Page 112 of Rise Above
“Visitation hours are over. I apologize, Aife.”
“It’s alright,” Talon said before pressing a soft kiss
to my cheek. “Can I have a minute?”
Dr. Bowie nodded and left.
I furrowed my brow at Talon. His eyes traced over
my face, taking me in.
“Can I kiss you?”
My heart stuttered and all I could do was nod. His
hands gently cupped my face again before his warm lips captured mine—soft and quick. It was everything. TJ kissed my cheek and left, squeezing my hand goodbye first.
Dr. Bowie re-entered my room and arched a brow at
me. “The scarring is minimal. That’s very good news. I’m going to get you on a medication to help some of the inflammation. All in all, you probably need to rest more.”
I nodded. “Did you come in just for this? You could
have had the APP come see me.”
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“I was on my way out the door. You are my best
social worker, and I had to make sure you were okay. Any time you need to talk, feel free to reach out. My colleagues can take you on. I’d recommend Dr. Fray.”
“Well, thank you, Dr. Bowie. It really means a lot to
me. This hospital is like family to me… well, the neuro department is.” I managed a smile.
He smiled. That was rare. It was the first smile I’d
ever seen from him. “People care for you, Aife. You worried us. I’m glad you are relatively safe. Make sure to make a follow-up with a neurologist. I’ll see you Tuesday.”
Talon held the car door open for me as the nurse
wheeled me to his truck. Our entire relationship felt like there had been a major shift. It felt lighter for some reason, but I definitely felt closer to him. There was still a lot to explore. We still needed to get to know each other more thoroughly, and I wanted a real kiss.
“Thank you,” I said once the door was closed. “I
really appreciate you being here for me.”
“It’s nothing, Aife. You’ve done this for me
before.” Talon gripped the wheel a bit tighter. “I have practice today, so will you be okay on your own?”
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Nodding, I smiled. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Gotta work
