Page 130 of Always Knew It Was You

And thank God, I did.

I squeeze her tight now, the ringing in my ears finally diminishing enough to note that we’re surrounded by people. Somewhere, officers are barking out orders and apprehending the suspect. Somewhere else someone is asking me if I’m okay. But the only sound that matters to me right now is Carly. She’s crying while she grips me. Her body is shaking. Her soft rosy scent floods my nostrils.

She’s mumbling and telling me how scared she was, how she thought she would never see me again. Oh, God, me too. As much as I tried to shepherd my thoughts away from that direction, and as much as I tried to stay positive, there was a big part of me that was terrified that I would never see her again either.

“Micah,” she sobs against my chest.

“It’s okay,” I whisper, kissing her on her hair, all over her face, tasting her tears and savoring them because it means that she’s alive. “You’re okay.”

“Yeah, but you’re not.” Someone’s voice rudely intrudes and I almost tell them to go away but that would mean me stopping the whispering in her hair.

“Micah.” The voice is firmer this time. “You were shot.”

This breaks Carly out of her stupor and she leans away from me, but I move forward capturing her lips with mine. She groans into the kiss and so do I until she puts a hand on my chest and pushes me away.

“Wait, Micah,” she says. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s a flesh wound,” I say even though I have no idea if it is or isn’t. It doesn’t hurt that bad but maybe it’s because I’m focused on other things.

But since Carly won’t let it go, I glance down and finally notice the searing pain in my bloodied shoulder. I snort when I see it.

“I guess Declan and I will finally have matching gunshot scars now,” I say, and Carly offers me a trembling smile. One that makes me kiss her again.

It’s only when Silas threatens to brain me and warns me about the possibility of death by blood loss that I finally let her go and allow them to treat me with the first aid kit they brought along for this mission.

After the ambulance arrives and they stitch up my shoulder, I still keep a grip on Carly’s hand. We each give our statements to the officers, and she tells us everything that transpired. We match up her information with ours. It’s just as we suspected, but those men sound more insane than I imagined. Jesus. I understand the concept of wanting revenge (I was contemplating it myself if anything happened to Carly), but I can’t believe they would go to such lengths and involve innocent people in that. One of them killed Emma’s parents. The other one attempted to kill Carly.

And I would kill them for it, except the Burned Man is already dead and Hal’s father is in police custody. Luckily, Hal is alive and being held in the ambulance. He didn’t watch his father’s arrest.

Once we’re done, we’re asked to visit a hospital, but frankly, I just want to get back home. And I’m shocked to find that home to me is now Laketown. I want to go back there and feel the gentle breeze on my face, and pass by stretches of lake. I want to remember all the great memories Carly and I had there and not the fear that has plagued me for the past twelve or so hours.

Nevertheless, I need Carly to get checked up at least, so I have Declan’s security team drive us to the hospital. The four of them will probably be our new bodyguards and I’ll get to know them once I have the mental fortitude for it.

After about an hour at the hospital, during which it’s confirmed that none of us are gravely injured, we head to my grandfather’s townhouse. It’s currently teeming with security and it’s the only place I’ll feel safe.

Carly lies against my chest during the trip. Her hands squeeze mine as we arrive, entering the home.

My father is still there. He and my grandfather are at the dining room table and both look like they haven’t slept all night.

They stand as we walk in.

“Micah,” my father says.

“I’m fine, Dad,” I tell him before he can ask. I wrap my arm around Carly’s waist. “We’re fine.”

A part of me can’t believe she’s here with me and it feels like this might all be a dream. It’s why I haven’t been able to let her go. I don’t think I’ll be able to let her go ever again.

“You were shot,” my father says, looking at my shoulder. I’m still wearing my bloody shirt but the shoulder’s bandaged underneath.

“It’s just a flesh wound. The paramedic and the doctor said that the bullet missed any major ligaments or arteries.”

My father doesn’t respond. He simply walks to me and draws me into a tight hug, carefully so as not to jostle the shoulder.

And then his other arm wraps around Carly too drawing her in too.

I’m surprised. I’m not used to my father showing such affection. I pat his back awkwardly as he breathes heavily.

“I’m just glad you’re both okay,” he says shakily.

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