Page 7 of Dirty Eoin

“You tell PJ that I love her. That I have always loved her and that no matter where I am, I will always fucking love her.” I grimace and curse as the pain rips through me.

“You can tell her that yourself.”

“Dylan,” I hiss as I tighten my grip on his arm. There’s no time for pretending or denying the inevitable. Not when the darkness is edging my vision once more, offering me a painless abyss as a way out. A darkness there will be no coming back from.

“I will, Ace.” He nods and swallows thickly.

I cough and taste the copper tang of blood in my mouth. “You tell her to look after our boys and that she must do right by Fin. Promise me you’ll tell her that. It’s important.” I cough again. More blood.

“I promise, Ace. Is there anything else?” There’s an urgency in his tone now. Time is running out. We both know it. And he wants me to have no regrets.

But I have so fucking many. I have ten years’ worth of regrets.

Our eyes connect. His show understanding. Mine show acceptance. We both know this is the end of the road for me.

“Get me home. Take me to Rising.”

He frowns and slowly shakes his head. “Ace, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. The hospital is an hour away. Rising is four, maybe five.”

I know what he’s thinking. I won’t survive the journey. But I will. I’m not going to make it either way, so if it’s the last thing I do in this life… I’ll make it home.

“I’ll hang on.” I swallow the blood in my mouth once more before I let myself be consumed by the darkness.

And then I see her.

A little girl who looks exactly like PJ did all those years ago. And then I realize itisher. She’s skipping up front, kicking up dust from the familiar well-worn track as she looks over her shoulder at me. She’s giggling, but she’s not hiding that smile of hers. It’s wide and confident. Everything’s vibrant. She’s vibrant. She’s so full of life. I grin back at her as I take in hair like spun gold and green eyes the color of a meadow. Eyes that are filled with so much love for me that, for a second, the intensity of the feeling takes my breath away.

I welcome it as it wraps protectively around me. It’s the only thing I’ve ever needed. She’s the only thing I’ve ever needed.

“Hurry up, slowpoke,” she yells.

I laugh out loud as I play catch up. She’s wearing the same little blue summer dress she did way back then, and she’s still the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Where are we going, Jaine?” I shout after her, and she stops in her tracks.

“You know where we’re going, Jason Steele.” She chuckles as she faces me, then rolls her eyes exaggeratedly. “We’re going to the river so you can show me how to skim stones.” She holds out her little hand.

I look at hers and then at mine. Hers is clean and mine is dirty.

With a smile, I close my eyes as I raise my face to the Californian sun, inhaling the smell of petrichor and wildflowers deep into my lungs one last time.

I made it home.

Then I take little Plain Jaine Jones’s hand in mine and start running with her.

“I love you, Jason Steele,” she yells on a breathless giggle.

“I love you too, Jaine Jones. Always have. Always will.”

CHAPTERFOUR

JAINE

Dr. Bruce’s Medical Centre, Rising, California

HaveI told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there’s no one else above you?

I’m standing in the same single-story nondescript grey building that baby JJ was born in just three months ago. In the same room where his daddy entered the world.

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