I squeezed Sam’s hand. “You’d better go,” I said softly. “Thanks . . . for everything. You didn’t have to come.” I gave him what I knew was a very watery smile. “To the house for Rocco. Here. You didn’t have to stay.”

For the first time since I’d met Sam, he looked uncomfortable. “It was nothing.”

“It was something to me,” I said sincerely and reached up to give him a hug. “Now go back to sleep.”

“Unlikely,” he said with a short laugh, arms wrapping gently around me. He pulled away. “Rocco’s at the hospital, stable and comfortable, but we’ll sort out what else he needs in the morning.”

“It is morning,” I said, glancing up at the clock on the wall.

One side of his mouth curved up. “How about at a more reasonable hour of the morning?”

“Deal,” I agreed and waved as Sam left the room, not missing the fact that he and Rob shared a long cold stare before he walked through the door.

Haley wiped her hands on her scrubs. “Well.” She sucked a breath through her teeth. “I’m going to get those discharge papers and supplies together.”

Traitor.

But she missed my narrow-eyed glare because she was gone.

I glance at Rob, and blurted, “You look terrible.”

He rolled his eyes. “Thanks. Good to see you too.”

My husband had at least three days of beard growth, and the man could not grow a beard, so his face was covered in uneven patches of prickly-looking hair. Black circles darkened the skin beneath his eyes, which were bloodshot. He’d lost weight and clearly hadn’t been eating or drinking properly.

If I didn’t know better, I’d think he had a drug problem.

But I did know him. Or, at least I thought I did.

And drugs weren’t on the plate of things Rob could tolerate.

“It is good to see you,” I said softly. “Hasn’t been much of that lately.”

He paused, opened his mouth then closed it. His eyes flicked to mine, “What happened?”

That wasn’t what he’d been about to say. I’d have bet my last casserole on it. But what was I supposed to do? We were in the middle of a busy hospital, this wasn’t exactly the best time to have a discussion about the future of our marriage.

“Someone tried to break into the house.”

His face darkened. “Where are the kids?”

“Spending the night as Kel’s.”

“Do they know what happened?”

“Justin does because Sam called him.” His eyes narrowed at my use of Dr. Johnson’s first name. “We decided to let Kelly sleep, with the babies and all—”

Rob stood and pushed his hands through his hair. “What babies?”

“I—” My voice faltered. He hadn’t been MIA for long, but God he’d missed so much. “Kel is pregnant with twins.”

“Holy shit,” he muttered, pacing the room. “That’s—”

“Yeah,” I said. “That was my reaction as well. Three kids under four.”

“Gross.”

I snorted and lay back on the bed, suddenly exhausted. My feet were throbbing more by the second. I wanted painkillers—oral ones this time, because fuck needles—and to sleep for about a decade.

I wanted to wake up and have my life back to normal.

I wanted to wake up and have Rob back.

Talk about gross, I thought, mentally kicking myself in the ass. Get it together, woman.

Gentle fingers on my forehead, pushing back locks of hair, stroking the skin behind my ear softly. God, I loved that. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re not seriously asking me that question, are you?”

Dammit, now tears were leaking out of the corners of my eyes. I’d been strong. I’d held it together, but one flipping touch from Rob, and I was sobbing like a toddler denied an ice cream cone.

I needed his touch, craved his affection, and yet it had nearly destroyed me.

“No,” he said. “I wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that. Of course not.” Dry humor laced his tone, but I wasn’t feeling very amused.

When he slipped his arm under my shoulders, preparing to pull me into a hug, I squirmed away. “Not here,” I murmured. “I can’t. Just not right now.”

“But you’ll let Sam comfort you?” he snapped.

My eyes shot to his, angry and hot. I needed him away from me. I needed him not so close. If he were sweet and kind, if he brushed my tears from my cheeks and held me like he used to, I’d forgive him for everything. I’d forget about these last few months. I’d force the doubts and fury and hurt into the back of my mind, lock the door, and throw away the key. I’d move on and never deal with the issues destroying our relationship from the inside out.

And eventually we’d be right back to where we started.

So I said something to get that distance. Even though it nearly killed me to do so. “Sam’s comfort doesn’t come with strings.”

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Rob burst out. He turned away, shoulders stiff. “You’re fucking kidding me.” His hands came up, gripped the back of his head. “How is this my life?”

Haley tentatively walked into the room, discharge papers in hand. “Ready to go home?”

“I don’t know,” I said softly. “I really don’t know.”

But I wasn’t talking to her. I was talking to Rob.

And he knew it.