Page 107 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

He flushed and glanced away. “But, I don’t know. Jesus, Tess. We just started this. I know it’s too soon to go asking if we can live together. Isn’t it? I mean, after all the shit that’s happened this year, last night included—”

Setting her fingers over his lips to silence him, she gave a soft, thrilled laugh. “After everything that’s happened, I’d think we’d have learned by now that every second we have is a gift we shouldn’t squander by worrying about things happening too fast. If we have a chance to be happy, then we should grasp it with both hands and hang on tight for as long as it lasts.”

Jonah gazed at her, his eyes suddenly glassy. Then he reached out and gripped her face with both hands, bringing her in close. “In that case, I don’t want you to go home for the summer. I don’t want to spend a day without you. Stay here, with me.”

The joy that welled inside her bubbled up until she was laughing and crying and throwing her arms around his neck to hug and kiss him. “Okay.” She sniffed away the happy tears. “Okay.”

Tess drew in a deep breath. When Bailey had learned that she and Jonah wanted to go see Aubrey, she’d decided to tag along. The three of them took Bailey’s car, since Jonah wasn’t really in any condition to drive.

Flanked by her best friend and her boyfriend, Tess recalled a few months earlier when she’d made this very same walk up the front sidewalk to Granton Regional’s entrance. She’d had no idea her life was about to change forever.

It felt strange, entering the same building today, as if everything had come full circle. Except, now, as she glanced at the ornamental trees lining the sidewalk, she realized the branches weren’t as frozen and bare as they’d been in February. Green buds had popped out fresh leaves, signaling a new beginning.

With all the metaphorical optimism literally springing up around her, she took Bailey’s hand and squeezed Jonah’s forearm to let them both know how much they meant to her.

“Oh, God.” Bailey groaned. “You’re remembering the first night you met Abbott, aren’t you?”

Tess merely grinned at her before she leaned up past his crutches to kiss his cheek. “Of course. It’s a great memory.”

Bailey snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure the fact that you lied to him the entire evening is something to pass along to the grandkids.”

Tess merely shrugged. “Best lie I ever told.”

“Amen.” He grinned back at her.

“Gag me,” Bailey muttered. She let go of Tess’s hand and led the way into the hospital.

They found Aubrey’s room a few minutes later. He was resting when the three trooped quietly in. Bailey, Tess, and Jonah exchanged a glance, wondering if they should bother to wake him or come back later, when he stirred and slowly blinked open his eyes.

“Hey,” Jonah said softly, approaching him. “How’re you feeling?”

Aubrey was pale and had cuts all over his face and arms; some of them had even been stitched back together. But he smiled from dry, chapped lips. “I feel great,” he slurred, his voice so hoarse Tess had to wince because she could actually hear how raw his throat must be after so much smoke inhalation.

She glanced worriedly at Jonah. He wasn’t as hoarse, but his esophagus had to be sore after being inside the building for as long as he’d been. She knew he was keeping how much his leg hurt from her; she kept catching him rubbing it. But what other pains wasn’t he mentioning?

“Drugs are a beautiful thing.” Aubrey’s eyes glazed over as he gave the girls a goofy grin. Then he reached for Jonah’s hand. “Almost as beautiful as you.”

Jonah jerked his arm back and shook his finger at his roommate. “Damn, Aub. How can you be half-dead, doped up on painkillers, and still manage to freaking flirt?”

The loopy patient merely grinned. “Talent,” he said and blew Jonah a kiss before turning his attention to Tess. “And there’s the only girl who could make me go straight.” When he held out his hand to her, she took it eagerly, squeezing with a gentle warmth.

“I don’t know if anyone’s told you this yet, but your performance last night was…amazing. You were by far the best actor on that stage.”

Tears glittered in his eyes. “Actually, no. No one’s talked to me about the play at all. They’ve only mentioned—” Too choked up to continue, he slid his hand away from Tess’s to wipe his damp cheeks. “Did you guys watch the news last night?”

When Jonah gave a loud sigh, Tess met his gaze. He sent her a weary look. “No. We haven’t.” From his tone, it was obvious he didn’t care to know what he’d missed. “So, what’d they have to say about me?”

“They called you a hero,” Bailey answered.

When Tess and Jonah sent her a startled glance, she and Aubrey nodded. “They showed the same picture of you they’d showed back when they were calling you the anti-Christ, and they even brought up your involvements with the shooting.”

Jonah groaned, and Tess stroked his arm in sympathy, until Aubrey took up where Bailey had left off. “And they damn near apologized for turning you into a public menace. They said after tonight’s events, your true colors came out and showed off the amazing person you really are.”

“They what?” Jonah glanced at Tess as if to see if she’d heard what he’d just heard before he turned back to Bailey and Aubrey. “They didn’t really say that.”

Bailey just nodded. “Oh, yes, they did. Practically verbatim.”

“Wow.” Jonah sank into the chair by Aubrey’s bedside.

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