“I’m okay,” I repeated. “I promise.”
He held me for a long time, and after he’d wiped his eyes, he kissed me.
“Ye scared the absolute life outta me, green eyes,” he said, leaning back and exhaling. “I’ve aged twenty years. You’re awake, thank God.”
I ran my eyes over his face. “You’re looking like a peng ting from where I’m lying.”
“My God,” he laughed, tears still sliding down his cheeks, and shook his head. “I’ve never heard ye say those words in all the years I’ve known ye.”
“Never had a reason to say it . . . until now.”
He kissed me again and held me for a long time.
“Am I in the ICU?”
“Yes,” he answered, wiping his face as he sat back. “Doctor Abara was on shift when the ambulance brought you in, and you were brought straight up.”
“And when was that?”
“Ten days ago.”
I widened my eyes. “Ten days?”
“Ye were in another coma – this time it was a medicated one,” Elliot explained. “They’ve done a bunch of tests. Scans show ye have some swellin’ on your brain that ye didn’t have the first time so keepin’ ye under helped it reduce. It’s not severe any more but it’s not good either. They took ye off of the drugs last night so ye could slowly come out of your coma.”
I digested this information, but suddenly another thought popped into my head.
“Anderson.”
“Calm,” Elliot urged. “He’s been arrested. He’s still in the hospital, he had third-degree burns to fifteen per cent of his body. He has a broken jaw, nose and six broken ribs. He’ll be here for a while but he’s under twenty-four-seven police watch. He’s cuffed to his hospital bed.”
My heart slammed in my chest.
“My phone.” I swallowed. “Did you give it to the police?”
“I did. It’s evidence. He’s goin’ to be charged with a lot of things, Noah. Arson, kidnappin’, attempted murder, physical assault, and he’s goin’ to be landed with a charge for Bailey’s death too. Accordin’ to the voice memo you recorded, he didn’t mean for the car to crash, but he caused it by pursuin’ you both. Me sister . . . she’s goin’ to get justice thanks to you, Noah.”
Relief hit me, as well as pain.
“I forgot she was dead.” I burst into tears. “For a minute, I forgot.”
Elliot leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine.
“I know,” he whispered. “There are times when I wake up in the mornin’ and for a few seconds I forget, and when I remember it’s like a kick in the teeth.”
I nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel.”
Elliot kissed away my tears. “D’ye want the good news?” Sniffing, I nodded. “No one was harmed in Anderson’s flat building. Me friends managed to keep the fire contained to the fourth floor before they extinguished it. Everyone was safely evacuated, right down to an old man’s goldfish.”
I laughed but then winced in pain.
“Yeah.” He frowned. “No laughin’. Your head is worse off than before. This time, you’re doin’ every bloody thing that Doctor Abara says or so help me God, I’ll never kiss ye again.”
I closed my eyes and smiled. “Like you could manage that.”
Elliot playfully growled. “Behave.”
I opened my eyes and lifted my hands to his handsome face.
“I love you,” I told him. “I never stopped loving you, I was just so scared of him that I couldn’t leave . . . I got so lost, and I made a mistake when I left you. I’m so sorry, Elliot. I’ll always be sorry.”
“Don’t be. I pushed ye away because of a fear that I couldn’t get over at the time. Ye’ve always been me girl, Noah, even when ye were his.”
“I was never his,” I assured him. “Not really. I was broken when I met him; it’s the only way he was able to manipulate me the way he did. I was vulnerable and he took advantage of me.”
“I should’ve killed him,” Elliot growled. “I should’ve—”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” I interrupted. “I’m glad you don’t have to live with knowing you took someone’s life, no matter how much we believe he deserved it. You save lives, you don’t take them. That’s the man you are – you’re incredible.”
Elliot’s kiss caught me by surprise. In an instant I was in tears as he crushed his lips to mine, plunging his tongue into my mouth and claiming what was rightfully his. Me.
“I shouldn’t be doin’ this,” he whispered against my lips. “I should be tellin’ ye that this is a bad idea because your brain is still—”
“Shut up.” I flicked my tongue over his lower lip. “I need you to be with me, I need all of you.”
“Woman,” he groaned, “sex is not happenin’. Ye can barely hold your head up. Your parents only went to get tea, they’ll be back any minute.”
I slid my hands down to his waist but froze when I heard a shout. Elliot jumped away from me like I was a naked flame. I looked towards the door and clamped my lips together.
“No!” Doctor Abara pointed at me, wagging his finger. “No! Leave that man alone, Noah!”
It hurt like hell, but I laughed.
“Stop,” Elliot warned as I groaned in pain. “Stop it right now.”
I closed my eyes and sighed.
“I’m sorry.” I opened my eyes and looked at the doctor. “I’m not allowed to frolic with him . . . I remember.”
“Uh-huh.” Doctor Abara approached me. “You cause nothing but trouble when you’re in my hospital.”
“Sorry.” I smiled softly. “But at least this time I remember you . . . that’s an upgrade from before, right? No new prime minister for me.”
Doctor Abara’s lips twitched. “I’m going to get your parents, then I’m going to do an examination on you, and then we’re all going to have a big talk about how this time there will be strict rules concerning your recovery. Strict.”
He left the room and my eyes darted to Elliot.
“Kiss me quickly before he bans it during my recovery.”
Elliot smiled as he moved to my side,
