It was hard to admit all this, knowing only a few hours earlier I still had no clue if committing to a relationship was the right thing to do, but this eye-opening realization that this man loved me back and would push his own demons aside to let me in came crashing in just minutes before.
“You’re the one I want, Wells,” I whispered, needing him to hear it one more time.
His eyes wandered all over my face to find answers to the questions floating in his eyes, and I could only imagine how strange this must’ve been for him.
He smiled, cupping my cheek with one hand while keeping me close with his other on my lower back.
“And you’re sure about what you just said, Rooney?” he asked.
Where’d he get the nerve to ask me that?
I laughed softly, my happiness spreading from my chest into my whole body. “I’ve never been this sure about anything in my life, Wells,” I promised him.
His eyes kept wandering over my face before he finally realized that I was being one hundred percent honest.
“I love you too, Rooney,” he said, his voice low and raspy.
He must’ve been up ever since I left as he sounded tired.
I smiled at his response and kissed him again, sealing our words with our lips.
This time our kiss didn’t last too long as we heard footsteps get closer and we were pretty much standing right in the middle of the hallway.
I stepped away from him involuntarily and grabbed the bag with the present in it from the floor.
“I’ll be right with you,” he whispered close to my ear and kissing my temple before heading toward the bathrooms.
I watched him leave, then stepped aside to let the nurses pass, getting an annoyed look from one of them before I opened the door to Ira’s room and entered it.
He was laying on his side with his back turned to me but his head facing the TV which had been moved to the side so he was a little more comfortable.
I smiled, and when I reached his bed, I saw his eyes closed.
Good thing he was getting some sleep after a scary night like this, but it was Wells who could’ve used sleep instead of Ira.
I set the present down at the end of the bed where it wouldn’t bother him as his feet only reached half of it, then I took off my coat and walked over to the table where two balloons and a big, fluffy teddy bear was sitting.
Wells was back quickly, and after closing the door behind him, he smiled at me and nodded at the teddy bear.
“Mom and George were here earlier this morning, but Ira has been sleeping through the whole visit. He’s exhausted from staying up until seven-thirty and watching TV,” he explained.
I nodded and walked over to him as he sat down on the bed which was meant for him and stopped in front of him to place my hand at his neck.
“Did you sleep?”
“Not really. I laid down with him, but I barely closed my eyes. The horror of hearing him call out for me wouldn’t let me fall asleep.”
I felt sorry for him as he definitely would be having trouble falling asleep from now on.
“You did everything right, just know that, okay?” I said quietly, letting him pull me between his legs with his hands at the back of my thighs.
“I know. But we got here thanks to you. How did you…”
“I heard him cry,” was my simple explanation, and he gave me a quick nod before wrapping his arms around me and leaning into me with his head against my chest.
“Thank you. I wouldn’t have made it without you, Rooney,” he whispered.
I pushed my hands back into his hair and leaned down to kiss his head. “There’s nothing to thank me for, Wells. I’m glad I could help, and that he’s doing better now.”
I’d do anything for them.
That’s clear to me now.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Wells
“Can I open it?” Ira asked the second he saw Rooney’s present at the end of his bed, and I smiled at his excited expression as Rooney walked over to him with a nod.
“Of course you can. Are you feeling much better now that you got some sleep?” she asked, sitting down next to him on the bed and pulling out the wrapped present from the bag.
“Yes, I’m okay,” Ira replied with a smile, his eyes widening at the colorful wrapping paper.