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"You would have figured it out," I reassure him

"Only because you were in that accident," he says bitterly "I was so afraid you were going to die withoutthe chance to fix it"

"But I didn't," I point out rationally

Root to the eency room and sa freaked out Gray was, I just realizedit was easy for us to put that shit aside because you were far otten so mired in"

"I think you and Gray are kind of wonderful," I murmur

"She's all right," he says with a smirk "I meanshe has potential"

I laugh, and then wince because that causes my head to hurt

"You're in pain," he accuses

"A little headache is all"

"Well, when you get sprung fro to take care of you," he says firmly

"You're going to have to fight Dad, Gray, and Georgia," I tell hi"

"It's a fight they'll lose," he says ly

"My money's on you, baby," I say sweetly, and Roman's eyes ith satisfaction

"Okay, I've got so for you," Rorabs the ukulele case and brings it back to the chair before sitting down again He flips the latches and pulls it out, setting the case on the tiled floor and the ukulele in his lap

I watch hiet the distinct impression he doesn't expect

"So I'd been working on this for your birthday," he says quietly and with a nervous quaver in his voice

"Oh my God," I blurt out in amazed realization "You learned how to play?"

He nods, ss hard, and adive me lessons and did them usually after hockey practices"

My hand grabs for the bed controller and I hit the button to raiseup My nerves huer to listen to what he's learned "That's unbelievable And so damn sweetand romanticand I don't even knohat to say"

"You ht want to hold all those compliments until you hear me play," he says dryly as he positions the ukulele in his hands And oh e fra: I'er"

"I think you'll be fabulous," I tell hi with pride no matter how bad he is

Roh to clear his throat His eyebrows furroard in concentration as he places his fingers on the strings to ives a little strum His eyes slide to ement

His strues choppy, but when he sings the first few lyrics, tears immediately fill my eyes

Wise men say,

Only fools rush in

I blink, and the tears slide free, rolling down es He's not secure enough to look away fros, but I can still see a world of emotion in his eyes as he pours the words of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love"

I listen to hi he's just learned to aon a few high notes, because Roht along with him

By the ti too and his lips curve into a sether Moveia standing in the doorway, their aria has tears in her eyes and rin on his face

My gaze slides back to Roman as he seeets to the last line, he looks up atthe ending together

For I can't help falling in love with you

The notes fade away from the ukulele and Ro moment as we realize what this moment means for both of us He leans forward in his chair, intent on givingenthusiastically Roman jerks with a start and then just places his forehead on my lap in e me?"

My hand goes to the back of his head and rubs against the short bristles of his hair I laugh softly and say, "That was theI've ever heard in my life"

Roardless of his audience now, he tellsin love with you, Lexi"

"After that song," I tell him earnestly, "I'm already there"

"Okay, wellI'm actually there too," he adive me a soft kiss His mouth moves to my ear and he whispers, "And despite Gray and those two behinda pain in my ass, I'm sure I'll come to love them too"

I can't help the giggle that breaks free, and I wrapWhen I release him, he stands and turns to my dad, who has walked into the roo my ukulele by the neck with the other

"Mr Brannon," Ro

My dad gives hirasp hands,where they sort of bump chests My dad claps him hard on the shoulder, and when he pulls back, he says, "None of that Mr Brannon crap You're part of the family now"

Roive him a wink "Part of the family Get used to it"

"Thinking that's not going to be as hard as I thought it would be," Roman says with a smile back at me

He then releases my dad's hand and moves over to the other side of the bed to take the chair Gray has been sitting in, waving to the two chairs on the other side for them to sit in

We spend the rest of theGray comes back and joins us, and I watch as she and Ro snipes at each other but in a co way My dad hovers over ia flirts with him shamelessly, which causes him to blush The nurses have to tell us to be quiet on h harder

My heart feels full, ready to burstjoyful in the knowledge that Roain

A to think of how my life turned out

That I aain