Page 35 of Shared

“You’ve been out of it for days, Con.” He smirks with a hint of uncomfortable nervousness. “You scared the fucking shit out of us.”

I try to sit up, but my body protests; the effort echoing from my chest with a grunt. I sink back against the pillow, wincing at the throbbing inside my side and chest.

“Easy, big guy,” Layla croons from a seat beside my bed. She looks like she’s been through the wringer—they all do—her clothes rumpled, face makeup-less, and her hair in a tousled bun atop her head. “Your body… You’ve been through a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, closing my eyes for a moment as I try to steady myself. While I won’t admit it to anyone, it’s clear I’m not exactly in a condition to do much. I feel like I’ve been hit by a fucking Guinness truck.

Elena steps into the room quietly, as if she doesn’t want to disturb any of us. Lingering by the door, she looks both relieved and worried. I can’t help but smile at the sight of her. “Conor,” she exhales softly, walking to the side of the bed and taking the seat Layla is vacating.

“Cailín leanbh,” I rasp, trying to lift my hand to her. It feels like lifting a ton of bricks, but I manage. She takes it, and her fingers are warm against my skin. Holding both my girls, I momentarily forget about the pain tearing through my side.

Elena’s smile fades a little, and her brows tighten with her lightly clenched jaw. “You scared the hell out of me, Conor. We didn’t know if you were going to… Well… If you were going to…” She trails off, unable to finish her thought, her eyes dropping to my hand as she fights back tears.

I squeeze her fingers, trying to reassure her. “I’m fine. I just… feel like I’ve been hit by a freight train, but I’ll survive.”

Liam snorts from the other side of the bed. “A freight train, huh? More like a freight train and semi-truck. Maybe a few cars, too.”

Declan lets out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “That’s one way to put it.”

I roll my eyes, though it makes my head spin a little. “Yeah, whatever. I’m not dead, so quit with the jokes. I’m trying to fucking recover over here.”

They all laugh, and it’s like the tension that has been building breaks a little. I want to stay in this moment, but every bit of my body is demanding rest. Trying to ignore the dull throb in my chest, I grit, “I think I might go back to sleep for a while. It’s been a hell of a week.”

“You’ve been asleep for a fucking week,” Tristan quips, leaning back against the wall. “You sure you don’t want to stay awake for a little longer and enjoy the celebrations? I’ll grab you a Jameson.”

I shoot him a look, half amused and half too tired to argue. “You guys have fun with that. I’m good with more sleep.”

“Sleep? Over whiskey?” Tristan cocks an amused brow. “Next, you’ll be choosing sleep over sex.”

Liam and Declan exchange a quick glance before chuckling.

“I’ll stay with you,” Elena says gently, her voice a soft comfort. I glance over at her, and she smiles. It’s not her usually bright smile, but it’s enough for me.

“You sure you want to?” I mumble, my voice still thick with grogginess. “I’ll just… snore and drool all over you.”

She laughs softly, shaking her head. “I don’t mind. I’d rather have you alive, blanket hogging, drool and all.” She leans down to kiss my forehead, and it’s enough to make me feel her warmth spread through me.

My brothers and sisters-in-law make uncharacteristically quick work of saying their goodbyes, leaving me alone with my girls.

Victoria steps beside the bed. Her face is pale, and her hair is mussed, but she is still as beautiful as ever. “Is this okay?” she asks, lifting the sheet and hesitantly climbing onto the bed. Inod, and she doesn’t hesitate. She slides into the bed beside me, her body fitting against mine. She curls into my side and rests her head on my chest.

Elena climbs into bed beside us until I feel her warmth against my side. “I don’t want to get too close… to hurt you,” she whispers, instead of snuggling into me.

“I’ll be okay,” I assure her. “You won’t hurt me. But even if you did, it would be worth it.”

Elena scoots closer until her body is lightly pressed against the bandages on my side, and her head is resting on my shoulder. It hurts like fucking hell, but I’d endure far worse to have both of them in my arms again.

I want to lie here and talk, but I can’t. My eyes flutter shut, exhaustion finally settling in. The ache in my chest and the sharp, pulsing pain of my wounds is pushed into the background as my mind drifts—focusing on the sound of Elena’s breathing, the steady rhythm of Victoria’s heartbeat, and the warmth of their bodies against mine—lulling me into the deep, comforting darkness of sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

VICTORIA

“Hey, sleepy girl.” Conor’s deep voice wakes me. His fingers run along my face, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Do you plan to sleep all day?”

I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep, but I could sleep for days. Forcing my eyes open, I glance over Conor’s chest to find the other side of the bed empty. “Where’s Elena?”

“She got up a couple of hours ago,” he informs me, continuing to stroke my face. “She made me promise not to wake you for a while, because you ‘really needed to get some sleep.’”

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