Considering all I’d done, I couldn’t be mad. Unless. “Were you going to keep it a secret?”
“No.”
“Then I’m not mad.” I pulled her close. “I’m sorry. I probably stink.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do.” I let her go and made an attempt to get up. The pain was like a million swords being jabbed into me.
“Noel. You have to rest.” She tried to ease me back.
“I can’t stand having the stench of that cell…of Bastion’s fists on me.” I wasn’t a man to cry, but the idea of having all the violence and ugliness laid bare for her to see brought me close.
“Okay. I can call Archer—”
“No. Just…” I managed to sit up, sucking in deep breaths. “I just need a minute.”
She sat next to me. “I’ll go draw a bath.”
“I’d rather shower.”
“When you can stand up for five minutes on your own you can shower.” She rose and walked to the bathroom.
Despite the pain, I smiled at her no nonsense, no discussion comment. I remembered that I hadn’t actually said the words I’d heard from her.
“Harper?”
“No discussion, Noel,” she said from the bathroom.
I stood up, feeling like I was a million years old as I hobbled and shuffled to the bathroom, each step sending a new level of pain through me.
I finally made it to the bathroom doorway and leaned against it. “Harper.”
She looked up from the bath. Tears laced her eyes but she sniffed, clearly not wanting me to see them. Guilt that I’d brought pain into her life hurt more than the bruises.
“You should have let me help you.”
“You need to be quiet, woman, because I have something important to tell you.”
The tears cleared up, replaced by a glare.
I grinned. “I love you, Harper Erickson.”
The tears returned. “You big galoot.” She came to me. “I love you too.”
“I never said that before.” Maybe it was the pain medication that clearly didn’t work on pain, but did make me feel loopy that had me confessing everything in my heart. “You’re the first.”
Her smile was brilliant.
“And last.”
Her breath hitched again. “Good to know. Now, how about we get you cleaned up?”
I nodded. The sooner I washed Bastion, Lupe and that jail cell away, the better. I could start fresh with Harper.
As I sank into the hot water, I felt like my life was just beginning. A new life with love and laughter and probably a few glares and sharp words from Harper, but I was all in.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT