enough to think he was legit when he said he needed to take me in for questioning.”
“Dumb has nothing to do with it. He had everyone fooled. I think he wanted to use you to get classified information he could sell to interested third parties.”
“Did the police catch him?”
“Yes, you’re safe, and I’m really sorry.”
She waved away his apology.
“How bad is the gunshot wound?”
“It hit me in the thigh, but the bullet penetrated just below the skin and passed through. No major damage done.”
“Thank God. How are you feeling?”
“Not bad, considering. I got a little road rash from jumping out of the car, but it’ll heal.”
Alex sat down on the edge of the bed. “When I heard you were hurt, I was terrified. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.”
She laughed. “Don’t get all melodramatic on me. I’m okay.”
“Seriously, Yasmine. I feel like this is partly my fault.”
“You couldn’t have known what Connelly was up to.”
“I could have if I’d paid more attention. If I’d been less focused on you and more focused on the facts.”
“Nobody’s perfect.”
He had to tell her. She had to know how he felt, how far from right his life was without her. How much he wanted her—more than anything else he’d ever wanted.
“Yasmine, please give me another chance.” He didn’t care if he had to beg. He’d get on his knees if that’s what it took.
A stricken look crossed her face, and she quickly subdued it. He’d hurt her, no doubt, and he had no right to expect forgiveness.
“I’ve wanted you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. Can we start all over again, take things slow, follow all the relationship rules and see what happens?”
She shook her head, and Alex felt his one true chance at lasting happiness slipping through his fingers. “Trust me, once you’ve started breaking the rules, it’s hard to go back.”
“You did. You turned your life around.”
“But I never wanted to take it slow with you. That’s just not the kind of relationship we could have.”
“Why can’t we try?”
She closed her eyes for a moment, and he found himself mesmerized by the lush black quarter moons of lashes resting on her cheeks. When she opened her eyes again, he could see they were damp with tears.
“I’m sorry. You’ll always be that guy on the witness stand to me. You’ll always be a reminder of the worst time of my life, and I don’t want that. I paid for my crimes. I don’t want you in my life haunting me forever.”
Her words were a punch to his gut. One he should have seen coming, one that he had to sit and take like a man. He never should have expected anything more. And she was right—she didn’t deserve to have a ghost haunting her for the rest of her life.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek, then took her hand in his and kissed it too.
A doctor stuck his head in the doorway. “The nurse will be in to release you in just a few.”
“Can I give you a ride home?” Alex asked when the doctor disappeared.
She shook her head. “I’ll take a cab.”
“So. I guess this is goodbye.”
Yasmine nodded, and he couldn’t look again to see the tears in her eyes.
YASMINE STARED DOWN at the big stack of romantic comedies Cass had just plopped on the coffee table and felt her stomach twist into a knot. She understood her friend’s intentions—after yesterday, it was a safe bet Yasmine wouldn’t want to watch any shoot-’em-up action flicks. But she’d left out the little detail of her telling Alex to get lost last night.
It was New Year’s Eve, she was recovering from a kidnapping, a gunshot wound and the most horrible breakup of her life, and she was so not in the mood for merrily ringing in the New Year.
“I don’t think I can watch any of those,” she said.
Cass sighed. “Oh, come on, I know you’re not crazy about Renee Zellweger, but the guys in these movies are hot.”
“It’s just the whole notion of romance that I’m not crazy about tonight.”
“What happened? I thought Alex was suspiciously missing from the scene.”
He was the last person she wanted to talk about. “What about Drew?”
Cass shot her a look. “How about we agree not to talk men until we’ve had at least three margaritas?”
“I can’t drink because of the painkillers the hospital gave me.”
“Okay, so let’s not talk