Page 182 of The Elusive Billionaire
He hasn’t left my side. Not once.
When the doctors told him my chances of waking up were essentially nonexistent, he told them to get out and brought in new doctors.
He’s been my advocate, my caregiver, my protector, even when all evidence told him he should prepare to move on.
The nurse wheels over a table with a plastic cup of ice water, then leaves the room.
Grey stands sentinel in the corner, almost as if he’s afraid to make any sudden movements. I’m so tired, but I have so much I need to say.
“I’m sorry,” I say. The weight of releasing those two words attempts to lull me to sleep.
“Stop. We don’t have to do this.”
I flinch as though he struck me. His words are so similar to the ones he uttered when he learned I was Firefly, and it sends panic racing through me.
I knew this would happen, right? I knew that lying to him a second time would be the final nail in our coffin.
Without making eye contact, I lift my hand to keep him from speaking. I have to get this out before he leaves.
“I didn’t mean any of it. I swear I didn’t. I don’t hate you. I don’t hate anything about you.”
He crosses the room with three long strides.
“I know you don’t think of me as a replacement for your sister. I know that you want to fix my demons, not me. I know that you loved me, and I’m so sorry I lied to you again. I’m so sorry I broke us.”
Greedily, I gulp for air. “You are my hero, Grey. You’re the hero in my story, and I’m sorry I said words I knew would hurt you. I’m so sorry.”
He leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Are you done now?”
Feebly, I shake my head no. “I have so many other apologies to make, but everything hurts, so I’ll have to make a full apology tour at a later date if you’ll let me. But I need you to know one thing.”
His thumb gently caresses my cheek. “What’s that, Monroe?”
“I love you. With my whole heart, body, and soul, I love you.” The heaviness in my chest squeezes a little more tightly.
“I know. That’s why I’m here. My love isn’t past tense, sweetheart, it’s here, now, alive and thriving. I saw through your plan the moment you ran. I knew you were choosing words as the most painful weapons in your arsenal, but I understood what you were doing. And even if I didn’t know how you felt about me, I know you would have never left Clover in that condition if you had any other choice.”
Clover. What happened to Clover?
My unasked question must show on my face because he frowns. “Do you remember Clover passing out when Valen showed up?”
“Valen?” I attempt to sit up too quickly, and it feels as though I’m being electrocuted by a million live wires.
“What do you remember, sweetheart?”
“The line dancing and the fair. I remember Madi being hungry. Then…then yelling really horrible things at you. But I don’t…” I search the room as though it will fill in the blanks for me. “I’m missing things, Grey. Like a hole in my memory.” Tears slide down my face in a constant stream of emotion. “Will this, what if I can’t remember? How will I testify to put Riley in jail? Oh, God?—”
“Hey, hey.” Grey runs his palms over my biceps, careful to avoid the fracture at my elbow that has apparently already had surgery. “That won’t matter. There were enough of us there that witnessed everything…” He chokes on a sob. His chin quivers, and the torment is written all over his expression.
“We saw it happen, baby. There are enough witnesses, plus your phone records and what happened at Blissy’s. You won’t even have to testify if you don’t want to. He won’t be getting out this time. I’ll make sure of it.”
He slides into a chair at the side of my bed—the nurses told me this is where he’s spent the last two weeks, and we cry together.
It’s messy and incoherent. It’s blubbering and sobbing words of love and fear.
It’s cathartic.
It’s healing.
