Dropping the cloth, I cupped her cheek, tracing a small circle on her skin with my thumb. “I don’t want you in any pain. I can’t stand the thought of you in pain. You have to tell me,” I pleaded. “I want to look after you. You have to tell me what you need.”
“I only need you.”
“Oh, Shelby.” I brushed my lips against hers. “You have me.”
“I’m sorry I scared you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“You did. All of this did. They were talking about the next step and feeding tubes…” I drew in a shaky breath. “I thought…I thought I lost you.”
“No,” she murmured. “I’m right here, Liam.” She pressed my hand closer to her warm skin. “Right here.”
I was suddenly unable to speak. Gingerly, she moved closer to the edge of the bed and patted the mattress beside her. I started to shake my head, but she pulled on my hand with a breathy, “Please,” and unable to resist her, I carefully stretched out beside her, cautious to avoid her bruises. Turning slightly, she buried her face in my neck, her breath tickling my skin as she shuddered. I draped my arm over her, loosely holding her, wishing I could be closer, but her cast prevented us from pressing together. The feeling of her being beside me, awake and talking—the sheer relief of it—hit me. Tears began to drip down my face, soaking into the pillow under my head. Shelby stroked the back of my head as she murmured gentle hushing noises meant to calm. Her tenderness only made the sobs worse, and I gathered her as close as I dared, letting my emotions rage until I was spent.
And then, I slept.My eyes flew open in the dimness of the room, only to find Shelby looking at me. “Hey,” she soothed. “It’s okay.”
I caressed her cheek. “I fell asleep. I’m supposed to be looking after you, and I fell asleep.” I snorted. “What a git.”
“Everett said you refused to leave me and that you barely slept.”
“I couldn’t leave you.”
“He told me everything. He said you were so strong and handled everything. You impressed him, Liam. And that isn’t easy to do with Everett.”
I shrugged, feeling somewhat embarrassed. “I did it for you. You needed me. They needed me.”
“Thank you for looking after me,” she breathed out.
I kissed her. “I’ll always look after you,” I said, realizing for the first time in my life, it was true. She would always be more important than anything or anyone else. Especially myself.
She smiled in understanding. “So, with everything you’ve been doing, a nap beside me is okay.”
“I should get up and let you sleep.”
“Or you could stay, and we could sleep together.”
I grimaced at the tight quarters. “You’re not…uncomfortable? It’s kind of a small bed. They might not like me in here with you.”
“I’m good. Deb was already in and tsked. I told her I needed you here. She said she’d allow it this once.”
Deb was my favorite of all of Shelby’s nurses. “I’ll send her some flowers.”
“Good.”
“Do you need anything? Are you in pain?”
“No. Deb gave me some pills. All I need is you.”
I tightened my arm and brought her closer to my chest. “You have me.”
“Good.”
I pressed my lips to her head and stroked her hair gently until I felt her relax and sleep. Almost instantly, the twitches started, and I rejoiced at her signs of normal sleep. I was worried she would slip away again. When she breathed my name and smiled, I relaxed and allowed my eyes to drift shut again. Shelby was right—I was exhausted, and I needed to sleep so I could care for her better.
And with her beside me, I could rest.The next time I opened my eyes, Everett was staring at me, shaking his head. “You can’t stop touching my sister, can you? You had to sleep with her?”
Before I could answer, Shelby’s groggy voice piped up. “Piss off, Ev. I asked him to.”
I grinned widely and kissed her head that was still buried in my chest. “What she said.”
He shook his head, but then started to grin at the two of us. “I spoke with the doctor. They are gonna do the CT scan, remove all the tubes and medical stuff, and if all is okay, Shelby can come home.”
Carefully, I lifted off the heavy plaster Shelby was resting on my side, slipped off the bed, and smiled at her. “Good news, Beaker.”
She nodded, relief evident on her face. “Especially the stuff.”
I knew she wanted the IV and Foley gone. She wanted to try to get up and walk. She wanted a bath. She wanted to come home.
I wanted her to come home.
“Soon, baby.”
“And your mum will be there?”
I grinned. “Mark is picking her up soon.”
“Thor?”
“Lily has been looking after him. He’ll be glad to have you home.”