“Saved my life,” I whisper. “You did that, for me.”
He kisses the side of my hair again, holding me close. “I purposely shot through the back windshield because I knew someone in your house would notice. Aaron was watching through the window, and he’s the one who called the police. He saved you, too.”
Suddenly the passenger door swings open and I see the blanket of white snow outside and then a woman in first responder uniform appears, crouching into my field of vision.
“Can you tell us your name?” the emergency medic says.
“Oliver,” I say. “Oliver Ashford.”
“Breathe for me, Oliver. We have a stretcher coming right now.”
Another medic comes to help Niko, and as I get dragged onto a stretcher, I go in and out of consciousness a little again.
But I know he’s with me.
I know hesavedme.
And that’s the only thing I need to know.
When I wakeup in a hospital bed, everything hurts worse.
Butfinallymy brain is clear, I can breathe steady, and I can think straight again.
Past a half-open powder blue curtain on my right side, I can see Niko, asleep in the bed next to me.
And tears well up in my eyes, out of nowhere.
He’s here.
Sleeping. Peaceful.
And I love him more than I can endure.
There’s gauze around one part of his upper arm, but other than that, he looks as beautiful as he ever does.
And I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather want near me.
I told him too much, and I know it.
But I drift back off into sleep, dreaming only of dancing with him.
21
Niko
Niko, an hour ago, checking his phone for a minute before falling asleep
Username: Dragonfly
I see a message that Oliver must have left me.
Before it all happened.
Before my past crashed into our perfect world like a meteor.
Hercules2210: Always knew I was your favorite.
I leave a heart emoji as a reply, then put my phone aside.