Page 26 of Mastered By Bliss

Emphasis on theworse, I guess.

“Leah?”Lauren squats down next to me.

I hadn’t realized I sat down on one of the book boxes.

“Are you okay?”She puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Yeah.”

It’s a lie.I just figured out why I’m not okay, and why I never will be.

8

Gage

“Gage.”Claudia’s tone is firm.She’s in her hospital bed, but she sits on the edge, wearing her own clothes—one of her favorite sweatsuits that someone probably fetched from the adjacent rehab center.A nurse came by a while ago to tell her she can be discharged.“Go back to SE.I’m fine—I’m being sent back to rehab.Jess is fine.There’s nothing for you to do here except hover around, intimidating the doctors.”

“Are you shooing me out of the hospital?”

She nods.“Jess would say the same.I’ll be close by, I’ll visit her every day.And you’ll be safer away from here.The doctors will be safer, too.”

“Am I really intimidating the doctors?”

“Their egos are in grave danger.You’re too handsome and it’s throwing them off.”

I laugh, squeeze her hand goodbye, and leave her hospital room.Her Ironwood bodyguard nods at my Ironwood bodyguard.I made sure both Jess and Claudia will be covered until we get to the bottom of this.

As I make my way to the exit, a tall, brown-haired nurse is staring at me.I’d normally pretend not to notice, but Leah must be rubbing off on me, because I shake his hand and introduce myself.

Relief floods his features and his cheeks flush.“D’you think…I hate to be unprofessional, but could I get a selfie?”

“No,” I say reflexively, then soften it.“Sorry, I’m trying to lie low.I could sign something for you.”

“That would be great.I’m such a fan.Have you been watching the latest season of AoG?I wish they’d bring Zeke back—he was my absolute favorite.”

The nurse’s admiration is so pure, I reevaluate my feelings about photographs.After I finish signing, I take off my glasses.“You know what?Go ahead, let’s do the selfie.It would mean a lot if you kept it off of social media, though.”

“I swear I won’t post it, Mr.Hawthorne.”He makes the G symbol over his heart—a gesture popularized in later seasons of the show.

We take the photo.I put my glasses back on and then I’m on my way out of the hospital.

“Do you think we can make it to San Esteban by eight?”I ask my bodyguard, a dark-haired guy named Jake.

He looks at his watch.“Definitely.”

He unlocks the car and I slide into the back seat.My phone is in my hand and I’m dialing Leah before Jake starts the car.

She answers, breathless.“Gage.Are you all right?”

“Yes.Dinner tonight.You, me, Dmitri.We have a lot to talk about.”

“You’re coming home?”

“I’m on my way, sweetheart.I’ll see you soon.”

Next, I call Dmitri.We arrange to meet in advance of dinner.If we’re going to woo Leah for a long-term, permanent relationship, we need to do it as a unit.

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