I love you."
"Eva!" My mother's startled exclamation made me wince.
She advocated withholding the words I love you until the wedding night.
"Sorry, Mom.
Can't help it."
Gideon brushed coffee-warmed fingertips down my cheek.
"Gideon," my mother began, coming up right beside us, "you should know better than to take Eva away without any means of calling for help.
You do know better."
She was clearly referring to my past.
I wasn't sure why she thought I was so delicate that I couldn't function on my own.
She was far more fragile.
I shot a sympathetic glance Gideon's way.
He held out the bag he'd brought for me, the calm and confident look on his face conveying his total comfort in dealing with my mother.
So I left him to it.
I didn't have it in me to deal with her until I'd caffeinated myself.
I slipped back into Cary's room and found him awake.
Just the sight of him made the tears well and my throat close up tight.
He was such a strong and vibrant man, so full of life and mischief.
It was the worst pain to see him looking so broken.
"Hey," he muttered.
"Quit the waterworks every time you see me.
Makes me feel like I'm gonna die or something."
Hell.
He was right.
My tears didn't do him any good.
Instead, what little relief they gave me just put more of the burden on him.
I needed to be a better friend than that.
"I can't help it," I said, sniffling.
"It sucks.
Someone beat me to it and kicked your ass before I could."