Stay awake.\u00a0 Stay awake.\u00a0 Stay awake.<\/i><\/p>\n
He felt like he was roasting from the inside out, felt like he wanted to puke his guts out even though his stomach was empty, and yet he was trying to stay awake so he could get potentially reamed out by three women who were largely responsible for his continuing to breathe.<\/p>\n
If they\u2019re yelling at me, I\u2019m still alive.\u00a0 That\u2019s what matters.<\/i><\/p>\n
Phelan winced as Jacqueline pressed cold fingers against his forehead. \u201cI\u2019m still here,\u201d he murmured. \u201cThanks to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJ.T. had something to do with that, too,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 She\u2019d turned down the lamp after she and J.T. had finished working on him.\u00a0 The worst of the initial reaction to the Dirae<\/i>\u2019s poisoned wounds had passed on the road, shorter in duration than his past experiences but no less unpleasant.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t sure what Jacqueline had done for him while they were on the road, or what J.T. had done after they\u2019d reached home again, but he was still alive, which wasn\u2019t something he\u2019d expected after he realized that he\u2019d been slashed by a Dirae<\/i>\u2019s claws while he tried to get Cameron and Jacqueline to run.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to come after me,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cYou probably shouldn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat ship\u2019s sailed,\u201d Jacqueline said.\u00a0 \u201cAre you going to stop belaboring the point?\u201d<\/p>\n
He cracked an eye open just enough to see the tears glittering on her cheeks.\u00a0 He swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cJac.\u201d<\/p>\n
She met his gaze in the dim, her eyes red-rimmed from too little sleep and too many tears. \u201cI love you, Phelan,\u201d she said quietly.\u00a0 \u201cI meant it when I said it and I still mean it now.\u00a0 I should have told you sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n
His throat grew tight as he inched his hand out from beneath the covers, seeking hers.\u00a0 Jacqueline took his hand and squeezed his fingers.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t scold them,\u201d she said softly.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re our family.\u00a0 The only thing we were worried about was keeping the family together and keeping you safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not going to scold anyone.\u00a0 Do you really love me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her expression softened and she nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelan squeezed his eyes shut and for the first time in decades began to weep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stay awake.\u00a0 Stay awake.\u00a0 Stay awake. He felt like he was roasting from the inside out, felt like he wanted to puke his guts out even though his stomach was empty, and yet he was trying to stay awake so … Continue reading