“Why?” she asks suspiciously.
“Can you just—”
“I sure can.” She laughs, clearly knowing something’s up.
Once both are on, Logan asks, “What’s up?”
“Just want to see if I can get you both home Friday evening for dinner,” I say then wait for them to reply. They don’t, so I lay it out there. “With Tessa’s family and her kids, at their place.”
“Is this like a date?” Ava asks, hardly able to contain her excitement.
“Yeah, I guess it is,” I answer, feeling a smile spread across my face.
Logan asks, “You gonna hit that?”
Ava snort-laughs, and I respond, “Only thing I’m hitting is the back of your head if you ask that again.”
Ava cracks up, and Logan … he sighs.
“We’ll also be meeting Piper officially, so Ava, you want to order—”
“Check your credit card statement—I already have!” she squeals.
I hear Logan clear his throat then say, “Campus store may have a Cuse onesie or something. Should I—”
“Yeah.” I laugh. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. We can add it to whatever gift basket Harper is—”
“Orange will clash go with Tiffany blue,” Ava cuts me off.
?
I’m on interstate 81, almost to Cortland, when the heaviness in my chest begins to tighten. I slow down as my left arm starts to tingle. I can hear my heart pounding in my ear, and I know this isn’t good.
I pull over as the pain sharpens.
Intense pain, so fucking intense that I can hardly get the vehicle in park, and I have to use pure will power to reach up and push the button that I never thought I’d have to—the emergency service button.
“Emergency service, how can we help you?”
“I’m on 81 North, just south of Cortland, past exit ten. I think I’m having a heart attack.”
?
I wake up in the hospital with blonde hair fanned across my chest and feather-soft lips pressing kisses to my shoulder.
I clear my dry throat, and she startles and looks at me, just looks at me.
She’s a wreck. Mascara stains cover half her face, blue eyes red and puffy. Her nose is red, too, and she looks exhausted.
“I thought this would get you to me sooner.”
“Oh God, Lucas. You scared me. You scared me so badly.” She starts crying again and kisses me. With her lips still on mine, she whispers, “If you had died on me, too, I would have never gotten a chance to tell you.”
Lips still on hers, I whisper, “Not yet, baby.”
“You have on a white gown, and I had a minister in here earlier, so I can say I love you.” She somehow manages to stomp her foot.
“So, that’s how you’ll say it?”