Don’t Mind If “I Do” by Everly Ashton
Forty-Nine
Mazzy
My eyes flicker open. The first thing I notice is that my head hurts, and the second is I’m no longer dizzy. The third is that there’s a warm hand resting on my own. I look over and see Nick sitting beside me.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey, yourself. You gave me quite the scare.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses each of my knuckles.
“Anything for some attention.” I give him a weak smile that he returns. It takes me a minute to remember that the last time I saw him, we were at odds.
“How are you feeling? Still dizzy?”
I shake my head. “No, that’s gone. My head is sore though.”
“You’ve got quite the gash.” He stands to inspect my cut.
I hold back a smile, witnessing Dr. Ryan in action. “How’d you do? Is your line straight?”
He sinks back down into his seat. “I’ll have you know I’m one of the best stitchers in this place.”
“I feel honored that you used your talents on me.”
“There’s a chance you might have a slight concussion, so I’m going to watch for signs of that. You need to take it easy for the next week at least.”
“Okay.”
We’re quiet for a moment, each in our own thoughts while we look at each other.
“You really scared me, Maz.” He takes my hand again and squeezes.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“No, you have nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry for being such an ass. It’s your money to do what you want with. I should never have interfered.”
“That’s not true.” I squeeze his hand. “I want you to weigh in with your opinion, even if it’s not the same as mine. But you have to respect that I might see things differently, and if I do, it doesn’t mean that I’m not the person you think I am.”
He nods emphatically. “You’re right. I let my own issues with my father and everything that happened when I was younger cloud my judgment. Can you ever forgive me?”
His pleading expression melts my heart a little. How could he think I wouldn’t? After all, we’ve forgiven each other for worse.
“Of course I forgive you. I love you.” I smile at him.
“I love you too.” He stands and leans over the bed, pressing a light kiss on my forehead. “I’m never letting you go, Mrs. Ryan. You’re stuck with me forever.”
“Good, because that’s exactly where I want to be.”