Page 41 of One Whopper of a Love Story

“I’m done with it. Will you put it somewhere? Just don’t look at it.” Her breath still sounded heavy.

Ants hadn’t bothered her since the day we’d met. Why now? While they deserved partial credit for us meeting, today they were ruining the birthday plans.

“Let me pick up your stuff. Then we’ll get you checked out. Do you have any Benadryl with you?”

She nodded.

I scanned the ground until I found her pill box and shoved everything else that looked like hers back into her purse. Ants crawled on the outside of her bag and completely covered one of her Pixie Stix. I left that one on the side of the road. The ants probably hitched a ride when she dropped her purse onto the sidewalk.

After shaking her purse and making sure there were no stowaways, I handed her two pills. “Let me grab water. I have a few bottles in the back seat.”

She swallowed down the pills but stayed quiet, and that worried me.

“Layla.” I leaned down to look her in the eye. “Are you okay?”

Her chest rose with effort. “It’s not working. Usually, it works. But it still feels like someone is sitting on me.” Tears brimmed in her eyes, ripping my heart into shreds.

“Do you have another injector?”

“I usually carry two.” She pressed a fist to the center of her chest. “In my purse.”

Instead of digging through her purse, I dumped it into the back seat. I didn’t remember picking up a second injector, but maybe it hadn’t fallen out. No such luck. There was no other injector.

“I can’t find the other one.” My brain raced. “Let’s just get you to the hospital or the fire station. I bet the EMTs will have what you need.”

“Nico.” She grabbed my shirt. “If...” Sucking in a shallow breath after the word, she stared at me. “I don’t make it...”

“Don’t talk that way. You’re just feeling panic because of everything.” I whipped around and scanned the ground. Had I missed it in the grass?

Hearing the panic and desperation in her voice made my chest ache. I didn’t want her thinking about dying, and I definitely didn’t want to think about that.

She grasped the hem of my t-shirt. “Please.”

Giving up my hunt, I faced her, not at all prepared to handle the tears sliding down her cheeks.

I clasped both of her hands between mine. “Tell me.” If she needed to say something, I could be strong enough to listen. But I’d only give her about five seconds because then I was speeding to the nearest fire station.

“I love you.” She blinked, then shifted as she leaned in for a kiss, more of a quick peck.

This was not how this story ended.

Not if I had anything to do with it.

I grabbed her jeans off the ground. “Hold that thought and hang on.” I swung her door closed, and there on the ground was her other injector, tucked against the tire.

Now she wasn’t the only one crying. But mine were happy tears.

In half a second, I had the end off the injector and the door open. “Incoming.” That was probably a horrible warning, but that was the best I could manage.

When I jabbed it into her leg, she yelped in surprise. My thoughts boarded the needle train, and I blinked, trying to clear my head.

She touched my cheek, and my gaze snapped to hers.

Staring at her, my thoughts shifted to her admission and the panic swirling in my gut at the idea of losing her. “I love you too.” This time I was the one who yanked her to my lips.

Her squeak of delight made time slow.

I cupped her cheek, kissing her and completely forgetting to count. “I have no idea how long this has been in your leg.”

---