Page 94 of The Heartbreak List

I sniffle. “I love you, Gray. I have loved you since we were children. And I will love you until there’s no more breath in my body. You’re my family. My home. You’re in every version of the future that I have ever imagined.”

“I love you too.” He smiles at me softly as he leans in to kiss me.

“You’re in there as my family.” I shake my head as I evade his lips. “Not as the man I’m in love with.”

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you? Do you really think he feels the same way about you?” Gray looks sick to his stomach. “He’s not even here, Indy.”

“I know.” And it’s breaking me, but at this point all I can do is accept his decision. “And that’s okay. I don’t blame him for needing to walk away.”

“Actually.” Theo’s gruff voice draws my attention to where he hovers just outside the door. “I’m right here.”

Gray jumps up from the bed and faces him. “I heard what you said, asshole.”

He barely flicks a glance to Gray before his gaze is on me. “It’s true that I said some things that I deeply regret, sweetheart. I told America I didn’t want to see them give you a toe tag. I still don’t. If I could, I would fight death himself to make sure that never happened.”

I chuckle as an image of him punching a hooded skeleton with a scythe pops into my head.

He sits on the bed. Reaches out and uses his thumb to brush away some of my tears. “I freaked out when we got to the hospital. It brought up a lot of emotions for me and I flipped out and I left.”

“I figured.” I cover his hand with mine. Press my lips to his palm. “I didn’t blame you for leaving. Things aren’t going to get better for us.”

Gray scowls at Theo’s back. “Indy, please—"

“They’re probably not.” Theo presses his forehead against mine. "Though these days I do believe in big miracles. And you, my sweetheart, are one hell of a miracle. You showed me what it is to live again. Gave me purpose. Made me want a future. I’m so in love with you.”

“I love you too.” I’m sobbing. “You gave me the freedom to discover who I could be. And somehow you still managed to keep me safe. You gave me the future I wanted. Even if only for a little while.”

“We’ve had an adventure, haven’t we?” He smiles through his tears.

“Such a great adventure.” I smile back.

“I want to keep it going.” He stares into my eyes, his gaze determined and warm. “For however long we have. Whether that’s days or weeks. I don’t want to miss one moment with you. I want to kiss you every time it rains and make love to you every night. I want to take you on the biggest waterslide in the world. And I want you to meet my family. Even if it’s awkward and stilted because there’s no time to fix things with them first.”

“I want those things too.”

“And I want to call you my wife, Indy. I want to marry you. I want to be the man you can depend on when the days aren’t so great. I don’t want you to move in with your parents when things get worse and our time is almost up. Not unless I’m there too.”

“Is that so?” I giggle. He’s so sexy-cute in his earnestness. It makes my heart swell.

He tips my chin up. “I want you to be my wife, and I want to be the last face you see before you close your eyes for the very last time. I want to love you for the rest of my life. But if I can only have the rest of yours to do it in, then I’ll take each and every day that you can give me.”

“All of my days are yours. My heart is yours.” I press my lips to his. “Until we run out of time.”

“I’ll love you long after that, sweetheart.” He angles my head to capture my mouth. Pours his love into a lingering kiss. Then kisses away my tears.

“Sorry to interrupt.” The doctor enters the room as we break apart.

At some point Gray left, and I don’t blame him. This time I’ve probably broken his heart beyond all repair. But I can’t focus on the hurt now… can’t waste a single precious moment as Theo moves next to me and wraps his arm around me. Our love is what I want to pour myself into. Our happiness. The time that we have left together.

“I have the results of your scans.” The doctor flips through the information on his tablet. Smiles.

My breath catches.

Theo’s fingers tighten on my hip.

“The chemo is working and the tumor has shrunk.”

Theo’s chest stills and then rises and falls deeply. “That’s good news, isn’t it?”

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