Page 161 of The Obvious Check
For a second, I don’t react. The words hang in the air between us, too big, too important. Then it hits me like a freight train.
“Savannah,” I exhale, and she just laughs as I wrap my arms around her, holding her tight against me. “Cade,” she says, her voice muffled against my shoulder.
I pull back just enough to look at her, my hands framing her face. “It’s happening,” I say, grinning like an idiot. “You’re gonna bring her home.”
Her eyes well with tears, but she doesn’t let them fall. Instead, she nods, biting her lip like she’s trying to contain all the emotions threatening to spill over.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispers.
I press a kiss to her forehead, lingering there. “You better believe it, Pretty Girl. You fought for this. And you won.”
She exhales shakily, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt, sighing into me, relieved.
I feel it too, because this is it.
This is the start of everything.
Chapter 37
“Where are you going?” Savannah asks as I open the door to leave with Stanley and I close my eyes in pure fucking frustration. I love Savannah… with every goddamn fiber of my being, but I’ve learned that when she needs to take care of someone, she goes completely overboard. I feel like I'm under house arrest and she's my own personal warden. Something I'd be thrilled about under normal circumstances, but right now I've got shit to handle.
“Guess I was wrong to think I could escape this place without an interrogation, huh?” I mutter to Stanley, who's so excited to be going anywhere that he's practically vibrating out of his fur. Apparently, his Aunt Madison took him on five walks a day, and now he sits at the door, expecting the same treatment from me.
“I was just going to take our darling dog for a walk,” I say as Stanley bolts through the door, forcing me to yank him back. The sudden movement sends a sharp pain shooting through my ribs, and I have to bite back a grunt. It's been a week since Jeremy used me as his personal punching bag, but my body's still reminding me of every blow he landed.
Savannah's eyes narrow like she caught that wince. “Cade, you can barely lift your arms without grimacing. Maybe I should take Stanley instead.”
“I'm fine,” I lie through my teeth, even though standing here is taking more out of me than I want to admit.
“You're not fine. You're still favoring your left side, and I saw you pop three painkillers with your coffee this morning.” She crosses her arms and gives me a look I know well. That's herI'm not backing downlook. “Dr. Henry said you need to rest.”
“Dr. Henry is a college student who thinks he knows everything because he's taking a few sports medicine classes.” I adjust my grip on Stanley's leash, trying not to let her see how much the simple movement still hurts me. “Besides, I've been getting plenty of rest with my very attractive nurse.”
She rolls her eyes, but I catch the hint of a smile. “That's not the kind of rest he meant.”
“Maybe not, but I think all the cardio is good for recovery, don’t you? Gets the blood flowing to all the right places, making me heal quicker.” I waggle my eyebrows.
“You’re impossible.” She sighs, resting her hand on the kitchen counter as she scans all the fruit she bought and has been diligently dicing it up for me.
“I’ve been resting for a week, Sav. I’m going stir-crazy.”
“You've beenhealingfor a week. There's a difference.”
“Have you got a nurse fantasy by any chance? Because you’re taking such good care of me and doing the role so well that I think we should give this a little more exploration.”
“Cade. Why don’t you want me there?” There it fucking is. She can read me like I'm an open book written in giant font. “Because you're still wincing every time you move, and I'm worried about leaving you alone.”
She's not wrong. My face might look mostly human again. The swelling around my eye has gone down and the cutshave scabbed over, but my ribs are still tender as hell. Every twist, every sudden movement, every time Stanley tugs on his leash sends lightning through my torso. It’s safe to say Coach Mckibbon has some questions about where I am, but apparently, Dash and Henry have been able to hold him off seeing me.
I meet her gaze over my shoulder, and those beautiful eyes are studying me like I'm a puzzle she's determined to solve. “You know I love you, Sav, but I've got some business I need to handle.”
Her eyebrow arches. “Business? What kind of business requires you to hobble around town when you're still healing?”
“I'm not hobbling. It's more like a sexy swagger with a slight limp.”
“You're totally hobbling, and don't think I haven't noticed you sleeping on your back every night because lying on your side hurts too much.”
Fuck. She notices everything.
