Page 170 of See You Maybe
“I should have left you there to bleed to death with a psycho?” Olivia took his hand and squeezed, softening her tone.
“You killed him?” Declan asked, searching her eyes.
Olivia swallowed, but didn’t look away. “I’m not sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be.” James agreed grimly.
Luke clapped his twin on the shoulder. “Come on, we need to go help Car-bear run interference with the moms. Now that they know he’s awake…”
Once the door shut quietly, Olivia studied him, her eyes filling with tears. “I thought I’d lost you.”
He lifted his uninjured arm to brush weakly at the tears on her cheek. “I’m still here.”
“You knew it was a trap.” Olivia’s eyes held his.
Declan nodded.
“Your brothers said you wouldn’t wait for help.” He stayed still under her perusal. “You almost died.”
Declan interlaced her fingers. “But I didn’t.”
Exhausted, he closed his eyes, as Olivia brushed the hair against his forehead with her free hand. “Don’t ever do anything like that again.”
“I promised I would always come back for you,” Declan whispered, before letting sleep pull him under again.
Declan spent over a week in the small private hospital before they transported him to his home in Connecticut for another week to recuperate. Olivia refused to leave his side.
“The repairs on my house are complete, but the Armstrong facility is going to take months.” Olivia sighed. “The warehouse was a complete loss.”
Declan walked slowly, his good arm slung over her shoulders as they maneuvered toward the atrium. He didn’t need to lean his weight on her as much as he did, but Olivia had been so adorable fussing over him for the last week. Oscar barked happily, trotting alongside. Olivia glanced down at the puppy. “That dog has taken more private plane rides than I have.”
“We couldn’t leave him in Atlanta by himself,” Declan said, smiling at the memory of how Olivia’s face lit up when Todd arrived at the estate with Oscar.
“Are you sure you’re okay, walking this far?” Olivia’s face screwed up with concern. “We could just stay on the sofa.”
“Olivia, if I had stayed on that sofa for another minute, I would have permanently fused to the cushions. The atrium is heated, so we’ll be comfortable.”
What Declan hadn’t told her was there was a surprise waiting for her in the glassed room.
“I know you are going stir-crazy, but you’ll be able to go back to work soon.” Something in Olivia’s voice had his feet stopping, and he straightened.
Looking down, he saw the vulnerability in her eyes, and brushed her hair back.
“What are you worried about, baby?”
She shrugged and tried to take his arm again, but he refused to budge. “Olivia?”
“This is going to sound so messed up,” she muttered.
“Tell me,” he demanded softly, cupping her chin.
“When I was with you on the floor in the study… and you were…” Olivia sucked in an uneven breath, and her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want to be away from you. Like, at all.” She gave him a watery smile.
“I know you’re stronger than you’re letting on and that you are downplaying it because I needed to take care of you, but this time together is coming to an end.”
Declan frowned. “Nothing is coming to an end.”
“You know what I mean. When I’m back in Atlanta and you’re gone.”