Tory stroked her hair. “I hope you never do either.” She pulled over one of the stainless steel stools and sat down next to the stretcher.

“I think you were very very lucky and the bullet went through your triceps and missed the bone and all the major arteries and nerves.”

Allie brightened. “Which means I can go home and I’ll be good as new in a few days, right?”

“Not exactly,” Tory said with another slight smile. “There are a lot of important structures in your upper arm, and you were bleeding heavily when you came in. There’s only so much I can do to evaluate what’s going on inside without actually opening up the wound and examining it internally.”

“Like an operation.”

“Exactly. But operations can damage tissue, and we don’t like to do them unless they’re absolutely necessary. How about we compromise.”

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Tory checked her watch. “You stay here for another four hours. If there’s no further bleeding and no change in your neuro exam—the feeling and movement in your hand—I’ll let you go home with someone who can watch you.”

“Okay. Yes. Perfect.” Allie started to sit up, but Tory pressed a hand against her shoulder.

“That means four hours of lying still, sleeping if you can,” Tory admonished.

“I need to talk to my mother. Let her know I’m all right.”

“I’ll get your cell phone.” Tory gestured to the hallway. “A lot of your friends are outside. I’ll let them know that you’re doing all right.”

“Thanks.”

“Allie, is there someone you want to see? You can have visitors back here, I just don’t want a crowd. You really do need to rest.”

Allie looked away for the first time. “Is Reese here?”

“She was, but she had to go back to the station to take care of the arrest procedure. I just called her a few minutes ago to let her know that you’re doing all right. She said she’ll be by later. Bri will be here too, as soon as she can.”

“That’s cool. That’s good.”

“Reese mentioned Ash is waiting outside, and she’s pretty worried about you.” Tory didn’t want anything to upset her patient right now, but she couldn’t keep things from her either. “Flynn has been asking for you too.”

“Flynn’s here?” Allie asked quickly.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Will you ask her to come back?”

Tory nodded. “Of course. I’ll get her.”

v

Ash sat for a while after Flynn went inside, waiting for the strength to return to her legs and for the sharp, bright pain that lacerated her heart to lessen enough for her to walk away. Allie had asked for Flynn.

She shouldn’t have expected anything different. Allie had told her, more than once, that she had a girlfriend and was happy with her. Flynn was decent and cared about Allie. That was easy to see. So Ash finally

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had her answer and she wasn’t really surprised. She hadn’t trusted Allie when it mattered, and nothing killed love faster than distrust. Her greatest regret was not telling Allie how much she loved her, and how very much she needed and wanted her. Ash grasped the handrail and pulled herself to her feet, feeling inconsequential in the still, dusty air.

After taking a few shaky breaths, she walked down the stairs and across the parking lot to her vehicle. Her mind was sluggish, her movements hesitant and uncoordinated as she searched for her keys. The days and weeks of forgotten meals, late-night binges, and transitory hookups were finally catching up to her. She climbed behind the wheel and after a few tries, got her key in the ignition.

“Ash! Ash, wait!” Flynn jogged down the steps from the clinic and over to the car. She braced the vehicle door open with her arm.

“She wants to see you.”

Ash shook her head. She was done. She didn’t have anything left, not even anger. “I’ll stop by and see her tomorrow. Tell her I said I hope she’s feeling better.”

Flynn leaned farther inside, blocking Ash from turning the wheel, and waited until Ash looked at her. Flynn’s eyes were oddly soft and tender. “Allie is hurt and she wants to see you. Forget the past, forget your pride. Do right by her.”

“Do right by her,” Ash whispered, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping her tethered to the earth. Do right by her.

What did that mean? She’d told herself she was doing right by Allie in refusing to tie her down, to box her in, to limit her choices. She’d thought she was making a sacrifice, being noble. But she hadn’t done it for Allie, she’d done it for herself. Do right by her. She looked at Flynn, desperately needing guidance. “How?”

Flynn’s voice was gentle, filled with compassion, and unexpectedly encouraging. “I think you’ve already figured that out. Now let her know.”

Ash wasn’t so sure, but she slid out from behind the wheel and closed the door. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Flynn said.

Ash started toward the building, then looked back. “You coming in?”

“In a few minutes,” Flynn said. “You go ahead.”

Ash waited, but Flynn walked over to the EMT van, sat down on

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the wide rear step, and closed her eyes. When Ash entered the clinic, Tory was talking on the phone behind the high counter in the reception area.

“Allie asked to see me,” Ash said.

Tory gestured to the hallway behind her. “Treatment room two.

She’s tired. Don’t stay too long.”

“Is she all right?” Ash asked.

“She’s stable, but she really needs to rest.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Ash hurried down the hall, then hesitated in front of the door. Do right by her. She knocked and stepped into the room.

The head of the stretcher had been propped up to forty-five degrees, and Allie lay covered by a sheet, her shoulders bare, her eyes closed.

She was very pale. Her skin, framed by her dark hair, was nearly translucent. She appeared fragile and ethereal, and Ash’s heart twisted at the thought of how very close she had come to losing her. Right at that moment, all that mattered to her was that Allie was safe. The world without her would be a far darker place. Crossing as quietly as she could, Ash stopped by the side of the stretcher and clasped Allie’s hand.

She leaned forward to kiss Allie’s forehead and stopped when Allie’s eyes flickered open. Her deep brown eyes were slightly unfocused, but still endlessly beautiful.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Ash whispered.

“Hi, baby,” Allie murmured. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Close your eyes again.” Ash brushed her lips over Allie’s cheek.

“Tory wants you to rest.”

“She said I can go home soon.”

Ash wasn’t so certain that was a good idea, but she wasn’t going to argue. “That’s good. How are you feeling?”

“Loopy. Arm hurts.” Allie slipped her hand from Ash’s grasp and rested her palm against Ash’s cheek. “I think I’m still mad at you.”

“That’s all right. I don’t blame you.” Ash’s throat was so tight she could barely talk. She wanted to climb onto the stretcher and pull Allie into her arms. She wanted the bullet to have pierced her flesh, not Allie’s. She wanted to erase the pain she’d seen in Allie’s eyes that morning, the pain she’d put there. She wanted to go back and do everything over again, but she knew she couldn’t. Sometimes there were no second chances. “Do you need anything?”

“I do,” Allie whispered, clearly starting to drift. Her fingers

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fluttered against Ash’s cheek and then her hand fell away, leaving Ash bereft. “I need…”

Ash swallowed her pride, buried her pain. “Do you want me to get Flynn?”

Allie’s eyes opened wider, and a small frown formed between her brows. “I can’t tell what it means when you look at me like that—with your eyes so shadowy and dark. Tell me.”

“I feel…” Ash lost her voice and struggled to contain the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes. She turned her head and wiped her face quickly against her shirtsleeve. She lifted Allie’s hand and kissed the back of her fingers. “I look at you and I want to laugh out loud I’m so happy you’re part of my life. I look at you and I’m excited to be alive.

I want to rush forward into a day, into a lifetime, filled with possibility.

I look at you and I feel like I could do anything.” She leaned down and kissed Allie gently. “I feel so damn lucky to have ever touched you, to have ever been touched by you. I cherish every second we shared. If I could have one wish, I’d wish to be with you forever. I love you. I love you so much.”

“You know what I wish?”

“What, babe?” Ash asked, no longer trying to stem the tears that streaked her cheeks.

“I wish you would take me home and hold me tonight. And that in the morning you wouldn’t say good-bye.”

“I can do that,” Ash whispered.

“Every night?”

“Every single one.”

“I wanted to stop loving you,” Allie murmured, “but I couldn’t.”

“Neither could I.” Ash settled onto the stool, leaned her forehead against Allie’s shoulder, and slipped her arm gently around Allie’s waist. “And I never will.”

“I told Flynn I couldn’t date her anymore.”

“You did?”

“Mmm-hmm.” Allie played her fingers through Ash’s hair.

“How come?”

“’Cause I really like her and my heart isn’t available.” Allie pulled on Ash’s hair until Ash looked up. “I was so mad at you this morning—

you were such an ass, deciding what I needed and what I would do. All on your own.”

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“I know.”

“But after you left I thought about all the other things you said—

about falling for me, and being scared. You never said those things to me before.” Allie’s eyes turned liquid. “I knew then you really loved me. And I still loved you.”