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She can’t interrupt the paramedics hooking me up to machines and stabilizing me, so she must want to keep her hands busy. She also knows and respects how much my family means to me and wants to keep them in the loop.

Mom must be worried sick, and Victory just let Cade run into a threat to save my ass. They deserve updates.

And hopefully, this nightmare is over now.

“Bobby was on the phone with me the whole time,” I reply, not to mention that he’s completely in tune with me. He canfeelthe update. “My phone is in my pocket.”

“He was recording everything,” Ashley says, staring at the screen in her hands. “He says the audio is pretty clear, and he’ll turn it over to the police to get the voices enhanced. He’s really scared for you. We’ll have to call him as soon as we can.”

There’s no doubt about what was happening on the property tonight, but solid evidence can’t hurt. I’m grateful that Bobby thought so fast and collected some.

I’m so worried about the people I love that my own pain is numb. My shoulder hurts, but surely it should hurtmoreto take a bullet.

“And your mom is going to meet us at the hospital,” Ashley says. “Your dad is staying on the property to answer questions for the police.”

“It passed through,” one of the paramedics says, and that’s a relief. “But they’ll check for fragments of bone and the bullet at the hospital.”

It’s going to be a long night. The cops will either come to the hospital to question me and Ashley, or they’ll want us to go to the station right after I’m released.

I don’t want to relive what just happened or have to testify against a man who was so close to my heart.

The warring emotions must be clear on my face because Ashley rests a hand on my leg.

“I’m so sorry, Gavin.”

“It’s not your fault, babe.”

And it isn’t.

Her presence might have stirred up their feelings, but they’re the ones who chose to act in such a violent and horrific manner. Ashley can’t control other people’s responses, and she isn’t responsible for them either.

“I know,” she says, giving me a shaky smile. “I’m finally starting to believe it because of you. But I’m still sorry that it happened and for all you lost tonight.”

“But I have you. And that’s all that matters.”

Another truth.

When the woman you love is committed to being by your side no matter what, you can move mountains. Even with a bullet wound. Now all I need to be happy are cowsandAshley.

“I love you,” she says, tears filling her eyes.

“Love you more than anything.”

The goddamn snowstorm is what brought Ashley and me together again. Even though we have a lot of healing to do after what happened tonight, the future will be brighter. The sun is going to rise, and we’ll still be together.

Despite the detour, our love is a forever kind of thing.

We’ve shown people what will happen if they threaten us now. They’ll either be shot or arrested, so hopefully, it’s the end of the trouble people are going to give us.

But if not, we’ll keep fighting until the threat has passed for good.

It will take time for Ashley to settle into the community again, but she’s my entire world. I’ll do everything in my power to give her the best possible life and create a safety net around her where she can be happy and live without fear.

The line between hate and love is very thin, and you can experience both emotions about the same person depending on the circumstances.

I once thought I hated Ashley, but it was just a shield for my hurt because of how much I really love her.

How much I’ll always love her.