Page 119 of Secret Love

Dr. Grinstead looks at him and then me in surprise, and I laugh.

“He’s feeling all the love right now,” I say.

“Somuch love,” Henley says, beaming up at me.

The guys come in to say hi, and Henley is just as dreamy-eyed with them.

“I love you guys,” he says over and over. He points at Penn. “Even you. Especially you, pretty boy.”

Penn beams. “I knew you did.” He elbows Weston. “What did I say when we first became friends with these guys? I said I’m gonna win Henley Ward over if it’s the last thing I do.”

Everyone laughs.

“You’ve had my heart from day one. All of it,” Henley says, laughing along with everyone else. “And you and you and you and you.” He points to the rest of us.

“It’s a fucking love fest in here,” Rhodes says, wiping the tears from his face. “And I, for one, could not be happier about it. You’re gonna be just fine, Hen. We’ll make sure of it.”

“Damn straight, we will,” Bowie says.

They put their fists together and lift them up the way they do when they’re out on the field, and my heart nearly bursts with love and relief and gratitude.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

WITNESSES

HENLEY

I groan when I wake up. The pain in my leg is screaming, but the nausea overrides everything.

“Oh, shit.” I sit up and look around, fumbling to grab the small wastebasket by the side of the bed.

Tru put it there a week ago in case I needed to throw away Kleenex or wrappers from the fruit snacks and nuts I’ve been eating. Thank God she did.

She rushes to my side as I’m emptying my stomach in the trash. She makes concerned sounds and when I’m done and lean back, she looks at me with such compassion, my heart twists.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I croak.

“What did I say about no more apologizing?” Her hand is tender as she brushes my hair back.

I don’t remember what she said about apologizing and I feel too wrung out to ask her.

She sets the garbage can down and sits carefully on the bed. I grab one of the wrapped peppermints we keep by the bed and pop one in my mouth to get the foul taste out and so I hopefully don’t gross Tru out any further.

“I’ll take care of that in a sec. After we’re sure you’re not going to throw up again,” she says, tilting her head toward the garbage. “You’re not feeling so good, huh?” She makes a face. “There I go, stating the obvious.”

“I’m okay. I guess I don’t react that great to anesthesia.”

I’d hoped they’d only have to do an epidural nerve block, but due to the extent of the injury, I was completely knocked out.

She studies my face and then bites her lower lip. I reach out and rub my thumb over her lip.

“You slept a while. I almost woke you up to take your meds, but you were sleeping so peacefully, I couldn’t do it.” She seems shy or nervous and when she glances up at me, her head still lowered, I put my hand on her thigh and squeeze.

“Thank you for being here. Where’s my mom though? I thought she’d relieve you by now. It’s a gorgeous day out there. You don’t need to be stuck in this dark, dreary house.”

Hurt flashes over her face. “There’s nowhere I want to be but right here with you, Henley. Stop trying to send me away. I knew the proposal earlier was the drugs talking, but telling me to go out now and enjoy the day when you’ve just gotten out of surgery?” A choked laugh comes out of her and she shakesher head, standing up. “It’s a little extreme.” She picks up the garbage and starts walking to the bathroom. “I wasn’t going to hold you to it anyway, don’t worry.”

She disappears into the bathroom and I stare after her, my head pounding. My eyes close as I try to piece out what she just said. She comes in a few minutes later and hands me the medicine I’m supposed to take with a glass of water.

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