Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
In a matter of seconds, my life once again changed. Bile rose in my throat, fightin’ its way up. Tears streamed down my face.
“You can’t do this to me! You can’t fuckin’ do this to me!”
“Come on, Jackson!” his coach demanded. “Wake up!”
He didn’t.
He couldn’t.
For the first time in my life, I thought...
I’d really lost him.
Chapter 29
<>Harley<>
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
“Hmm...” I groaned, feelin’ a strong hand rubbin’ my head.
My eyes fluttered open, comin’ face-to-face with Jackson in his hospital bed.
Awake.
I must have fallen asleep with my head in his lap. Spendin’ the entire night there with him.
“Hey, baby girl.”
Seein’ him.
Hearin’ him.
Feelin’ him.
Really feelin’ him after all these years...
I burst into tears, huggin’ him closer to my body.
“Shhh... Gremlin, shhh... No cryin’. I’m okay. I’m here.”
I didn’t care if I might get into trouble. I didn’t care about anythin’ at that moment other than him. Crawlin’ up his body, I laid on top of him, wantin’ to mold us into one person. I wasn’t content until my arms were around his neck. Holdin’ onto him like a spider monkey.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The machines went crazy.
“Damn, I should get a concussion more often,” he chuckled, engulfin’ my small frame in his large one. Warmin’ me with his scent and heat.
I wept, “Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
Lightly, he touched my forehead. “What happened here?”
“I fell.”
“When?”
“Runnin’ to you.”
“You ran to me?”
“Yes.”
“You were there? At practice?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wanted to watch you. I used to love watchin’ you play. I thought maybe if I saw you, it would bring that girl back. The one who loved you so much.”
“Harley, she never left.”
“I know that now. I didn’t know it then.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, no stitches. Just a bad scrape.”
“So we both have head injuries?”
“In more ways than one.”
He chuckled. “Did you miss me, Gremlin?”
I nodded.
“How much?”
“Big much.”
He smiled. “Where’s Bailey?”
“She’s with my parents.”
“Does she know?”
“No. We didn’t want to scare her. I was terrified enough for the both of us. Your dad has been in and out of this room all night. He said you were goin’ to be just fine, it was just a bad concussion. All your tests came back normal, but there was a lot of swellin’ in your brain,” I sniffled. “He told me you’d wake up and be a pain in my ass again, but I didn’t believe him.”
“He must have loved that.”
“You’re not allowed to play football anymore.”
“Says who?”
“Me.”
“Gremlin...”
“Don’t Gremlin me. I can’t go through this again.”
“I’ll be more careful.”
“Bullshit. You’ll do anythin’ to score a touchdown.”
“Harley, you know I can’t resign.”
“Why not? You could be a sports broadcaster. You’re cute enough.”
“Baby girl...”
“What if...” I hid my face in his neck. “I mean ... what if you moved somethin’ ... in your brain.”
“I don’t think it works like that.”
“Rudolph, I can’t live like this anymore. If you want a future with me, then we need to know if you have one.”
He grabbed my chin, makin’ me look up at him. Through wet lashes, I did.
“A future with you is all I’ve ever wanted. Is that what you want?”
It was the first time he’d ever asked me what I wanted.
“Yes.”
He jerked back, surprised.
“I thought I lost you. I’ve never been more scared in my entire life. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. You’ve been by my side since the day I was born. Right there with me. The good, the bad, it didn’t matter. You were there. Fightin’ with me, for me, for us.”
“It’s simple—you belong to me.”
“I know. I’ve always known. I just forgot for a minute.”
“I love you, Harley Pierce.”
Hearin’ him say those words to me again was like comin’ home.
Never breakin’ eye contact, I brought my hand up to touch the side of his face. Somethin’ gleamed in his eyes in a way I’d never seen before. Our connection had always been flawless and easy.
The love.
The desperation.
The longin’.
The guilt.
There it was starin’ back at me. A raw, agonizin’ burn in his gaze. The emotions stirrin’ through me were cripplin’. The anguish overwhelmin’ my body, my mind, an ache resonatin’ in my soul.
The feel of him in my arms.
The smell of him against me.
The look in his eyes.
I didn’t fight it any longer.
Professin, “Before you were even hit on the field, I felt it. I felt like somethin’ was about to happen to you. It was deep in my bones. It came out of nowhere, and I didn’t understand why or how. Until I saw you tumble through the air and land on your head.”
His eyes widened.
“I never understood how you just knew I was pregnant. You told me that night our souls were connected, and I didn’t think that was possible, but you’re right. We are, Jackson. ’Cuz you’re my soulmate. My lobster.”
He beamed, and it lit up his entire handsome face. I couldn’t help but smile back at him.