Page 115 of A Dance With Obsession

I pull back. The words I’ve wanted to say burn their way up my throat, and I can’t think of a better time to set them free.

“I love you, cupcake.” My voice never wavers. I love this woman with every fiber of my being, down to the core of my soul, and I want her to know it.

She’s it for me.

A small, bashful smile overtakes her features. Her pupils dilate as she takes in how serious I am. She runs her hand along my chest and up to my beard, like she’s trying to reassure herself that I’m really here. That I’m okay.

I grab her wandering hand, stopping its movement as I pull it back to my chest. I splay her fingers open, placing her palm down on my beating heart.

I watch the worry, stress, and fear from the last few hours drain from her body as her eyes close. She shifts so her head is on my chest, her ear over my heart.

“I love you too, big guy.”

Nora and I lay together quietly on the hospital bed for what seems like forever and also not long enough. We both soak in the realization of the last several hours. Ending David’s life wasn’t the way I wanted to give Nora her life back, but he left me no choice. I’m lucky, had he been a better shot, the bullet could have hit something more vital than my thigh.

I slowly run my hand along Nora’s back, up and down the column of her spine. The room is dimly lit, but I can still make out her delicate, beautiful features. Her eyes are closed, and she breathes deeply, so I’m unsure if she’s awake until she speaks.

“We need to call your family. I’m sure they’re worried.” She doesn’t move an inch; she remains tucked by my side, her head on my chest.

I look at the clock on the wall. It’s almost six a.m. here, so it’s three a.m. in Sutter Creek.

“They’ll get up soon to get ready for work. I’ll wait and call then. It’s only a little over an hour.”

“Okay,” she whispers, pressing her body into mine. She absently plays with my IV line, running it through her fingers. I assume that’s only because it’s uncomfortable to toy with her ring in this position.

I dread that phone call. They’ll be so upset. I would be if the roles were reversed with any of them. I’m sure they’ll insist I come back to Sutter Creek to recover, which will turn into them trying to convince me again to stay there permanently.

I allow that thought to linger in my mind… Moving back to Sutter Creek. It isn’t something I’ve even considered since I moved away from there right after high school. However, being there the last several weeks, it had never felt more like home. Maybe it was because Nora was there. She’s the missing piece from my life. A piece I didn’t know I was missing until the day I met her.

I can’t make a decision like that right now. There are so many things to consider like Nora’s dancing career and my security career. I release a sigh of uncertainty.

Nora pushes herself up to sit, her brow furrowed when she looks at me. “What is it? What’s wrong?” She eyes my chest and then my thigh. “Are you hurting? We can call the nurse.”

I smile. Her concern for me is something I’m not used to. It’s not something I’ve had outside of my family unit.

“Nothing is wrong. I’m just considering all the decisions ahead we have to make, and…” Maybe it’s too soon. We haven’t talked about any of this yet, but I want her to know where I stand. “I want us to make them together.”

She doesn’t skip a beat with her response. “I’ve thought about that, too. I think we need to go to Sutter Creek. At least for a while.”

I try to sit up on my own, but wince as pain shoots through my thigh.

Nora quickly shifts her body and then uses the buttons on the bed to gently sit me upright.

“Why Sutter Creek?” I’m surprised. I thought I’d have to pitch the idea, but she’s already ahead of me.

“Why not Sutter Creek?” she challenges. “Your family is there. You need time to heal, and there will be help from your family.

“What about your parents? Have you talked to them? And what about dancing?”

“My parents travel constantly and would have no problem coming to visit us.” She smirks. “And yes, they called while you were gone for testing. Alex called to tell them what happened. They had a ton of questions, most of which I couldn’t answer yet. I told them I’m okay and you’ll be okay, and they said that’s all that matters.”

Marie and Walt are good people. They have to be to have raised such an amazing woman. I felt comfortable with them from the start, much like with Nora.

She takes a deep breath before continuing. “As for dancing… I can train in Sutter Creek. I still have a long road of recovery ahead of me, and I think a slower pace would be good for me, too. I can focus better there.”

It’s still an enormous sacrifice for her. She’d be giving up her home and her friends in order to stay with me.

“Are you sure? Because if you aren’t, we can make something else work. I can stay here in New York with you.” I don’t ever want her to sacrifice herself for me. That’s not love. She has so much ahead of her with her career, and I want to make sure we’re in the best place to foster that.

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