Page 177 of Graves

“Tell me when he’s being discharged and I’ll come by. Sophie.”

“Just like you said,” Liam comments, satisfied. “Sometimes a catastrophe has to happen before people realize what really matters.”

Apparently, his sleep hadn’t been as deep as I thought.

It’s nice talking to him. He turns out to be a genuinely good guy who cares about Aran.

We’re back in the waiting area and I’m just texting Levi when a nurse approaches us.

“Are you Mr. Graves’ family?”

“Yes,” I answer, pocketing my phone. Levi can wait. “How is he?”

“He’s awake now, but still in the ICU, so I can only let one person in at a time.”

“Go,” Liam says. “I’ll let the others know.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

My pulse races with nervous excitement as I follow the young nurse.

“We’re keeping him for another 24 hours of observation. He’s stable for now. To reduce psychological stress, we moved him to a private room. It’s right here.”

I turn my head and see the most beautiful smile I’ve been longing for. All my worries melt away. The exhaustion vanishes. As if the rest of the world no longer exists, the distance between us shrinks like magic. I don’t even realize I’m moving until I’m already floating across the room.

“God, I’m so glad you’re alive.” Overwhelmed by emotion, I sink into the chair beside the bed.

Aran moves his hand closer to the edge of the bed—a silent invitation I accept. I take his hand and stroke the back of it with my thumb.

Both his arms are wrapped in bandages from wrist to elbow. An IV runs into the back of his left hand while the heart monitor beeps softly.

Seeing him like this wrecks me. His pale face reminds me of last night—finding him unconscious and bloodless in that red pool. I press my lips together, fighting the wave of sadness I don’t fully understand.

“Fuck… I was so scared for you.”

“Thank you for getting there in time.”

“You were awake for that?”

Aran nods faintly, the smile disappearing from his face. He looks utterly exhausted, but he weakly squeezes my hand, signaling for me to stay. “I was hoping I’d see you again. There’s something important I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” I ask, caught between smiling and tears.

“A secret. Come closer.”

I lean in, placing my free hand at the back of his neck.

“I love you.” Aran’s eyes shine as he smiles softly at me. The strain of the night is written all over his face, but he’s trying to be strong. “I needed to tell you that. Koh, you showed me a life worth living. I want to live it with you.”

Without hesitation, I kiss him. “Kuso… I love you too,” I say between kisses. “You turned my whole world upside down. You think I’d just let you die? You’re stuck with me now.”

Aran grazes his fingertips against my cheek. The clumsy movement sends tingles across my entire body. His touch feels like a drug.

“I have a secret for you too.” I lean even closer until my lips brush his ear. “I took care of Luke,” I whisper. “He’ll never get in our way again.”

“Is he dead?” Aran asks, barely audible, his face hidden by my hair.

I nod slightly. “You can tell the police you don’t know who did it.” My heart is racing. I breathe in his wonderfully masculine scent. I don’t dare look at him again. “Do you still want me?”