Page 105 of Tight End

The drugs are definitely having an effect. But I’m lucid enough to know that I don’t want to see my father.

“He’s poison,” I mumble through the wads of imaginary cotton in my mouth. “I don’t want that in my life. And great that he’s backpedaling now that I almost died. If I wasn’t on the brink of death, he wouldn’t have come. If he wants to redeem his black soul, he’s gonna have to find another way to do it. I’m done.”

“Don’t thinkthat I’ve forgotten about that wiseass crack you made back at my apartment,” Sam says, holding my hand close to his lips the next night. The sky outside of my window has turned into a dark, dusky blue.

I’ve graduated to a level below the ICU where I’m in a VIP recovery wing.

And thankfully, the pain is about a five instead of a nine.

God bless those nurses and their magic needles of good stuff.

I furrow my brow. “You can narrow it down to one?”

“The only one that stung.” Sam grins. “That bullshit you spewed about Travis Kelce. You remember?”

“Ah,” I say, chuckling. “You didn’t like that, did you? I was banking on that.”

“You know it’s a load of crap. I’m a hundred times better than he is.” He pauses, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Although, he does have Taylor. That ups his cred.”

“You’ve got me to up your cred.”

“Do I?” Sam cocks his head to the side. “She’s pretty huge.”

I snort. “Please. I’m way hotter.”

“Maybe so, but she wrote a song about him and she’s worth a shit ton more than you.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“No, it’s confirmed. I googled.”

“Whatever. I’m way better arm candy.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” He waggles his eyebrows at me.

“So sensitive,” I say with a smirk. “What’s the matter? You can’t take a joke?”

“Okay, pot. Or do you want to be the kettle?” Sam leans forward, a serious expression clouding his face. “It was a dickhead thing to say, but I said some dumb stuff too.”

“Yep, like how I need to heal on my own. Cold, dude. Ice fucking cold.”

Sam sighs and drops his eyes. “I didn’t mean any of it. I was just scared to fall in love with you, that maybe your feelings weren’t the same as mine.”

A lump lodges itself in my throat, goosebumps pebbling my skin. “And what about now? Are you still scared?”

He said love.

Does he love me?

Sam looks back at me. “No, I’m not. I decided I didn’t care about the risk. Being with you would be worth it.”

“I shouldn’t have left your apartment. I should have told you the truth.” I take a deep breath. “That I didn’t want to lose you to Jack or anyone else. And that I love you.” A smile lifts my lips. “I think I have ever since you attacked the guy who stabbed me that night in the hospital.”

A light breaks over Sam’s face. “I’ve loved you since that night in the chapel two years ago,” he murmurs. “And I always knew we’d find eachother again.”

“This time, I won’t let go.”

“Me either.”

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