If You Fall

Forty nine

We slept until noon and spent one of the best hours of my life in bed before getting up. Dane went with Mandy so we were alone for the whole return trip, and it was a beautiful thing. 

It was after ten when we got home because of traffic. Bella was on the couch in the big house, watching a reality show with her feet up on the table and a plate covered in cookie crumbs next to her.

She took one look at us and started clapping. "Oh my God, fucking finally! When's the wedding?"

"Shut up," I said, but I was smiling like a fool. So was he. It was pretty obvious what was going on. 

"Whenever she likes," Reed answered, making my head swim a little because I'd never even dared imagine such a thing.

"Oh damn, so it's like that," Bella said, impressed.

"It is," he said, looking at me now, his heart in his eyes. "Excuse me, chérie, I'll be right back."

I sat on the couch by her, so head over heels I couldn't think straight.

"Look at this girl's fuckin' Cheshire Cat grin," she made fun of me to Dane. 

"Oh, I love it," he assured her, taking her thermos and drinking from it. "Intou's as well. S'a beau'iful fing," he said, pretending to tear up.

Or maybe not entirely pretending.

Reed came back and reached behind the TV to turn it off before coming to stand in front of me.

"Hey," Bella protested half-heartedly, but shut up when Dane smacked her.

I only had eyes for the man I loved as he dropped to one knee, holding out his hand, where a silver claddagh ring lay in his palm. The design stood for love, loyalty, and friendship, which I loved, which he knew. He took my left hand with his right and said, "I will love you for the rest of our lives, chérie. Will you marry me, and be my wife?"

He didn't bother waiting for the answer that he knew was coming, and slid it onto my ring finger.

I burst into tears even as our friends cheered us on. "Yes, of course yes," I told him, and we were hugging and kissing and falling backward. 

"It is about fucking time," Bella could be heard declaring. "What was the hold up?"

"Same question," I said, the words unintelligible because our lips were together.

He leaned back a little, surprised. "I wasn't sure you felt the same. I didn't want to ruin what was already perfect." He kissed my nose and I melted some more.

"Wow, you were pretty fucking blind," she said, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Really?" She jerked her head at Dane. "You knew?"

He snorted. "'Course I knew. Bloody well obvious, the pair of 'em." He shook his head. "This one's been mad about 'er since they met. Worried about propriety and shit." He sounded put-out but the look he directed at his comrade was fond. 

"Truth," Reed said, kissing me again, pulling me over so I was in his lap without breaking the contact. "All truth."

"Get a room," Bella said. "For fuck's sake. It's a wonder you two are out of bed after all this time. So I guess you're not ace after all, huh, Romeo?"

I shook my own head at her tactlessness but he just laughed. "That was never a question, Isabella. The desire's never been lacking."

"I wouldn't have minded if you were," I said again, tracing his ear and jawline and completely unable to keep my hands off him. Or my lips. "But this way's good too." 

"Go," Bella said, shoving my leg. "Bye. We'll be fine."

"Don't you two start, with your thermos of vodka and shit," I warned them as I stood, pulling him with me. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck and my knees went weak.

She rolled her eyes, drank, and handed it to Dane. "We make no promises," she said haughtily.

"None whatsoeva," Dane added happily, winking at me. 

We went back to bed, kissing the whole way.

The icing on the cake came when Mandy called the next morning to tell us Arianna had woken up. Reed, Dane and Don went to go see her and made me come along, though I stayed in the hall while they went in. 

I leaned against the wall, hearing the murmur of their voices through the closed door. The nurses' station was nearby, and I watched the hustle and bustle of all the life-saving measures going on. My mouth was too dry and I wished I'd brought a bottle of water. 

After a minute, Don and Mandy came out, looking somber but relieved.

"She wants to see you, if you're up for it," Mandy told me, wiping her sleeve across her eyes. "She still looks bad," she warned. "Maybe don't, maybe you and Reed could . . . ?"

"Yeah, no, of course," I said. Now was not the time to let on about our new relationship.

"Thanks, Addy," she said gratefully. She hugged me briefly and then held the door open for me.

I slipped in, taking a deep breath and holding it and wishing I was anywhere else at all in the entire world. 

"We see you, Heidi," she said, her voice raspy but otherwise normal-sounding. "Get it? Hide-y?"

I stepped in further, making myself look at her, hating the antiseptic smell of everything. She did indeed look bad, almost childlike from all the weight lost, small and pale in the all-white bed. "Welcome back," I forced myself to say, finally meeting her eyes.

Fatigue lay there. "Hey," she said. "Just wanted to say thanks, and shit. For going with them to save me." There was no strength in the words . . . but there was in her eyes, under the exhaustion.

I thought of Reed picking her up in that filthy hovel and couldn't speak through the lump in my throat, so I just moved to hug her instead, careful of her frail body.

"I'll be okay," she said after I let go. "Another rehab lies ahead, I see it now. Maybe your friend Beautiful Bella can join me."

I stood by Reed and nodded, not taking his hand though I wanted to very badly. 

"You'll be a'right, love," Dane told her, his voice thick as he hugged her. His cheeks were wet.  

"Ugh, don't cry, you big lug," she said, holding him to her. "I'm sorry, you guys. I really am. Now go away, I'm fuckin' tired. I love you guys. Even you, chérie," she said mockingly. "And nice trying to hide it, but you guys have my blessing. Just, please, don't ask me to be in the wedding." She waved us away.

We went, in our various stages of relief. 

Reed linked his fingers with mine as soon as we were out of sight and kissed my cheek. "Thank you for seeing her, chérie. I know it's sad."

I felt like I owed her at least that. "It is," I said simply. 

"But enough of this hospital. We hate hospitals. Let's get some Vietnamese food, I'm dying for Phở."

"Dibs on the jalapeños!" Dane called, dodging in front of us to push the elevator button. "Let's scapa, slowpokes! Would think you two would want to get 'ome and back to bed alrea'y."

He was not wrong.