Chapter 49
Reese
Even before I open my eyes, I can feel someone breathing on me. Their presence is heavy, oppressive, smothering, dripping their worry all over me. It can only be one person.
“Vi-Vivian?” My jaw doesn't want to move and my voice is so scratchy I barely recognize it. I try to open my eyes.
“Oh my god,” my sister gasps as she envelops my hands in hers.
“Reese, you’re awake.” That’s Nova.
I finally manage to pry my eyelids open and they’re both standing there. Nova looks downright giddy to see me.
As for Viv, it’s obvious that she’s been crying but her relief shines through her smile. “Oh my god, I was so scared.” She lets go of my hands and pulls out her phone. “Mom and dad just went down to the cafeteria for lunch. I’m gonna text them. And Charlie.”
I’m hooked up to all kinds of machines and my body feels like I just wrestled a baby alligator. My memory is spotty but pieces of it are bobbing in and out of my consciousness. “There was a fire…” I say hoarsely. I have the worst sore throat ever.
She nods. “There was a fire at the cupcake shop. And you were caught inside.”
“Doing the goddamned sales report,” I say bitterly.
“I’m so sorry, Reese.” Her chest heaves and now the tears are falling again. Her voice is barely a squeak. “The building burnt down to the ground. If it hadn’t been for Leo, you would have died, Theresa.”
“Leo?” I try to make sense of what Vivian is saying. “What does Leo…?” My voice gives out before I can finish the question.
My sister hands me the glass of water sitting at my bedside. “He knew that you were in the building and he ran in to save you.” Her eyes go dreamy. “God—you got yourself one hell of a hunk. Why have you been hiding him from me all this time?!”
Uh, because I thought you’d cut me.
I shake my head, struggling to understand it all. “Leo ran into a burning building? For me?”
Nova nods so hard it looks like her head might snap off. “He ran into a building for you, Reesie.”
Confusion still swirls in my mind. When Leo and I last left off, he was pushing me away. He didn’t want anything to do with me. “Why would he do that?”
“He loves you…” Vivian clasps her hands over her heart like she might swoon.
My eyes are instantly heavy with tears. She’s wrong. “No, he doesn’t love me. He doesn’t.”
“He does,” Nova says assuredly. “He’s covered in burns but over the past two days, he’s been at your bedside every chance he gets, going crazy with worry. The man definitely loves you, Reese.”
“You don’t get it, Nova. Leo doesn’t want to be with me.”
She sighs heavily. “Stop resisting it, hun. He’s a ridiculously hot ex-soldier who loves you just the way you are and would walk through fire for you. Isn’t that what you told me you want in a man?”
“Well, you’re paraphrasing but…”
“Just a bit,” she says, one corner of her mouth hitched up. “Leo’s the guy you’ve been waiting for, hun. And he wants you as much as you want him.”
Doctors and nurses swoop in, subjecting me to a battery of tests. While they poke and prod, my insides tremble as I ruminate over Nova’s words. Could it be true? Does Leo really love me?
The answer comes rolling through my hospital room door when my parents enter the room followed by Charlie who’s pushing Leo’s wheelchair.
My family dives on me, sweeping me up in a wave of hugs and kisses. But all I want is Leo.
He's not shy about telling them that he wants to be alone with me.
As they're exiting the room, I call out to Viv because we have some business that can’t wait. "Yes?" She asks sweetly as she watches me.
"Fuck your sales report," I rasp out. She looks alarmed by my sudden rebellion. I don't think she's ever heard me swear before. "We are going to reopen that cupcake shop. And we are going to hire helpers. Because I have a life and I won’t burn myself to the ground again doing tasks that are absolutely not my strong suit. And you deserve some time for yourself, too." I feel a beam of pride for finally standing up for myself.
Her expression softens. "Yeah, you're right. Fuck my sales report." We share a smile. "And we'll hire helpers, okay? Now, rest up.”
She flashes me a wink and disappears into the hall with the rest of my family.
When I’m finally alone with Leo, he grips the railing of my bed and hobbles out of the wheelchair.
“Look what you did to yourself…” I struggle to sit up in my bed and sweep my fingers across the bruise on his chin.
He shakes his head, discounting his injuries. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He reaches a bandaged hand out to touch me but then flinches at the pain.
“Thank you for saving me,” I whisper, the words getting lost as my throat tightens and tears spill down my face.
“I can’t imagine the rest of my life without you, Cupcake Girl.” His eyes are earnest, trying to convey the contents of his heart to me.
Still, I need to hear him say it because I’ve been wrong about his intentions before. “Why’d you do it? Why’d you run into a burning building for me?”
“I couldn’t not run into that building for you, Reese. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t have you in my life. These past weeks without you have been hell.” He sets his hand on top of mine. “I’m so sorry that I ever hurt you. I want to be with you. The three of us together—you, me and Brent.”
He’s saying all the right things now, but I haven’t forgotten what happened in the past, the way he hurt me when he pushed me away. “You said that you don't need me…”
His eyes glass over. “I don't need you to fix me, Reese. And I don't need you save me. But I do need you. Being without you isn’t an option. I tried it. It didn’t work.” His eyes shine, they bore right into the centre of me as he pleads. “So just be with me. Okay, just be in my life. Because I love you.”
My heart flies up into my throat.
Those three little words.
“Leo…”
“No, let me say it. I love you, Theresa Hartley. I’ve never felt this way about another woman and I need you in my life. I love you.”
Caution floats away on the wind. Nothing else matters. I give him my heart. “I love you, too.”