My brow furrows. “Did you tell him about Phoenix?”
With a nod, her lips tighten into a thin line. “Yeah. I think it was a lot for him to take in at once. But when you’re ready…you’ll need to have a talk with him.”
“Can’t wait,” I groan. My head is starting to hurt again. Just then, the mean nurse returns, covering me with a warm blanket like it’s fresh out of the dryer.
“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” she announces as she tosses the blanket over my legs. “Your scan came back clear.”
“What’s the bad news?” Maggie asks as she stands.
“Visiting hours are over, and he needs to rest. Once we get him to his room, you can visit him there, but for now, you gotta go.”
I shift in my seat. “I’ll rest better if she’s here.”
Maggie looks down at me with a stern expression. “No, you need to sleep.” When she leans down to press her lips to mine, she softly pulls back and adds, “Behave.”
With a scoff, my brow tightens. “Yes, ma’am.”
Then, she kisses me again. As she stands up, she glances at the nurse. “Don’t let him give you any sass. He can be a real brat.”
“Oh, I’ve noticed,” the nurse replies with a laugh.
“What the hell…” I groan.
“When he woke up, he was shouting at everyone. He wanted to know where you were,” the nurse says, nodding toward Maggie, whose expression softens as she hears it. “He barely let the doctors stitch him up. He wouldn’t listen to anyone.”
I barely remember that. I was so out of it. All I remember was waking up in an ambulance and her not being there.
As Maggie turns away, she wipes at her face, hiding the emotion she’s showing. She’s always so calm and collected that it’s strange to see her expressing such vulnerability. When she lets go of my hand, my stomach turns. I hate watching her leave, and I really don’t want to be here alone. When she reaches the door, I call her name. As she turns, I swallow the emotion building in my throat.
“I love you.”
She pauses halfway out the door, staring at me with tenderness in her eyes that are starting to fill with tears again. In a quick stride, she crosses the room and practically climbs onto my bed, pulling me in for a hungry kiss.
Her teeth pinch my bottom lip in a fierce bite that doesn’t hurt, but is really fucking reassuring. Then her tongue brushes against mine, and I almost forget I’m in a hospital bed and that today has easily been the longest day of my life.
“I love you too,” she mumbles against my lips.
“Aw, ain’t that sweet. Now, get out,” the nurse replies, and I grimace as Maggie smiles.
“I’m going,” she says, before climbing off my lap and wiping her tears away.
“You’re coming back later, right?”
“I’ll be here when you wake up,” she replies, and I believe it. When Maggie makes promises, I trust her. There’s just something really fucking comforting about that. I’ve never been able to rely on someone like that before. I never knew I needed to learn to trust so badly.
“Tell my dad I’ll see him later,” I say before she leaves. As she looks back with a tight smile, she nods.
“I will.”
When she’s gone, my eyes start to feel heavy, and I’m relieved that I can finally close my eyes and rest. My head still hurts like a bitch, but everything feels a little lighter now. No more secrets. No more lies. Without the heavy weight on my shoulders, I fall into a restful sleep.