Page 97 of Secrets

"Phew. Okay. What's thisthing?"

"I got a letter from my heart donor's family."

"What? That's kind of exciting, right? To know who gave you your life back?"

Yeah, real exciting. So exciting, my heart nearly stopped when I realized where it came from. "Remember how I told you I felt this pull to Jolie? Lex was confident it was her, too, that night on the bridge?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it's possible that I felt that connection because I got the heart of someone who knew her? Who... maybe loved her? As much as he could, anyway?"

"Jesus Christ, this is a Lex conversation, man. I don't know."

Groaning, he places his head on the table. "I figured."

"Okay, let me try and channel my wife here. So, you got the heart from someone who knew Jolie? What the fuck are the odds of that?"

"Right?" he exclaims. "And yes."

"I mean, I suppose there could be a correlation. Or, you could just really have meant to be with her. If being with Lex has taught me anything, it's that the universe does its own thing. Has its own plan for you, regardless of what you want."

Okay, that could explain some of it. "That makes me feel a little better."

"Does Jolie know about the donor?"

Bodie shakes his head. "No. And I don't know if I should tell her."

"Why not?"

Letting out a deep breath, he looks at the table. "Because I'm pretty sure she'll leave me."

"Why?"

"Remember how she wanted to jump off the bridge? And then put herself in front of two guys I kicked the shit out of? And then stood and faced a guy with an AR-15?"

"How she wanted to die? Yeah, it's something that sticks out in my mind. It actually makes me a little nervous when she watches the kids alone, but Lex seems to trust she's okay now that you two are together."

"It was all because her fiancé, Justin, died."

Colt tilts his head from side to side. "Okay, I kind of get that. She missed the man she thought she'd end up with forever. Now that she has you, the depression has gone away."

"She got pretty fucking pissed before now, though. She went through his stuff in storage, and she found out he'd been cheating. Three phones, and he was fucking a lot of blondes. Which didn't help when we talked about Evie because, you know... blonde."

"Oh shit."

"And... I got her ex's heart."

Blinking, Colt just stares at Bodie for a few moments. "You're lying."

"I'm not. I got a letter from Justin Spalding's family, which is the guy who gave me his heart. Well, he didn't, but you know what I mean. The letter even talks about Jolie and his playboy ways. How he loved her, muscle cars, onion rings, steak, and motorcycles."

"Your love of onion rings!" he gasps.

"And the fact I'm oddly fascinated with Lex's car even though I've never wanted a thing to do with a cage my entire life."

"Holy shit."

Bodie nods and sighs. "I don't know if I should tell her or not."

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