Page 68 of Someone Like You

“I’m not gonna let you think for one second?—”

“Oh my god I can’t take this,” Bri muttered, moving to the other side of Brody. I’d forgotten anyone else was in the room. “The only person whose fault this is is in jail, so shut up. Both of you. Quit blaming yourselves.”

“Hey Bri?” Brody said. “Can you get me a soda?”

“You just had heart surgery, I’m not giving you caffeine and sugar.”

“Fine, then a bottle of water.”

“You have a whole pitcher right there,” she said, pointing at a rolling table nearby.

“That’s tap water. I want abottle,” Brody gritted out.

Bri rolled her eyes and popped her gum, which is how I knew everything was going to be okay. “Fine. I know what you’re doing,” she grumbled. She kept grumbling as she left the room, and then Brody and I were alone.

“Where’d your uncle go?” I asked.

Brody’s gaze slid back to mine, then moved around my face, as if checking to make sure I was exactly how he’d left me. “He went to open the shop. I told him I’d be fine, and he can’t just keep it closed. Isaac…” he said quietly. He lifted a hand to gently run his fingers along my jaw, his eyes watching where he touched.

“I love you,” I blurted out. Surprised gray eyes flew to mine, and he let out a rough breath. I kept going. “I love you so much, Brody, and I’m sorry I was too scared to say it before. I debated writing you a poem, and I think maybe I would have, but then all this happened and I just—I can’t wait long enough to put this in writing, I just need you to know. Right now. And now you do. So, I love you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, although you’re not a thing, you’re a person, andoomph?—”

Brody grabbed the back of my neck and pressed his lips to mine, eating the rest of my rambling and making my entire body buzz with a warm, fizzing sensation that made me feel like I was about to float away. The kiss was gentle and reverent and tender, so sweet and full of affection that it cracked my heart open. I let the contents pour into that kiss, pour into Brody, fully givingmyself over to this big, beautiful man that I was absolutely gone for.

When he loosened his grip and let his head fall back onto the pillow, a lazy smile on his lips, he said, “I love you too, sweetheart. So much it hurts.”

“I think that’s probably the heart surgery you just had,” I whispered. He laughed and my eyes slid shut, savoring the sound. I opened them again and asked, “Did you talk to the doctor? What did he say?”

“Well, he said it was interesting that my husband and I aren’t wearing rings,” he said, and I groaned. “I told him they must have fallen off during the…tussle.”

My mouth gaped open. “Tussle? That’s the word you’re going with? Just a small tussle that led to major surgery for you? Fuck, Brody, I thought you weredead!”

His gaze softened, and there was pain in it, too. “But I’m not,” he said quietly. “I’m okay. And I’llbeokay.” He cupped my face with both hands, brushing his thumbs under my eyes, and I realized I’d started crying again. Was there not a limit to how much a person could cry in under twenty four hours? There damn well should be.

“Brody…I was so fucking worried about you. You have no idea how glad I am that you’re okay. If I lost you, right when I found you…” I couldn’t finish the thought. It was too much.

“But you didn’t,” he said, ever the voice of reason. Always stopping my spiraling thoughts before they got out of control. “I wouldn’t change a single thing that happened, Isaac. If I wasn’t there to…” He closed his eyes, sighed, then opened them again. “I’m glad I was there to protect you.”

Oh fuck me, my heart. I turned my head and kissed his palm, my voice rough as I said, “Yeah. I—fuck, Brody, I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” he said with a small smile. “The doctor said I’d probably have to stay here for five days, maybe a week depending on how quickly I recover, and then stay at home for the next few weeks after that. They prescribed me a bunch of stuff I’ll have to take, too. Antibiotics, an anticoagulant, and a beta blocker. I can’t do anything strenuous and I won’t be able to work for a while. At least a month. Maybe more. I might have to do some cardiac rehabilitation program if the doctor thinks that’s what I need. I’m gonna be pretty useless, honestly.”

“No. Nope. You don’t get to do that. Whatever you need, I’ll be there to give it to you, okay? If you need me to stay with you and wait on you hand and foot, that’s what I’m gonna do. But you arenotuseless, Brody. You’ve been through a major trauma and now you’re in recovery, and I love you. It’s my job to take care of you. No, not job, poor word choice. It’s my honor, and Igettake care of you. So that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna give you whatever you need.”

Brody’s lips quirked in amusement at my angry tirade, and he said, “That was hot. Too bad I can’t have sex for a while, because damn…I really want you to give me whatever I need. Really give it to me.”

Unbelievable. A laugh huffed from my lips as I stared down at him. “God, I even love you when you’re being ridiculous.”

“Ditto,” he said, fully grinning now.

In that moment, I knew love wasn’t a static thing. It had the ability to grow, to deepen, to strengthen. And my love for Brody would keep on doing exactly that, I had no doubt. It already was.

The door to the room burst open as Brody and I were staring at each other with hearts in our eyes, and Bri said, “Ugh.” She walked over to Brody and held out a water bottle that was half full.

“Uh…you couldn’t get me a new one?”

“That is new, but I had to walk ten miles just to find a vending machine, and excuse me for not allowing myself to get dehydrated on the journey I tookfor you.”

Brody scoffed and took the water, uncapped it, and I was transfixed by the way his throat muscles worked as he swallowed sip after sip.

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