Aunt Jamie and Uncle Julian stay for a while before they call it a night as well. Danny looks at her parents and Uncle Rhett. “You should go home and get some rest.”
“Yeah,” Uncle Carter says as he gets up. He gives Danny a tight hug. “I’ll see you first thing tomorrow.”
Aunt Della and Uncle Rhett hug Danny, and then they leave. I grab a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from my bag, then say, “I’m just going to shower quickly.”
Danny lies back on the bed, her eyes following me into the ensuite bathroom.
I rush through my routine, and when I’m done, Danny pats the space beside her on the bed. “Lie with me.”
We have to maneuver ourselves until she’s draped half over me and it has us grinning. “Hey, beautiful,” I murmur, my gaze locking with hers.
“Hey, handsome.” She lifts herself and presses a kiss to my mouth, then we stare at each other for a little while before I pull her closer for another kiss.
Danny ducks her head under my chin, and it has me pulling the beanie off her. I brush my hand over the buzzcut she has and then press my mouth to her head.
Wanting to lift her spirits, I say, “When you’re done with treatment, I was thinking we can visit Cape Town again.”
“Yeah,” she chuckles. “We can do the wine route again.”
I let out a burst of laughter. “I’ll just skip all the wine. That hangover sucked ass.”
Danny glances up at me. “Why didn’t you tell me you had feelings for me?”
I shift her a little, so we’re comfortable while looking at each other. “I thought you only saw me as Tristan’s friend.”
“Yeah, his hot friend,” she teases me.
“At least, I flirted with you,” I mention. “You gave me zero indication you were interested.”
Danny shrugs. “The age gap. You being Tristan’s friend. You know.”
“Still, how did you hide your feelings so well?”
She grins at me. “Trust me, it was torture. You didn’t make it easy at all.”
“At least I know how to get you to let your guard down,” I joke.
“How?”
“Wine. Lots of wine.”
Danny lets out a soft burst of laughter, and then she snuggles closer to me. “To think I almost missed my chance of having this with you.”
I tighten my arms around her.
Five weeks.
God, don’t let that be all we get.
“Love you, Danny,” I murmur.
“Love you,” she whispers, and then silence falls around us. It doesn’t take long for Danny to fall asleep.
I’m torn between staying awake, so I won’t miss a second with her and getting rest after the rough weekend we had.
I press another soft kiss to her head then close my eyes, knowing I’ll need the rest for what’s to come.
Chapter 23
DANNY
I wake up in the same position I fell asleep in, with Ryker’s arms wrapped around me.
When he tightens his hold on me, I whisper, “I woke up on the plane, and the second I realized you were holding me, I pretended to be asleep so I could savor the feel of your arms around me.”
He lets out a deep chuckle. “I was lying on my side, just staring at you, and then you snuggled up to me. God, it felt like heaven’s gates were opening to me.”
“Even in my sleep, I gravitate to you,” I whisper. Knowing my surgery is in a couple of hours, I swallow hard as emotion wells in my chest. “Maybe it will be the same if the worst happens. I’ll find a way to gravitate to you.”
Ryker’s arms tighten even more around me. His body begins to shake but only for a minute before he reins it in again. “Just focus on fighting for us, Danny. Don’t think about anything else. Just keep fighting.”
I nod against his chest, and taking a deep breath, I say, “The past five weeks have been a dream come true. Thank you for loving me, Ryker.” Slowly, I let out a quivering breath while my eyes tear up. “You’re everything I’ve wanted in this life.”
The shaking returns to his body, and it makes tears sneak from my eyes. Ryker moves his hands to my face and tilts my head back. When our eyes meet, and I see the heartache in his, a sob flutters over my lips.
“Loving you is both the easiest and hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Easy because you’re the air I breathe.” I swallow, and his voice becomes hoarse as he continues, “And hardest because I can’t let go of you. Ever. You’re my life, Danny. Without you, I have nothing to live for.”
Ryker’s been so strong since I told him, it was easy to forget what my death would do to him.
Not wanting him to mourn me for the rest of his life, I say, “If I die, I want you to live for both of us. I want you to love again, to be happy. To have a family of your own.”