some magical swirly shit with her hips.

“Good lord,” I breathed, as we both started to climax together. She huffed out hot breath against my neck, tightening herself around me, and I gripped the back of her ass, pushing harder into her as I shuddered over her.

By the time we were done, we both collapsed, panting.

“We should rename the bar,” I wheezed.

“What?” She propped up on one arm.

“Fuck Wayne’s. That’s a lame-ass name. What about Mashton’s.”

She burst into laughter, falling back beside me.

“Ashillie’s? What’s our celebrity couple name?” I wanted to hear her laugh again. I never wanted her to stop laughing.

Reaching over, she kissed me on the cheek. “Come on, we gotta get to the hospital.”

And just like that, reality struck. I had my appointment for my heart follow-up and my girlfriend was giving my dad part of her liver. Just another fucking Monday.

Chapter 21

Millie

My surgery check-in time was eight a.m. and Ashton’s doctor had agreed to meet him at seven-thirty so that we could both be present at each other’s appointments.

I wrung my hands nervously as his doctor came into the room glancing at his clipboard. “Gave everyone a real scare, didn’t you?”

Ashton smiled but I scowled at him and that wiped the smile right from his face.

“Missed my meds here and there,” Ashton told him.

“And has been smoking and drinking heavily,” I added.

The doctor’s eyebrows widened. “Smoking?” This was a different doctor from the one who’d helped Ashton that night at the ER. He needed to know what we were up against.

Ashton’s jaw clenched as he looked over at me and rolled his yes. “Yes, but that was before I fell in love with a beautiful woman who bought me disgusting nicotine gum and straightened me out.”

I grinned. Technically, Gran bought the first pack of gum, but I’d bought him five more. Ashton was hands down the most charming man I’d ever met; he always knew what to say. The doctor looked me over and smiled, and then his gaze went to Ashton.

“I want to do a heart tissue biopsy to see if the new anti-rejection medication is working. If not, we’ll have to work quickly to save the organ.”

The color bled from Ashton’s face. “Really? I mean, I feel fine. I think it’s working.”

The doctor nodded. “In the meantime, I’m going to put you on the low priority UNOS list. In case things change quickly.”

The room spun when he said UNOS.

United Network for Organ Sharing. That fucking word was burned in my brain after what happened with Colin.

“He might need another heart?” My voice cracked.

The doctor offered me a weak smile. “His pulse oxygen is good today, EKG clean, but I’ve had rejection patients go downhill fast after an event.”

An event. What happened last week was “an event.”

Stepping closer to Ashton, he tapped his head, hard. “Use your brain, son. Stop smoking.”

Then he left the room.

“A bit of a dick,” Ashton told me.

“Yeah, well, I’d rather a dick genius work on my heart than a sweet idiot.” I spun to face him. “No more smoking!”

He threw his hands up in the air. “Have you seen me touch a cigarette?”

No. I hadn’t.

“And no drinking. And we’re going to start drinking protein shakes and going for runs.”

He snorted. “I don’t run.”

“Long walks. Whatever. Cardio.”

Leaning forward, he grinned, “Baby, there is no scenario in which I get up early, drink protein shakes, and go for cardio runs with you.” He planted a kiss on my lips and I grinned.

“Protein shakes with a side of bacon?” I raised one eyebrow.

He winked. “Now you’re talking.”

We were having such fun banter that I almost forgot I was here to get surgery. Then the mere mention of bacon made my stomach growl.

Ashton’s face darkened. “You can still back out. My old man’s lived an adventurous life. He’s reached a good age—”

“Stop it.” I smacked his chest. “Ashton, don’t you get it? This is probably the most important thing I’ll ever do in my life.”

His face fell and he swallowed hard but nodded. “Alright, then. If you’re double sure.”

“I’m triple sure I want to save your dad’s life,” I told him, and held up three fingers to prove my girl scouts honor loyalty.

He smiled but it never reached his eyes.

Ashton

Gran tried to soothe me: “She’ll be alright.”

“I know!” I snapped, bopping my foot on the stupid, ugly linoleum floors of the hospital waiting room.

I’d had to meet Millie’s parents for the first time over video chat. They thought their daughter was “crazy but heroic.” I thought she was just crazy but kept that to myself. I kept hoping my dad would just die, or that Millie would back out, but no. She was back there now getting ready for pre-op.

Gran’s hand slipped over mine and squeezed. “Not many girls would give their new boyfriend’s alcoholic father their liver.”

I looked at her. “I know that.”

She nodded. “Then I want to see a ring on her finger within six months.”

I snorted, pulling my hand out of hers. “You think you have to pressure me into marrying that girl? Shit, I’ll take her to Vegas tomorrow. Don’t worry, I’m not letting this one go.”

The grin that lit up her face made her look ten years younger. “Ashton Paul, I’ve never seen you like this.”

I straightened my back. “Alright, don’t make a big deal out of it.”

She was still grinning at me like a fool when a tall nurse came into the room. “Ashton? You can go and say goodbye now before we take her into anesthesia.”

I stood so fast the chair almost knocked over.

Then she looked at Gran. “Would you like to sit with Wayne until we take him back?”

She nodded, and we both crossed into the pre-op area together. Gran went right with another nurse and I went left.

They weren’t personal rooms; each patient just had a little curtain around their bed. When the nurse pointed to a closed curtain for me, I peeled it back and my heart lodged in my throat.

Millie.

Seeing her with a

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