I have too much to live for.
“About time your lazy ass woke up.” A smiling Jake entered his vision next to Sophie.
“Fuck...off.” Jason told his friend playfully.
Christ, he felt weak.
Olivia, Jake, and Sophie all laughed. Even little Lily let out a squeal of delight.
Not caring they had an audience, Sophie planted a kiss on Jason’s desert-dry lips. “Now I know for sure you’re going to be okay.”
“Couldn’t leave...you,” he rasped.
“Good.” She pressed a hand to his face. “What do you say we don’t do that again, yeah?”
“I’ll always...protect...you.” It was the God’s honest truth.
Her eyes softened as they began to well again. “I love you. I said that before, but I wasn’t sure if you heard me.”
“I heard you.” His voice got a bit stronger. “And I love you, too.”
Smiling wide, Sophie pressed her lips to his mouth. His chin. The tip of his nose.
Jake cleared his throat. “We’ll take that as our cue to leave.”
“Good idea,” Jason teased the other man.
More chuckles ensued as Jake and Olivia said their goodbyes before leaving him alone with Sophie.
As soon as they were gone, Sophie asked him, “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been shot in the chest.”
With a sideways grin, she held up a small device attached to a cord. “This is a morphine drip. It’s connected to your IV. If you start hurting too much and I’m not here, press this button and you’ll be administered more pain meds. And before you think about going crazy with the stuff, the doses are controlled.”
Sophie’s beautiful brown eyes lit up with humor, but he also saw a storm of emotions building.
“Don’t need drugs.” He stared back at her. “I just need you.”
When he reached for her hand, his fingers brushed something hard and rough. Glancing down, he noticed the fresh cast that had been formed around her right arm from her elbow down.
“Damn. I forgot about your arm. Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
“It’s a bit achy.” She shrugged. “Nothing like a bullet to the chest.”
He could tell her words were meant as a joke, but Sophie’s voice cracked at the very end. Right before she completely broke down.
A new pain hit his chest, and it had nothing to do with his wound.
“Come here.” Ignoring the pull of the stitches that had been put in hours before, he scooted over as far as he could and coaxed her onto the bed with him.
“I don’t want to...hurt...you,” she protested between stuttering breaths, even as she snuggled up beside him.
“The only thing hurting me is seeing you upset.” Jason smoothed the hair on the back of her head. “I’m going to be okay. We both are.”
“I was...so...scared.” Sophie continued to cry.
She’s breaking my heart.