Page 110 of Rebel Heart
If what he’d experienced had been anything like I had—again, I suspected it was worse for him—then thesefew minutes weren’t about anything other than needing to decompress and come back to reality with the person we loved most in the world.
Finally, Beau dared to loosen his hold on me. Part of me believed it was only so he could take me in once more to be sure I was real.
“It’s okay,” I assured him, curling my fingers around his. “I’m okay now.”
“I was so scared. I’ve never been so terrified in all my life.”
I sent him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was feeling, and I just assumed the worst. That fear of losing this baby was so real in those moments, but I probably shouldn’t have said anything when I didn’t know what was actually happening.”
He squeezed my hand, lifted it to his lips, and kissed my knuckles. “I don’t need any apologies, angel. You didn’t do anything wrong. You did everything right. And I’m so, so proud of you for fighting to keep our baby safe.”
“Did they tell you what happened?”
Beau nodded. “They did. And from now on, I’m monitoring your water intake, because you never drink as much as you should, and I can’t go through this again. I can’t watch you go through this again.”
“You’re going to be the water police now?”
“Damn right. And I don’t want to hear a word about it from you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“How do you feel now?”
“Relieved. Like I don’t have all this pressure in mybelly. But parts of me are tender. Regardless, a major improvement from this morning.”
He smiled at me. “Good. I heard you refused to answer any questions when you woke up in recovery.”
“Well, they made it so I felt like they’d delivered my baby. I swear, I was convinced I was no longer pregnant.”
A chuckle escaped, and he leaned forward to touch his lips to mine. It seemed he’d only intended for it to be a chaste kiss, but after one soft peck, he decided he hadn’t gotten enough. I didn’t mind, but I refused to allow him to sweep his tongue into my mouth. When I wouldn’t let him, he pulled back and gave me an odd look. “What’s that about?”
“Did you forget I vomited this morning?” I pointed to the movable table in my room. “That cup is filled with flavored ice chips, which is basically like having a snow cone, but I’m not convinced that’s masking the vomit.”
“Jules, I thought a doctor was going to walk out and give me the worst news of my life today. I do not care if you think you have bad breath. Kiss me.”
When he put it like that while looking at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world, I couldn’t deny him.
And after he’d gotten his fill, he reached for the cup and said, “You need to get to work on that. I’m monitoring your fluid intake starting now.”
I held up my hand and waved it around. “Beau, I’m attached to an IV. I won’t get dehydrated now.”
He narrowed his eyes on me. “I don’t care.”
Beau was serious. But I also realized this had beenincredibly difficult for him. So, I used the spoon, scooped up some orange-flavored ice, and mumbled, “Grumpy old man.”
“Did you just call me old?”
I grinned. “You can’t get mad at me today. I had surgery.”
“Oh, I see that’s how we’re going to play this.”
“Better to play than fight, isn’t it?”
His eyes roamed over my face, and I swore it was like he was looking at me for the first time. “After a day like today, I’m not sure there’s anything you could do that would ever upset me to the point I’d fight with you. Nothing is that important.”
I held a spoonful of ice up to his lips. “I agree.”
Even though he took a bite, he said, “That’s for you.”
