Page 173 of Just This Once

“Well, we’re going to give you a little privacy,” Hudson spoke up first, leaning out to wave at me. “But we’ll still be around, rooting for you, darlin’. You’ve got this.”

I waved back. “Thanks, Sleepy. Faith.” When Damien, Oaklynn, and Keene moved to follow them, wishing me luck, I flicked my hand in acknowledgment at them as well.

Next out was Foster and Raina.

I whispered, “Thanks again,” to Xander as she went with them.

Nina squeezed my arm before she leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Just so you know, I called your mother.”

I glanced at her and nodded when I saw the sympathy and apology in her gaze. “It’s okay,” I assured. “I knew she wouldn’t come. She told me she wouldn’t if I left Ohio.”

Nina’s face filled with pity anyway. “I’m so sorry, dear.”

“We can make her come if you want her here,” Alec swore.

But I shook my head. “No. I already have everyone here that I want.”

He smiled and leaned over to kiss my forehead as he stood. Then he whispered, “I’ll be back later. Good luck.”

He followed his mom toward the hall, and when he passed by Parker who was still stalled in the doorway, the two bumped fists, clearly still on good terms.

And then there was only Parker.

I swallowed thickly, watching him as he slipped his hands into the pockets of his board shorts and stepped into the room.

Focusing on the foot of my bed, he didn’t lift his gaze to me until he reached my side. But his eyes filled as soon as he did.

Sniffing out a bitter laugh, he glanced away to wipe at the tears.

“You lied to me,” he accused.

I cringed. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

With a scoff, he shook his head. “I’m so fucking mad at you right now. If you’d justtoldme it was this urgent, I could’ve found you a donor sooner—before something likethishappened.” He motioned around the room wildly before pinning me with a glare. “Hell, I could’ve stopped drinking so I could clean out myownliver because—guess what?—I’m a fucking O negative, too. I hadeverythingcompatible to save you, but they wouldn’t let me because of how much I drink. But I would’ve stopped. For you, I would’ve—Jesus. If you’d just fucking toldme.”

“But then we wouldn’t have gotten all that time together,” I murmured. “You would’ve consumed yourself with trying to save me, and I wouldn’t have crossed anything off my bucket list. I wouldn’t have gotten to live. And I gotta tell you, Grumpy. These last few weeks with you—living—they were the very best weeks of my life. Ilikedgetting to be with you.”

His face broke, and more tears tumbled down his cheeks. “Dammit, Hope.” Falling to his knees at my bedside, he gripped my hands and kissed them. “You put everything in jeopardy by not telling me. What if you code tonight before the surgery is scheduled to start? What if you’re so far gone already that the new liver doesn’t take? What if youdie? We could’ve taken care of this already if you weren’t so damn difficult.”

“But I’m not difficult, remember?” I teased with a soft smile as I ran a hand over his hair. “I’m just always right. And itwas right to spend time with you instead of worrying about the inevitable.”

“Yeah,” he muttered, clearly not agreeing. “Except you made me care, and now, if I lose you in the next twenty-four hours, I’m going to—I can’t fucking lose you, Trouble. Jesus.” Wiping at his soaked cheeks, he scowled. “How could you do this to me?”

“I’m sorry,” was all I could think to say. “But I warned you. This is why it was only supposed to be one time. You were never supposed to care. It was never supposed to go this far.”

Parker simply shook his head and sent me a lost look, so I repeated, “I’m sorry.”

Hissing out a defeated breath, he finally answered, “I’m not. You’re right. These were the best days of my life too. I just need more.” Surging up so he could press his face to mine, he cupped my hair in his hands and said, “I need you to survive this, okay? I need you to come back to me so we can finish the list and live happily ever after together.Staywith me.Alright?”

“Parker,” I breathed, closing my eyes and inhaling his scent. It’d been worth it, I decided. The heartbreak. The lies. The secrets. I’d gotten to live as I never had before. No matter what happened next, this had been worth it.

“What color is the cloud in your ghost amulet now?” I asked.

He shook his head, swallowing loudly. “I can’t look at it.”

I nudged his arm. “Aren’t you curious?”

“I’m terrified,” he ground out, sending me a hard look.

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