Chapter Twenty-Nine

The dream I"m having is the best one I"ve ever had. It"s so good I wish it were reality, but I know it"s a dream because I"m watching myself in it. Me and Jasper are older and we have a child. I"m holding her in my arms, as Jasper leans over the both of us. "Tessa Mae"s asleep." His low voice rises between us. "You should try and get some while she does. That"s what everyone"s been telling me."

Dream me, sighs. "I know you"re telling the truth, but I would prefer to spend a little time with you."

He stands, walking over to the crib, putting what I"m assuming to be our daughter inside. "I wanna spend time with you, too."

I reach for him, but he starts fading. "Jasper," I cry. "Where are you going?" Our daughter and him disappear as darkness encompasses my gaze, and then I"m jerked forward by a bright light.

"Daisy, can you hear me?" This is a voice I don"t recognize. Someone I don"t know. "If you can hear me, open your eyes."

I fight hard. Harder than I"ve ever fought before to do what this woman is asking of me. There"s something over my mouth, and when I reach up to move it, someone grabs my hand.

"Nope, Daisy. C"mon, open those eyes."

It"s a herculean effort, but I manage, and I"m shocked at what"s around me. I"m in a hospital.

"There she is," that same voice says. "Okay, that"s good. Daisy, you"ve been in an accident. You"re going to be fine. We have an oxygen mask on you, but you can talk if you want."

I nod, overwhelmed with everything happening, but at the same time wanting to let her know I hear her. "Jasper?" I question, although my voice is so soft I can barely hear it.

"Is that your husband?" she questions, a soft smile on her face.

My chin moves up and down in an affirmative gesture.

"He"s been pacing the waiting room scaring everyone. Luckily, he has friends with him. I think he would"ve pried these metal doors open with his bare hands if they hadn"t been. You"ll be able to see him in a few minutes. We just need to check a few things first."

My heart is pounding in my chest. "Was anyone else hurt?" This time my voice is stronger.

"No, it was a single car accident. You swerved to avoid someone who came over in your lane and hydroplaned because of the wet conditions."

It"s starting to come back to me slightly, but I"m so tired. "Can I go to sleep?"

"Nope, you"ve gotta stay awake, so let"s keep talking. You have a concussion. Tell me about your husband. He"s pretty hot in all his broodiness."

If there"s ever been an accurate description for Jasper, this is it. "He is, and half the time he doesn"t even realize it. It"s so annoying and frustrating all at the same time."

She gives me a grin. "I"m sure it is. Men like him? They don"t even have to try. Am I right?"

She"s so right. "Will I be able to see him?"

"He"ll be right here in a few minutes."

Jasper

I"m unprepared for what I see when I go into the room. She has dried blood on her forehead, and a bruise on her face. They"ve cut her clothing off, and she looks so small in the hospital bed. "Hey." I rush over to where she lies, grabbing hold of her hand. "Are you okay? I"ve been going out of my mind waiting to see you."

"I"m fine. Things are a little fuzzy and I"m definitely in some pain, but I"m alive. I"m so happy to see you." She reaches up, hooking her fingers in my shirt. "You look like hell."

"That"s because I saw your SUV, I saw you lying there with blood coming from your head, and I had no idea if you were going to be okay or not. I remembered my parents in a similar position, and I was absolutely terrified that would be you, too."

Her face falls and she pulls my hand over to her lips, dropping a kiss to the back of it. "Oh, Jasper, I"m so sorry. I didn"t realize that you weren"t called here because you found out I was in an accident. I"m so sorry that you saw me like that, and it brought forth some bad memories for you."

"Not bad memories, terrifying reality, Daisy Mae. I had to imagine my life without you, had to think about how I was going to move forward if you weren"t with me, and it was fucking the worst few moments of my life. I knew my parents, and I counted on them, but you? You"re my fucking life. I may not act like it half the time but you"re the favorite part of my day. I"m a man of few words, and I know you want more from me..." I shake my head.

"I only want what you can give. I understand feelings are hard for you. I"ve always understood that, Jasper."

I put my finger in front of her lips. "But you deserve so much more than what I can give you."

She reaches up with free hand, removing my finger. "There"s only one thing I"ve ever wanted from you."

I inhale deeply, my heart thudding within my chest. I"m light-headed, and feel as if I"m going to pass out, but I know I have to get over this fucking fear. I have to put into words what she means to me. I dip my chin into my chest, mouthing the words first, and then after mouthing them three times, I try to give them a voice. It"s a whisper, but then louder. "I love you, Daisy Mae."

Her eyes widen, and a gasp works its way from within her chest. "Jasper..."

"I love you. I"ve always loved you, and I"ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."

Now that I"ve said it, I don"t think I"ll ever be able to stop.