Page 74 of Dr. Stone

She didn’t let go, just shifted to her side, lifting the blanket in invitation. I hesitated, because once I slid into that bed, I wasn’t just lying down with her. I was letting go of every wall I’d built.

She watched me, quietly waiting—like she’d rather I walk now than later if I couldn’t choose her fully.

But the thought of losing her scared me more than anything. So I slid in beside her.

She smiled softly. “You okay? It’s strange how sex seems easier for us than just cuddling.”

“No shit.” I laughed nervously, hand finding her waist beneath the thin shirt. I kissed her forehead, then met her eyes. “And the answer is no, gorgeous. I’m not okay at all.”

That made her grin. “Me neither.”

She settled against me, her head on my shoulder, her leg brushing mine. Her breath warmed my skin. Every sense came alive. Fucking had been easier. But this—the quiet, unspoken intimacy—was stronger.

Her fingers traced lazy circles on my chest. “Jace?”

“Yeah, gorgeous?”

“You really want to do this, huh? After tonight? Go down this road?”

“Maybe tonight happened to shake off the last of my nerves. I don’t want to hurt you. I’m terrified I’ll screw something up, and I couldn’t forgive myself if I did. But I also can’t stay away. I want more. I need more.”

“Then let’s take it slow,” she reassured. “You can go home if you’d like, or we can try to have sex quietly,” she laughed at how dead that moment was, “or we can just lay here.”

“I just don’t want to wake you when I get up at three to head home and get ready for work.”

“Three in the morning? Why?”

“Two surgeries back-to-back.”

She frowned. “Baby, if you need real sleep, go home. We’ll?—”

I kissed her hand. “I like when you call me baby,” I admitted, shocked I even cared. “And I’ll be fine. Maybe tomorrow you and Brandon can come over to my place?”

“I’d love that, but what about Duke?”

“Jake owes me for assisting tomorrow, so he can skip guys’ night and dog-sit. I’ll stand up the boys for you.”

The night had taken a turn I never saw coming, but I was glad it had. Duke was going to be an issue, but I’d figure him out. For now, I was happy. For the first time in years, I couldn’t wait to fall asleep with someone in my arms—and wake up actually looking forward to what came next.

THIRTY-FOUR

Andie

The last timeI stepped foot in this hospital, I wasn’t thinking about glass ceilings or tech innovations. I was thinking about Brandon’s fever, his flushed little cheeks, and the sound of his whimpering in my arms.

He’d had a high fever and double ear infections, and I was one breath away from losing it. Ismiled at the memory of Jace bringing us here that night, and how, after parking the car, he quickly caught up to me as I followed the nurse through the hallways to the patient room they’d opened for my son.

Jace was moving fast but calm, with one hand on the small of my back and the other texting Dr. Brandt before we made it to the room. He didn’t just walk us through the pediatrics ER, he owned the space like it curved around him.

That was all I’d seen then, the fluorescent lights and pediatric vitals, along with a toddler clinging to my chest and exhaustion clinging to my bones. But today was a completely differentexperience while I walked through the main entrance—the part of Saint John’s Ihadn’tseen before.

Holy shit,I thought, taking it all in.

I stood beneath a towering glass atrium stretching five stories above me, staring at holographic coastal images that shimmered in midair beneath a glowing digital sky. This didn’t feel like any hospital I’d ever been in. It felt surreal, like I’d stepped into a place that was part futuristic research center and part architectural masterpiece. Everything around me gleamed and moved with quiet intention. Even the air felt different—cooler, cleaner, as if it carried a quiet reverence for each human life that entered here seeking to be healed by a professional who was the best at what they did.

This place wasn’t only about healing people; it was about honoring the science that made healing possible.

I followed the signs for Cardiovascular Innovation & Surgery, my steps getting slower as the halls turned quieter. Along the corridor, the colors shifted from calming blues to rich navy and gold. Sleek glass doors lined the walls, each etched with names and titles of world-class doctors, directors, and specialists.