Page 121 of Cross Check Hearts

By the time the hospital discharges me a few hours later, Declan has already called a car to take me home, although my mother and father were both falling all over themselves to drive me. They don’t seem like they want to let me out of their sight, walking alongside us as Declan pushes me in a wheelchair through the hospital and down to the exit, and they both give me big hugs before he helps me into the back seat of the car.

Declan climbs in beside me, and we’re just pulling out onto the street when his phone starts ringing.

“It’s my mom,” he says, glancing down at the screen. “I should take this.”

“Of course,” I tell him. After what I just went through, I would never want to come between him and checking on his mom. They exchange pleasantries, but then I hear his mom’s voice on the line asking about me.

“Do you want to talk to her? Okay, hold on. Here, it’s for you,” Declan says and passes me the phone. “I was texting with her last night and told her what was going on. She wants to make sure you’re okay.”

Shocked, I take it and hold it to my ear. “Hi, Ms. Murray.”

“Hi, Hannah. I’m so happy to hear you’re okay. I was worried sick all night about you after Declan told me.”

“Really?”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” his mother says with a warm laugh. “My son’s world revolves around you. That makes you family, and we Murrays put family above everything else.”

“Thank you, that’s so sweet,” I tell her, blinking rapidly. I’ve cried enough for a whole week over the past twenty-four hours, but at least these are happy tears. Declan beams at me and squeezes my leg with his hand.

“Of course. I told Declan to program my number into your phone. If you need anything—anything at all—don’t hesitate to call me. Anytime. Even if it’s just because you’re lonely while Declan’s out of town for a game.”

I laugh. “Okay, I will. Thank you again.” I pass the phone back to Declan and he wraps up their conversation quickly, then drops his phone on the seat between us. “She’s amazing.”

Declan pecks a kiss on my cheek. “So are you, so it only makes sense that you’d get along.”

The rest of the ride back to my apartment passes quickly, and Declan goes inside ahead of me. By the time I make it to my room, he’s already got the bed made and the pillows fluffed and waiting for me. The doctor told me to rest and take it easy, and apparently Declan’s taking that very seriously.

“Right here,” he says, patting my side of the bed as Ralph slinks between and rubs against his legs, purring. She’s as in love with him as ever, and I know exactly how she feels. I lie down gently on the bed, and Declan helps position the pillows under my head and legs so I’m perfectly comfortable. As he reaches to pull the covers up over me, I grab his hand to stop him.

“What do you need?” he asks, his brows furrowed.

“You. Just you.” Smiling, he climbs into bed beside me and pulls me into his arms. “I love you.”

He brushes my hair out of my face and kisses my forehead. “I love you too.” We linger in the silence and the glow of the feelings between us, but something’s still gnawing at me. Finally, I sit up to look down at him.

“I’m sorry for pushing you away. But after the way we lost Casey, I thought I knew what things were going to look like for me, and I couldn’t bear to put you through that.”

“It’s okay. I understand. But from here on out, I want you to know you can tell me anything. No more hiding things from each other, even if it’s supposed to protect. Because I want to be there for you, but I can’t do that if you won’t let me.”

I nod, and he pulls me down to kiss him again. I’ve lost track of the number of times we’ve kissed, but there’s something potent in this one. It’s like everything we’ve ever wanted to say but couldn’t or didn’t have the words for is coming out now, sealed between us.

Declan must be feeling it too because the kiss quickly heats up, but when I try to slip my hand beneath the waistband of his pants, he grabs my wrist and stops me gently. “You need rest, hummingbird, which means I’m not going to fuck you right now.”

I can’t help pouting a bit at that. He’s right, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing.

He chuckles at my reaction, pressing another chaste kiss to my lips before he adds, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t find another way to entertain you. Hold on.”

Before I can figure out what he means or what he’s up to, he bounces off the bed and goes to pick up the remote for the TV in my room. He turns it on and puts on a movie, a romcom I haven’t seen or heard of, then disappears for a few moments. I hear him rummaging around in the kitchen, and eventually he comes back with a little bag full of stuff. He brings it back to the bed and opens it up, revealing crochet supplies. “I left this here just in case.”

I laugh as I pull out some of the supplies. “Just in case what? You got stranded here and couldn’t crochet?”

Declan winks at me. “Something like that. Here, I’ll show you how to do it,” he says and pulls out the crochet hook and some yarn to demonstrate how it’s done.

I’m hopeless at it, but I’m sure he wasn’t very good when he first started either. And whether I make a mitten full of holes or a masterpiece blanket, I don’t really care. All that matters to me is being here, with him, and spending time together like this.

I curl up in his arms, and he rests his hands on my stomach, still crocheting. He makes it look so fast, so effortless, and I can’t take my eyes off the magic he’s working. I lean deeper into his embrace, and as I breathe in his familiar cedar scent, a sudden thought hits me.

This thing between us wasneverjust about sex. Not even close.

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