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He scrutinized , chronicling as ht side of e was shoved in ht lip felt off, and the skin aroundside of a cage fight

"Did he hurt you?" he asked, voice gruff with concern and thready hat sounded like fear "Hurt you more than I can see?"

At first I didn’t understand what he meant and then I did "No--­God, no"

Jase closed his eyes as a deep breath shuddered through hih that door and saw hiht I was too late I thought you were gone"

"I thought I was going to die in that rooot there in time," I assured him "You saved my life Thank you" I forced every emotion I felt into those words "Thank you"

"That’s so I never wanted you to ever thankhis left hand on the bed besideas he bowed his head, and when he kissed the left corner of my lips, emotion swelled in my chest

He stayed where he was as he spoke and with each word, his lips brushedas a physical seal to what he said "I have been nothing but a jackass these last ­couple of weeks, and I know right now is not the ti I need to say Okay?"

I took a deep breath "All right"

Jase placed the tips of his fingers against irl because of Kari and Jack, but youyou were different You got underyour way into ot there and I thought I could handle this--­handle these feelings, but when I realized how deep they ran, it scared the shit out of ain I didn’t want to lose someone like I already did But then I almost lost you today For real And that’s what I’ve been scared of I would’ve lost you before I even had you And the very thought of that kills ainst htest pressure "I wanted to talk to you That’s why I texted you, because I fkinghis head There was a sheen to his eyes that caused my throat to constrict "Anye’ll talk ht now"

I wanted to tell hithe events of today, but he reached over to the nightstand and picked up the pink box

"I got this for you after ive it to you when I came over to help with your dorht not be fresh" The tips of his cheeks flushed pink as he opened the box "It’s vanilla with strawberry icing I, uh, kno aze followed the blush as it deepened It was so rare to see hi

He peeked up atto eat right now, so how about just the icing?"

My sto in er, but he looked so hesitant that I couldn’t refuse him "I’d like that"

One side of his lips quirked up as he slashed his pinkie finger through the rich icing, scooping up quite a bit of the pink stuff I wasn’t expecting this er to my lips

His eyes met mine then, and a flutter took root in my stomach as I opened my er into ary sweetness And he kept his eyes on one and my face felt warm

Jase sat the opened box aside and then bowed his head toacrosson your lip"

"Oh" I was beyond the point of for "That ht?"

"Okay" He reached down, threading his fingers through mine carefully He brushed his lips over the bruised, achy skin "It was h broke free "That’s the kind of lie I don’t mind"

"It’s a tasty lie, huh?" When I nodded, the tension in his shoulders started to ease away, but then I yawned and he stiffened "You need to sleep"

Between the painto deny, but I didn’t want to say good-­bye to hilanced down at our joined hands, to his pinkie that was slightly stained with pink "Willwill you stay with htened to a silvery gray as his lips tipped up in a lopsided smile "Baby, I’m all yours if you want , and I felthis head, he kissed the center of race I envied and walked to the curtain As he pulled it closed, he glanced over his shoulder and winked at rin

Jase helpedbody barely fitting the bed The two of us together made it crowded, but I didn’t care He turned onto his side, so that his head was close to ile china, he was careful when he laid his hand over my stomach "Co in a hospital bed, I was more comfortable than I’d ever been "Yes"

"Good" His eyes met mine and held them arm intensity that felt a lot like love "They’d have to pryanywhere"

Chapter Thirty

The doctors releasedafternoon with a prescription of pain ot any headaches or if the pains becaht curled up against Jase in the narrow bed, ly better than the day before Sure, there were soed turtle, but I was okay

I was better than okay I was alive

Mom and Dad looked like they wanted to carthome with theoing back to my apartment