Page 96 of Fix You

My words sobered him. After he nodded, I grabbed the special antibacterial soap and squirted it into a washcloth. As I began washing the remaining remnants of blood on his neck, Rafe reached up to still my hand. Creasing my brows at him, I asked, “What?”

“I can’t go another three months without seeing you.”

“You want to try to meet up again for a hookup?”

The intensity of his stare lit me on fire again. But there was something else in his look. “I’m not talking about hookups. I’m talking about really seeing you.”

My breath hitched. “As in dating me?”

Rafe nodded. “After today, I can’t let you go, Maeve.”

“I feel the same way. But we can’t.”

With a frown, he countered, “Why not?”

“You’re engaged, remember?”

He scowled. “Don’t remind me.”

“How can I not? Anything between us has an expiration date.”

“Can’t we at least see each other until I’m married?”

“People date each other for a future, which we don’t have the option of having.”

“People date to fuck and have fun. Can’t we do that?”

No, I can’t because I’m in love with you.Every moment I spend with you is pleasure mixed with pain.I turned away from him to grab more soap. “Come on, Maeve. Say yes.”

A pounding came at the door, causing me to jump. “Dammit. Why do we always get interrupted at important moments?” Rafe growled. He grabbed one of the towels from the shelf and wrapped it around his waist. As he was getting another one, a knock came again.

“I’m coming!” he shouted as he quickly wrapped the material around me.

When he went over to the door, he cracked it instead of opening it. “What?”

“Callum tried calling you,” Gianni said.

“I was busy.”

Leo snorted. “Yeah, we know just how busy you were.”

At my gasp, Rafe growled. “Watch your mouth,” he warned Leo.

Gianni interrupted them. “Listen, Callum called because Caterina and the baby are going to be fine.”

A relieved breath whooshed out of me at the news. “They are?” Rafe asked.

“Yeah, they are,” Gianni replied.

“Thank God,” Rafe murmured.

“They’re keeping her knocked out to help with her healing. But Callum said we could still come and see her. So, get dressed and we’ll go.” As he met my gaze through the crack, Gianni smiled. “You can come, too.”

“Thanks,” I replied.

Glancing around, Rafe asked, “What the fuck are we going to wear?”

Leo laughed. “Orla’s raiding closets upstairs.”