Even the Score(92)

Javier Delgado. I’ve never heard that name in my entire life.

My chest hollowed as deflation filled the spot where hope used to be. “Really? Nothing?”

“They’re still digging, and they’re charging him with attempted murder since he lured you into the garage, so he’s totally screwed, but they can’t seem to find any motive.” His hand gently massaged the back of my sore head, but his touch felt so good I didn’t dare ask him to stop.

“And he’s not talking? At all?” I finally sat back.

“Nope. When they ask him questions, he just sits there with a smirk on his smug, bruised face.” A vein in Andy’s neck twitched, something I’d learned happened only when he was really pissed.

I pulled my eyebrows down low. “Huh?”

His eyes shifted from mine down to the bed. “I lost it when I heard what he did to you and went after him in the police car.”

“You did?” My voice raised, but that ended with me wincing in pain instead. Instinctively I lifted my giant, bandaged hand to my jaw to touch it and give it some comfort but wound up punching myself in the cheek instead. “Ow,” I whined.

“Easy there, killer.” Andy laughed as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear gently. “But yes, I went after him. And I don’t regret it one bit. If the cops hadn’t pulled me out of the car, I honestly don’t think I would have stopped until he took his last breath.”

His words sent a chill through my body. No one had ever been that protective of me in my whole life, not even my dad.

“Thank you,” I said softly, dropping my eyes to the bed. Suddenly I was feeling shy, undeserving of a love and protection that extreme.

“Hey.” He dipped his head to try and catch my eyes again. “Don’t do that. Don’t go away.”

I swallowed and lifted my head. “Sorry. I’m not. This is all just . . . overwhelming.”

“That’s okay. Don’t fight it, let it be overwhelming. Just stay with me, okay?” His intense blue eyes bored straight into mine. I was hypnotized and couldn’t look away if I wanted to. “Stay tucked in close. Right up under my wing, remember?”

I was quiet for a minute, contemplating if it was the right time, but I was never one to get my timing exactly right, so I figured what the hell. “I remember what you said—in the ambulance. Everything else was foggy, but I remember that.”

“That I love you?”

I nodded, trying to ignore the painful heat creeping up my neck.

“Good,” he said in an arrogant, adorable tone. “I’m glad you remember it.”

“I mean—” I paused, wondering if bringing it up had been a mistake after all. Words started to fall from my mouth faster than my brain could filter them out. “Sometimes in those situations people are scared and they say stuff they don’t mean, so if you didn’t mean it, it’s totally okay—”

“Dani,” he interrupted. “I meant it then, and I mean it now. I love you.”

Knowing that he didn’t regret what he’d said in the ambulance allowed my heart rate to slowly return to normal as I relaxed back against my pillow and just let him talk.

“I know you’re a runner and this freaks you out, but you’re going to have to get over it, because in these last couple of months—long before you let me—I fell in love with you. And I’m not falling out anytime soon.”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him, trying to decide what I did to deserve a guy as amazing as him, but for the first time in forever, I didn’t try to dissect it, didn’t try to reason it away, and I didn’t have the urge to run. Quite the opposite, actually. “Correction. I was a runner . . . but my legs are pretty damn tired, so I think I’ll sit down right where I am. At least for a while.”

He gave me a slow, relieved grin as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. When he didn’t pull them away, I closed my eyes and leaned back into him.

Say it, Dani. Just say it.

“I love you, Andy.”





CHAPTER 35

Andy

The news of Dani’s attack spread like wildfire. At least half of the calls coming into the office were reporters wanting statements, and when Ellie told them ‘no comment,’ they somehow figured camping out in the lobby downstairs would get them the scoop they wanted.

Wrong.

It took some clever maneuvering on my part, but I wasn’t about to leave Dani’s side, and I felt bad leaving Ellie and Ethan alone to deal with the aftermath, so for the first time ever, I closed down the office for a couple of days. I rerouted all of the business calls to Ellie’s phone temporarily and told them both to work from home until things quieted down. I would’ve loved nothing more than to take those same couple of days to focus on Dani, but the sports world wasn’t about to stop just because mine nearly did. My laptop became my mobile office, and when Dani napped during the day, I rolled my sleeves up and got as much done as I could.