While I nervously wait, I make my second espresso of the day. Another hour passes, and there’s still no Eli. I know he doesn't have his phone and probably doesn’t remember my number, so I text Ryan and see if he's heard from him. I don't get a response, which only annoys me even more.
I’m nervous as hell and filled with worry. He wouldn’t go home without seeing me or taking Bruno, would he? Did he go to his mom’s? I'm literally driving myself crazy not being able to talk to him.
My stomach growls, reminding me I skipped dinner. I pull out the macaroni I made last night and reheat it, noticing Bruno is on my heels. I feed him a few noodles and tell him to keep it our little secret.
After I eat, I sit on the couch and turn on the news, knowing it's not what I need but still wanting to know what's going on in the city. It's been almost a week since I turned it on. Before I lose myself in the scene unfolding at the hospital where my brother works, the front door opens. Bruno lets out a roar of a bark, and I jump up, my eyes wide as I spin around to see what’s going on.
Eli's eyes meet mine; his hair is a shaggy mess and his arm is in a sling, but he's smiling when he sees me. My hands cover my mouth in shock as my eyes water. I rush to him, and he immediately wraps his good arm around me and presses a soft kiss against my lips. Uncontrollable tears stream down my face, and when he puts space between us, he rubs the pad of his thumb over my cheeks and wipes them away.
"I didn't think you'd come back," I whisper, swallowing down the emotions that have been bubbling inside me for a week.
He searches my face and shakes his head as he tucks loose strands behind my ear. "Why wouldn't I come back, Cami? You're all I've been thinking about. I’ve been going insane without you."
His words cause goose bumps to trail up my arms, and my cheeks heat. "When I called this afternoon, the nurse said you were discharged hours ago, and I thought you didn’t want to be here anymore…" My insecure thoughts linger, and a small smile plays on his lips.
"I waited over an hour for a cab to pick me up. Then he drove me to Roxbury to drop off my prescriptions, then after another hour of waiting for them to be filled, I remembered I didn't have my wallet. After figuring out that mess, he got lost on his way here, but I didn’t realize it at first, or it wouldn't have taken so long.” He blows out a breath and shakes his head. “It's been a weird fucking day."
I feel so bad for him and wish I’d been able to help. "How did you pay for it all?" I ask.
"I gave him a handie," he jokes, and I roll my eyes. "The pharmacy is gonna charge it to the hospital, and they’ll add it to my bill. The cab driver is gonna mail an invoice."
“I was so worried,” I tell him. “They couldn’t tell me anything about you except that you were alive, and every time I tried to call, it took forever to get through, and then you’d be sleeping. I can’t believe you’re here right now.” Happy tears stream down my face, and I want nothing more than to hold him. I carefully wrap my arms around his neck. "I've missed you so much."
"Those words are like music to my ears, baby.” He tightens his arm around me. “I've missed you too. So fucking much.” He pulls back slightly until our gaze meets. “You're the only thing that kept me sane in there," he admits.
I paint my lips across his, claiming him as mine.
Bruno wiggles between us, clearly annoyed he’s not getting any attention. "Hey, buddy." Eli kneels and pets him as Bruno slobbers all over his face.
"He missed you," I say. "And he sucks as a guard dog. He’s a bigger baby than me."
Eli laughs, then grabs my hand and leads me to the couch. I look at the clothes he's wearing. "Where did you get those from?"
He looks down at the oversized T-shirt. "The nice nurse who took care of me gave me her son's extra clothes since mine were ruined. I need to write her a thank-you letter and send it with the biggest bouquet," he tells me. "She was a godsend in the midst of all the chaos."
"Hmm...is that who’s been keeping you busy? Flirting with your nurse?" I tease, popping a brow.
He leans over and plucks my bottom lips between his teeth. "Nah. I'm much more into bossy blondes who can't cook," he mocks, and I want to smack him, but I lean over and press my mouth to his again. I can’t get enough of him.
"I've been dreaming about that for days," he admits, cupping my face.
"Me too," I say as a blush creeps up my cheeks. "I thought I lost you."
"Never," he says. "I'm not going anywhere, baby."
Relief washes over me as my pulse increases. I know I can't live another day without telling him how I feel. “Good. I’m not sure my heart could survive without you.”
"Cami," he whispers, his eyes searching my face. "I only thought about you while I was there. What you were doing, how you were feeding yourself,” he says with a chuckle. “I was
