Page 136 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

I don’t move...I can’t speak...

Eric tenses up. He’s nervous. He wants me to say something.

“I’m a dickhead,” he says.

“You are, my friend. You are,” says Björn.

My guy extends his hand to his good friend, and, moments later, they embrace.

“I’m sorry, Björn. I’m so sorry.”

“You’re forgiven, dickhead,” says Björn.

They both smile.

They let go, and the nurses come to get Eric. They ask him to get back to his room. He shouldn’t be there in the hallway in his condition.

Everyone in the hospital lobby is watching us. This is surreal. There’s this guy wearing a hospital gown that reveals more than it covers struggling with the nurses and staring at me.

“I love you. Say something, sweetheart,” he says, those fiery eyes on me.

But I can’t and he insists.

“I’m not going to leave you, sweetheart. You’re my life, the woman I want, and I need you to forgive me for having been—”

“Such a dickhead,” I say, finishing his sentence.

Eric nods. I see in his eyes he needs me to embrace him. But I don’t. I’m so paralyzed I can’t even blink. Then he presses a button on my cell, and we hear a ringtone. “Si Nos Dejan.”

“I promised you I’d take care of you all my life, and I intend to do that,” he says.

It’s almost like we’re daring each other...

But eager to hug him because of what he’s just done and said, I take a step forward.

“First, let it be clear to you that, for me to leave you and want to live without you, something very...very...very bad has to happen. Second, I still want you to take care of me, but never again doubt me or Björn. And third, what are you doing showing your ass to the whole hospital, my love?”

We all laugh.

When I throw myself in his arms and feel him hugging me, I close my eyes, and I’m happy. People clap, and Björn walks behind his friend and whispers.

“Let’s go back to your room so you can stop showing off your ass.”

My tears wet Eric’s chest, and he squeezes me against him. “C’mon...Don’t cry, sweetheart. Please don’t cry.”

But I’m so excited...

So happy...

And so worried about him...

I cry and laugh uncontrollably.

Five minutes later, accompanied by Björn and the nurses, we’re back in his room. Eric had ripped off his IV, and they have to reconnect it. The nurses scold him. He won’t stop looking at me and smiling.

I’m the only thing he cares about!

Seeing everything is in order, Björn goes down to the cafeteria for some food. He insists I have to eat something, and, quickly, Eric supports him. Those two!

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