Page 131 of Heart of The Night

I rolled my eyes. I was clad in an oversized grey jumper and loose cream joggers – hardly the outfit I’d expect to seduce anyone with. ‘Would like some more water or not?’

‘I would, thank you.’

I went back to the basin. ‘Are you feeling any dizziness?’ I asked as I refilled the cup. ‘Nausea?’

‘Not really. Just pain. Even breathing hurts.’ He was quiet for a moment, then murmured disbelievingly, ‘I can’t believe I was stabbed.’

I glanced at him, seeing him examine the dressing on his left bicep. ‘Have any flashes or memories started to come back to you?’ I asked.

‘No.’ He sighed heavily, the sound laden with despair. ‘This has fucked up everything. I can’t go back to work like this, can I? I’m absolutely gutted. Those deals I was on, especially the big one with Porter BioScience and Elixerion Pharmaceuticals, they were about to make a massive difference to my career. And now, I’ve got to just drop them. It’s killing me, honestly. I’ve put in so much effort to get to this point, and now it’s all up in smoke. It’s just not fair.’

I turned off the tap and hesitated by the basin. William had always been remarkably driven in every aspect of his life, so, naturally, I could understand that this would upset him. He loathed being thwarted or even remotely stalled. Yet, despite this, I struggled to sympathise, because I was still at a point where I was merely grateful that he was still breathing. Yes, he’d lose out on those transactions, but at least he was alive.

As I sauntered back to him with the water, I pondered how his absence might reshape my own role at work. Would Violet step in as my supervisor? I hoped so. If anyone had to take over, I wanted it to be her.

‘You’ll get another chance, Will,’ I said as I raised the cup to his lips. ‘Brooding over it won’t change anything. What’s important is that you’re here.’

‘Oh, let me whinge,’ he said, sounding a tad annoyed. ‘I know you’re right, but my feelings haven’t caught up yet.’

I caressed his cheek as he drank. ‘Whinge all you like, darling. I didn’t mean to dismiss your feelings.’

‘Darling,’ he echoed, a hint of surprise in his voice as I set the empty cup on the bedside table. ‘Was I dreaming, or are you actually my girlfriend now?’

I chuckled, my heart fluttering in my chest at the thought of being his – his love, his partner, his everything. ‘I am most definitely your girlfriend, William.’

His eye widened, his lips parting with shock. Beside him, the machine monitoring his heart started beeping faster. ‘Does that mean…?’

I swallowed, understanding what he was hinting at – he was wondering if I would stay by his side, even if he was the father of Francesca’s baby. I paused for a moment, not out of doubt but to align my words with my heart.

‘Yes,’ I said, answering his silent question. He stared at me, patiently waiting for me to say more, his gaze so intense that my chest tightened, a pressure building inside.

Nodding faintly, I sat down beside him and took his hand. My heart pounded fiercely against my ribcage, urging me to speak the words I’d held back for too long. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, I glanced down at our intertwined fingers, gently toying with his. The gravity of what I was about to declare made my stomach coil. I had never told a man I loved him before, not like this.

It didn’t matter that this wasn’t the setting I had originally imagined for my confession. To hell with the perfect spot and the perfect time. To hell with those stupid romantic ideas about when and how to confess. I had come to realise that there would never be a time more perfect than now, because time didn’t wait for anyone. It didn’t care about dreams, feelings, or even people. It kept moving and didn’t bow to anyone. I had to bow to it. The present was the only promise it could make, and all I could do was choose what to do with it – whether to seize the opportunities it provided.

I would definitely seize this one.

‘William, there’s something I’ve been needing to say,’ I began, my voice steady despite the racing of my heart. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my gaze to his. ‘I already told you, in the ambulance, but you were unconscious, so I doubt you heard me.’

His Adam’s apple bobbed. ‘Heard what?’

‘When… Last night…’ I exhaled a long, shaky breath as the harsh memories flooded back, unrelenting in their brutality. There had been so much blood. He had lain there so still, so devastatingly silent.

‘I just…’ I grimaced, choking with emotion. ‘For a moment, I really thought I might lose you, and all I could think about was what I would do if that happened. I couldn’t bear even the thought, Will. I would’ve completely lost the plot.’

‘Hey,’ he said softly, his grip tightening on my hand. ‘I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.’

‘I was so scared,’ I squeaked, fresh tears clouding my vision. ‘And it made me realise how foolish I’ve been –how important you are to me. Faced with the prospect of losing you, everything became crystal clear.’ I sniffed and wiped my nose. ‘And because of that, this one thing kept eating away at me, and it’s that I haven’t acknowledged us for what we truly are. I just need to say it now, because I learned yesterday that I can be too late.’

He watched me intently, his breath seemingly held in suspense. Next to us, the monitor charting his heart rate went berserk. I squeezed his hand at the sound, worrying.

‘Are you okay?’

His jaw tensed briefly. ‘Yes. Please, just ignore it. Go on,’ he urged.

Nodding, I inhaled deeply and dried my cheeks. ‘William, I… I am completely in love with you. I love you, utterly, and I’ll never stop.’

His eye widened, glistening with emotion. ‘Really?’ he breathed, almost inaudibly.

---