me. “I never thought that you’d get hurt…”

I wave my hand at him. “It’s okay, Nolan.” I look back at Jasper. “And I can feel your feelings.”

He nods.

“And you can feel mine?”

“Right again, love.”

Love.

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