Page 170 of Please Save Me

In true Rosie fashion, she immediately began rooting around.

Sophia stopped whatever she’d been searching for and moved to ensure the baby didn’t slip off. Rosie whimpered when she failed to latch, and the little movements seemed to reignite something in Mason.

Ever so slowly, Mason’s mismatched eyes flutteredopen.

First, they pinned on Lucian before rolling weakly toward Rosie.

A chorus of gasps filled the room. My fingers pressed to my lips as Mason’s gaze, weak and unfocused, landed on the baby.

Her hand moved, clumsy and slow, falling to her chest as she fumbled with the neckline of her hospital gown.

Mason Albright was alive.

Sophia quickly stepped in, sliding the blue fabric off Mason’s shoulder and helping to position Rosie. Within seconds, the sound of rhythmic sucking joined the steady beep of Mason’s monitor.

Mason’s head sank back against the pillow, her gaze shifting to Lucian.

Her lips moved, forming an incoherent, slurred mumble before she rasped a single word: “Thirsty.”

Lucian leaned closer, his composure fracturing. “I—I don’t have water. I just have Diet Coke… Is that okay?”

Should we even be letting her drink without a doctor?Fuck. We needed a doctor.

Mason’s nose wrinkled in the most expressive way I’d seen from her in weeks.

“Ew. Fine,” she croaked, her voice faint but unmistakably clear.

Lucian scrambled to grab a disposable cup from the bedside table, holding the straw to her lips. Mason accepted it, taking slow, careful sips.

The moment she was done, Sophia and Lucian threw themselves at her.

Sophia wrapped her arms around Mason’s neck, sobbing openly. Lucian laughed, nuzzling Mason’s nose between kisses.

I expected Sebastian to join the celebration; instead, he clung to my arm.

“She… she’s awake,”he whispered, his voice cracking as he looked up at me as if searching for confirmation that this wasn’t a dream.

Tears welled in my eyes as I looked back at Mason.

“She’s alive,” I said, my voice breaking as I did.

Free of the guilt and grief that had weighed us down for weeks, something between Sebastian and me shifted. I pressed my forehead to his, savoring the warmth of his skin.

His lips brushed against mine, tender and desperate, the kiss spilling over with everything our pride would never let us say. His hand cupped my cheek, anchoring me as the rest of the world faded away.

For the first time since Dale had claimed me,somethingin my gut told me everything was going to be okay. And I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my years with the family I'd found for myself.

Epilogue

Sebastian

Six months later…

A year ago, if you’d asked where I saw myself today, I would’ve said back in Portland with Mason. I would’ve still been working for S.H.A.D.E., hunting serial killers like the animals they were and cleaning blood off my sneakers. Mason and I would probably be trying for baby number two—That way I could keep her barefoot, pregnant, and irrevocably bound to me.

In no universe did I picture myself staying in Hartwood, much less shelving years of college and criminology degrees in favor of a piercing apprenticeship at mybrother’sshop.

Once things with Mason coming home calmed down, Cameron and I had a serious talk about what our relationship needed to look like if we were going to be partners rather than…whatever we were. His parameters were clear, I needed to find a job where Ididn’tkill people, and I needed to get medicated for whatever the fuck was going on in my head.

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