Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Kathryn R. Biel

Author:Kathryn R. Biel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic comedy, contemporary romance, first love, second chance romance, new adult romance
Publisher: Kathryn R. Biel

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Ian

An alarm beeps, pulling me out of a fitful slumber. An arm stretches across my torso, and I'm aware of the weight of another body on my left arm. Rio's hair spills onto the pillow, my arm, my chest. I close my arm around her and pull her into my body. She lets out a little groan and wraps her leg around my pelvis. Her heel hits my thigh, and I try not to wince as she presses onto the upper incision. My right leg is stiff and hurts.

"Rio, your alarm is going off." I wish I could silence it and keep her here forever. Her warmth makes me feel like nothing bad could possibly happen.

"Mmmmh," she mumbles, reaching across me to hit the snooze button. I can't control my flinching as she presses into my leg. It's enough to finally wake her up.

"Oh my God, Ian. I'm so sorry!" She flies off of me and out of the other side of the bed. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

I try unsuccessfully to wipe the grimace off my face. "I'm fine. Just stiff and sore." I pull myself up to sitting and start the arduous process of moving my foot up and down, and then sliding my heel up and down to bend and straighten my knee. It takes a minute or two, but I can feel the leg loosening up. The motion is better than yesterday, so that's a good sign.

I mean, healing is a bad sign because then I won't have to stay here with Rio.

I can't imagine going one single day without seeing her now.

"Any word on Evan?" she asks, still on the other side of the bed, her hands knotted at her chest as if she's praying.

My phone reveals a text message from Mom. "Evan is stable. Antivirals started. Monitoring for pneumonia."

"Okay, so what does that mean?" she asks hesitantly.

I pat the bed and she moves to sit down next to me. "About as good as can be expected. If it goes into his lungs, they'll know and can hopefully fight it before it takes over his system."

"When will they know if he's going to be okay?"

I hear the word “if" and it all hits me again. I could lose Evan. It's never been an unrealistic possibility. Right from the beginning in utero when I got all the blood and he was left with my cast-offs. He had less nutrition, less oxygen. Now he has less movement, less brain function, less lung capacity. And maybe less years in his life.

"It's not fair." I say it aloud, as it runs on repeat in my head.

"No, it's not." Rio knows what I mean. I don't have to explain it to her. "Do you want me to stay with you today?"

I turn and look at her face. Her absolutely beautiful face. A face I have known my whole life. "I want you to stay with me always." It comes out thick and raw, betraying my true feelings. She is the only thing keeping me together at this moment.

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