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From the strained look on his face, she guessed it took Eli the entirety of her jumbled emotional eruption to lift his right arm and press his palm over her mouth.

“Sorry!” she exclaimed, her voice muffled behind his hand. “I’m hurting your head, aren’t I?” She was certainly hurting her own.

“No,” he whispered. “I mean, yes, my head is still throbbing, but that’s not why I stopped you.” He lowered his hand, letting it fall softly against his chest.

“You wanted to put me out of my misery?” Beth asked with a nervous smile.

“You looked like you needed the assist,” he teased. “But I was also hoping you’d put me out of mine.” He paused. “I…don’t remember what I said after the accident. I don’t remember much about the accident at all.” Another pause.

Beth’s stomach sank, and her expression fell.

“But,” he went on, “if I said it, I meant it. I’ve loved you for weeks already, Beth. Maybe longer. So whether or not I remember saying it has no bearing on it being true. There’s just one problem with this whole scenario.”

Her eyes widened. “It’s because I didn’t tell you about New York, isn’t it? I can explain, Eli. I wasn’t keeping it from you. It all just happened so fast that—”

He covered her mouth again, his amusement quickly turning to a look of exasperation.

“I’ve apparently told you I love you three times by now, so just answer my question.” His voice was a low whisper. “Do…you…love…me…too?”

Ohhhh. Had she not mentioned that part yet?

Beth nodded.

Eli dropped his hand, releasing a relieved breath.

“I love you, Eli.” She brushed her lips over his.

“That’s one,” he told her.

“I love you, Eli.” With another soft kiss, she told him again.

“That’s two.” He grinned.

“I love you. I love you. I love you,” she continued.

“That’s—”

But before he could finish, she covered his mouth with her palm.

“I win,” she said. Not that it was a competition. Then she dropped her hand.

“Nah,” Eli replied. “Pretty sure I just won the entire jackpot.”

Yet eventually, they were both going to lose. Beth wouldn’t think about that now, not when she had him safe and sound in this bed, loving her and letting her love him back. Tonight or this morning or whatever time it was, she had everything.

Her dream.

His love.

And a hope that someday those two things wouldn’t have to exist so far apart.

Chapter 25

“Are you sure about this?” Boone asked, sealing the box with one last strip of packing tape. “This is a big step.”

The last time Eli had heard Tess’s voice—whether it was really her or his own subconscious pretending to be her—was that first night in the hospital when Beth said she loved him. Five times.

You’ll be okay this time.