I quietly strip out of my clothes, drop my pants at the end of the bed, and crawl in behind Claire, wrapping my arms around her. She stirs, turning partially into me and placing her hands on mine.
“Hey, sweetie,” she murmurs blearily. “I tried to wait for you to come home, but I fell asleep.”
“It’s over. The man who confessed to stealing the drugs is in DEA custody. The bad news is that drugs are gone. Last I heard, he’s not talking. However, the hospital is no longer under code three. The missing supplies are still in question.”
“Did the guy say why he did it?”
“Not sure of any details. Dr. Andrews will work with new protocols.”
She snuggles closer. “Glad it’s taken care of.”
“Claire?”
After last night and this morning, I made a decision. No more of this shit. I reach back, switching on a lamp. “Claire?” I repeat.
“Hmmm?” she hums.
I roll her to her back, shift my hips, and slide between her legs. She blinks a few times until her eyes are clear.
“Are you okay?”
“No.” I hunch back on my knees, lifting her with me and curling her body around mine. Like most of the time when she sleeps, she’s wearing one of my old shirts and nothing else. I pull it over her head, tossing it to the side.
Her body goes solid, and I lean in, brushing my mouth along her collarbone, her neck, and stopping when I feel her pulse against my lips. “I love you.”
Her heartbeat accelerates and she reaches to bring my face to hers, scraping her nails through my hair. “I love you, too.”
“You are the only woman I’ve ever loved. One look and I knew I was ruined. One night and I knew there would never be anyone else. I want to kick my own ass for all the time I wasted. Saying I love you will never properly explain how deep my obsession goes. You’ve given me much more than I deserve, and I’ll never take advantage of that.”
My hand skims up her back, stopping in the middle and pressing her until our chests are touching. “Last night, I went to see Mitch and Kelly.”
“Why?”
“I had this all planned out, but I’m done fucking around. It’s time I give you something.” I shift us slightly, reaching into my pants behind me, and then pull her hand from my head. Her breath hitches, and I watch as understanding washes over her face. She nibbles on her bottom lip, her eyes brightening. Slowly, I slide the ring onto her finger, holding her stare. “On July twenty-seventh, I’m going to give you the wedding of your dreams. The people we love most in this world are going to witness me finally doing something I should have done years ago. ”
“July twenty-seventh?” she barely whispers.
“Yes, your mom has strict instructions. I don’t have many stipulations, but I’ve made it clear that you get everything you want.”
“Everything I want,” she repeats.
“Without stress,” I add.
“I won’t stress.”
“Nurse Evie has a request sitting on her desk requesting three weeks off, starting July twenty-second.”
A small smile plays on her mouth. “Of course, she does.”
I dip my face, running my lips along hers. “I swear to God, I’m going to work every day to give you a lifetime of happiness.”
“That’s a huge responsibility, considering you already do.”
“You’re going to be my wife?” The statement comes out more like a question and she picks up on it.
“I didn’t realize it was a multiple choice question.”
“It’s not.”