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"Yes, you’ve told me the story, baby"

She nods "When Luke said there’d been an accident, and we got in the car, I was right back in that place, as if I was thirteen years old again, and the pain was bright and brand new"

I brushfor her

"I understand that you’re okay My brain computes it, Mark You weren’t hurt badly, thank God, and you’ll heal quickly and everything will go back to norles with her heart

"But I can’t help the way my heart feels"

"How does it feel?"

"Panicked Terrified God, I’erous It never occurred tothat there are hazards onback into love with me?"

She bites her lip and wrinkles her brow, and I want so desperately to lean in and kiss her there, to cos out

"I never fell back into love with you I was always in love with you," she admits "But maybe I could have prepared myself"

"Honestly, M, the injuries that happen on a job site are typically small ones Hammer a thumb, trip on a board We are very careful and have rules to keep us all fro onto her back and looks at the ceiling "I think you should go home and rest"

My heart stills

"Didn’t you hear a word I just said?"

"I did"

"But you’re still throwing me out"

She bites her lip and jerks her head yes

I stand and walk toward the door, but stop and turn around and watch the tears run down the sides of her face into her hair She doesn’t want me to leave She’s just scared

"Fuck this, Meredith I reo to stand on your porch and have you tell ain I ao a day, an hour without thinking about you Without needing to hear your voice, see you smile"

I rub my hand over my ain

"I’ to protect myself!" She stands and faces off with me, her hands fisted at her sides "You want me to stay with you, to love you every day, but what am I supposed to do when you die and you leavewill ever happen to me because we don’t know I can’t promise what I don’t have control of"

"Exactly!" She points at et it "You can’t"

"No one can, M Are you just going to be alone forever?"

"I’m not alone I have Jax"