It took two more minutes for him to hug everyone else in the room and an added three minutes where he and my dad talked in low, hushed voices.

My dad pulled him in for a hug slapped him so hard on the back that I winced, and then walked out with my mom.

Leaving us alone.

By my calculations, we would have maybe five minutes before nurses came back in and took him from me.

“So.” I forced a grin. “You and my dad are best friends now?”

“We both like meat.” Zane nodded seriously. “So basically we’re soul mates. Don’t even get me started on his love of s’mores. From what I can tell, it borders on indecent, and I can’t have you picturing your father in that way, Fallon.”

I burst out laughing. “Noted.”

“Come here.”

“Here.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I’m right here.”

“You will never be close enough.”

I frowned.

“I always want you closer, I always crave more closeness than what’s physically possible without merging our bodies together in some sort of weird twin way—that frankly, sounds a bit extreme if you ask me.”

Laughing I touched my forehead to his. “Don’t be weird.”

“You do know me, right? Anxiety, a bit anti-social, runs when girls chase him, has this weird obsession with marshmallows, likes to be naked, hates crowds, thinks that cheese is stupid.”

I gasped. “You hate cheese?”

“All cheese.”

“Zane!”

“Oh shit, is that a deal breaker?” I loved his smile, the way it made his eyes crinkle at the sides, the way his lips curved over a perfect row of straight white teeth.

“How can you think cheese is stupid?”

“I figured our first fight would be over something more serious like my need to constantly be naked or the weird habit I have of watching you while you sleep.”

My jaw dropped open. “You watch me sleep?”

“No.” His headshake morphed into a nod. “I mean, watch is such a creepy word. I like to stare adoringly down at your cute little nose and sexy-as-hell mouth.”

“You think cheese is stupid, and you watch me while I snore.”

“You snore like half the time, and are we still stuck on this whole cheese thing? Shit, I’d hate to see your expression once I tell you I used to be afraid of Giraffes.”

“WHAT?” I yelled. “They’re God’s most gentle creatures and one of the few animals that doesn’t terrify me!”

“Nothing should have a neck that long. Also, I don’t buy this whole belief that they only eat plants.” Zane shuddered. “Have you seen the size of their tongues?”

“Hmm.”

“What?” He tugged me closer to him.

“Nothing, you’re just a lot weirder than I thought.”

“Says the girl who’s afraid of antelope.” His chuckle was warm against my neck, and then he sighed. “Tell me that despite all my weird quirks you’ll still be waiting for me after surgery.”

“Always.” I forced myself to paste a smile on my face, to be the strong one when I wanted to sob against his chest and beg him not to go in. But then again, what was the alternative? Death?

Nurses shuffled into the room.

And it started.

That numb, cold feeling went from my head all the way down to my toes, my chest felt heavy with dread as I kissed him on the mouth. “I’m keeping you, Zane.”

“Good.” He cupped my face, his fingers grazing my lips. “I’ve always wanted to be kept.”

It was turning into our thing.

And I loved every minute of it.

“Fallon?”

“What?”

“Keep the marshmallows safe.” He handed me an entire bag of marshmallows, it wasn’t open which was rare if you knew him at all, but I figured he just hadn’t jumped into his stash yet.

“I’ll guard them with my life.” I smiled through my tears.

“I knew I could count on you the minute you tripped over your own feet and nearly humped a trash can.” He winked while one of the nurses frowned over at me.

“Very funny.” With a heavy sigh, I backed out of the room and numbly allowed my legs to carry me down the hall to the waiting room.

Surgery was fast.

He would be in surgery within minutes.

And then the clock would start.

“Please let him be okay,” I whispered to myself as my mom and dad flanked me on both sides and held my hands.

“He’s lucky to have you,” Jaymeson said quietly from his spot across the room. “We all are.”

“Are you being nice to me?”

He smiled. “I’m the nicest out of all the guys, I thought you knew?”

“Bullshit,” Lincoln coughed out loudly.

Jay sighed. “Okay well not to you, but you’re banging my sister-in-law, so forgive me for forgetting to be decent when I hear your shenanigans in the middle of the night!”

“SHENANIGANS!” Demetri shouted so loud I nearly fell out of my chair.

Everyone stared at him like he’d just lost his mind.

“Sorry, I get excited when Jay uses big words. He isn’t the best speller.”

“You’re”—Jay pointed at Demetri—“a jackass.”

“I think we need to invest in a swear jar,” My dad muttered under his breath to my mom. “I need a new gun.”