“No fun,” Rocco says.
She closes the door.
There’s a few seconds where we just stare into each other’s eyes. Then reality comes rushing back to me.
“You bastard,” I say. “You scared me half to death.”
He smiles big. “But I’m alive, aren’t I?” he asks. “If I’m being honest, I thought I was a goner for a second.”
Tears stream down my cheeks again. “I could slap you right now, I’m so mad at you!”
“I love you, baby girl,” he says, wincing. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I’m going to be honest. I think I want to sell the business.”
I kiss his cheek. “You can do whatever you want. As long as we’re together, I don’t care.”
“I’ve got a nice retirement fund. Ten million dollars. I say we sell the business, get a couple more million and move somewhere nice. I need to get out of this city. After this, I’m just not sure if I can handle living here anymore,” he says.
I can’t stop smiling. “Where will we go?”
“Anywhere you want. I mean it. I don’t care where we are as long as I can have you forever,” he says. “No more hiding. I’m going to kiss you every day, in front of everyone. No one is going to tell me I can’t have you.”
I laugh a little, choking up at the same time. “Promise?” I find ask.
He points to his jacket in the corner of the room. It’s covered in his dried blood, hung up on the door. “Hand me that, will you?”
“Okay,” I say.
He’s so weak. I’ve never seen him like this. He risked everything for me. For us.
“I was going to save this for another time,” he grunts. “But I guess now is as good a time as any.”
He pulls out a small black box, and I feel all those butterflies flapping away inside my stomach. The butterflies grow until I’m forced to stand, weeping with joy.
“No,” I whisper.
“You can’t say no. I haven’t asked you anything.”
I lower to the floor, holding onto the metal railing of his bed. “I know what you’re going to ask,” I say.
He smiles showing those pearly white teeth. “Madison Napolitano,” he starts. “Will you…”
“Yes!” I scream. “I will.”
“You didn’t let me finish,” he says.
“Okay.”
“Will you call the nurse in here for me? I’m in some pain, and—”
I frown, and he bursts out laughing, clutching at his wound.
“Not funny,” I mutter.
“Madison, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. You’re as willing as I am to be crazy, wild, and adventurous. You’ve never questioned who I am. You’ve always been on my side, from the very start,” he says, turning serious.
“Not the very start,” I say.
He grins. “I would gladly take eight more bullets for you.”