Page 178 of With a Cherry On Top

“I’m so close,” she gasps. “I’m gonna?—”

“Come for me,” I growl. “Let me feel you lose it.”

She falls apart with a sharp cry, her body convulsing, her pussy clenching around me so hard I nearly blackout. I hold her tight, driving into her a few more desperate times before I come with a whimper, spilling inside her.

We collapse together, breathless and shaking, her chest pressed into the cushions, me blanketing her from behind. I press lazy kisses to her spine, her shoulder, her damp skin.

She laughs softly, exhausted and glowing. “Couch sex is underrated.”

I smile, trailing my fingers over her hip. “With you, everything is.”

The landline rings, bursting our perfect bubble. I exchange a look with her, then slide out and quickly kiss her shoulder. “Be right back, baby.” I drag myself away from her and into the kitchen, then pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Aaron?” Logan’s voice is tight, urgent. “Where the fuck is your phone? I’ve called you seven times.”

“I—” A chill runs down my spine. My phone is in the pocket of my jeans, discarded somewhere on the living room floor. “What’s wrong?”

“You need to get to the hospital right now. It’s Mom.”

CHAPTER 34

Breaking Bread Again

Ipush through the hospital doors, Charlotte right behind me. My heart is hammering so hard it feels like it’s trying to jump out of my chest. The fluorescent lights, the smell of antiseptic—all of this is too familiar from the last visit, but what if we’re not as lucky this time?

Where is she? Where’s Mom?

My eyes dart around the waiting area until I spot Logan standing near the reception desk. His arms are crossed, shoulders tense, his face drawn tight.

I don’t stop moving. “Where is she?”

His head snaps up, relief flashing across his face before something heavier settles in. He jerks his thumb toward the hallway. “They’re stitching her up now.”

I breathe sharply, trying to push air into my lungs. “What the hell happened?”

Charlotte steps closer, her hand brushing my back in quiet reassurance.

“She and Dad came over to help with a few final things for the wedding. She went to grab a bowl from the cabinet, but she—she must have knocked into a stack of glasses. Everythingcame down. It shattered all over her—there was so much blood, Aaron.” He swallows hard, eyes flicking away like he’s still seeing it. “She cut up her hands, her arms. It wasn’t stopping. We had to wrap her up in dish towels until the ambulance came.”

Fuck.

My mind races, but my body feels like it’s made of stone. I knew something like this would happen eventually, but that doesn’t make it any easier to hear.

“I think something’s wrong with her,” he continues, voice lower now, like he’s almost afraid to say it out loud. “You know this isn’t the first time, right? She dropped her phone so many times it finally broke last week.” He looks at Charlotte, like he’s registering her for the first time. He’s momentarily stunned before he focuses on me again. “She’s been—off. Is she getting confused? She’s stillyoung. What’s happening to her?”

I swallow hard, throat tight.

This is exactly why Mom didn’t want me to say anything. She didn’t want Logan to worry, not until after the wedding. But he’s already worried. He’s already looking at me like he knows something isn’t right, and I can’t lie to him. Not now.

“I . . . I know what’s happening,” I say.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charlotte straighten, like she’s bracing for impact.

Logan stiffens. “You do?”

“Yes.” I force myself to meet his eyes. “Mom has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.”

His expression freezes, his whole body going rigid. Then, quietly, “What?”

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