4. Banks

Chapter 4

Banks

Sitting in the stark, no-frills hospital room, everything feels a bit too bright and too sterile. The kind of place where the air smells of antiseptic and the steady beep of machines serves as a constant reminder of what happened to her yesterday.

I'm parked in a chair next to Yvette, who might be the only damn comforting thing in this cold room with her quiet strength and those utterly captivating violet eyes. It's been a long haul from the crash to here, but somehow, sitting with her feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Yvette looks over, her eyes catching mine. There's something in her gaze, and I optimistically hope I'm not reading it wrong, and it truly is an understanding deeper than words. It's enough to kick my brain into overdrive, telling me it's time to come clean. It might be reckless, laying it all out like this, but I can't hold back.

"Yvette," I start, voice rougher than I intend, but resolute. "This probably sounds insane, but from the moment you opened your eyes, something hit me right in the goddamn heart. In that instant, I knew I wasn't just rescuing some accident victim—I was rescuing my future."

"Your future?" She looks as confused as I felt the first time she looked at me.

"That's right and I'm not going anywhere, for as long as you'll have me."

Her eyes flicker with something akin to surprise, and why the hell wouldn't they? I mean, we met amid twisted metal and sirens, and now here I am, spilling my guts like some love-struck asshole. It's got to come off weird, or maybe even downright unhinged.

But there's something raw and enlightening about the truth. I'm not even trying to rein it back because there's an intensity in my chest that's growing stronger by the second.

"I probably sound like some crazy stalker," I continue, self-mocking, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Showing up here, wearing my heart on my sleeve, but you've got this way of making the impossible seem not just possible, but inevitable."

She stays silent as she processes my little verbal bombshell, her expression shifting through disbelief, humor, and something else. God, I hope I'm not reading her wrong. I'm hanging by a thread here, grasping onto the hope my impulsive revelation hasn't scared her off entirely.

"You're serious," she says finally, her voice steady, holding a note of curiosity.

As I stare into her striking violet eyes, I can tell she's watching me like I'm some puzzle she hasn't quite figured out yet. The room is so silent you could hear a pin drop. I need her to know that somewhere between the chaos and calm, she took a swing at my heart and landed the punch.

"As a heart attack," I reply, attempting nonchalance but knowing I'm failing spectacularly. "Falling for my curvy little soulmate during a highway disaster isn't exactly what I expected when I woke up yesterday morning, but here we are."

The corners of her mouth quirk up slightly, and I feel the tightness in my chest ease a little as hope flows through my soul.

"It's not as insane as it should be," she admits, shaking her head like she can't quite believe it. Don't worry, little knockout, I can't believe it either. "Crazy stalker vibes and all seem to be the norm in this crazy town."

"You aren't wrong," I mutter more to myself than her. Relief rushes through me, an intoxicating antidote to the anxiety coursing through my veins. "I've been bitten by the Silver Spoon Falls love at first sight bug and I couldn't be happier."

Her brows lift a bit, measuring her reaction with a lawyer's precision, weighing every word as if it might just tip the scales. It's a guarded look, one that reminds me you're not supposed to gamble your heart on a hunch.

Still, I push on. "I'm winging it here, but I want to see where this goes. Just give me a shot to prove what I'm feeling is real." Great. Now, I sound like a love-sick fool.

She's silent and calculating like she's already in the courtroom, and I'm either the surprise witness or the last-minute defense. And she'd be smart to slam that gavel down on my ass and tell me I'm nuts. But she doesn't.

Instead, she takes a breath, and it feels like the universe is holding its breath with her. "Okay, Banks. I'll give this a chance. But my job has taught me to be cautious."

Damn if relief doesn't hit me like a sucker punch. "That's all I'm asking for. Just a chance. I'm gonna work on making it worth your while, knockout."

Right then, a nurse steps in to do the routine checks, relieving the heavy atmosphere around us a little. Yvette shoots me an annoyed look at the interruption but lets the nurse do her job.

Once we're alone again, the room feels warmer and cozier, and I can't help myself. "So, Ms. Cautious Attorney," I say with a playful edge, "What's your verdict so far?"

She smirks, that hint of mischief making a return. "Not guilty of complete madness but we'll have to see what the future holds."

Her response wraps around me like a lifeline, easing the tight band around my chest a little bit.

We chat throughout the afternoon mostly about inconsequential things. Each word further dismantles the barriers between us, giving me hope for our future.

It's midmorning and the hospital is bustling with the shuffle of nurses and the muted beeps of machines. Honestly, hospitals are terrible places for thinking, which I'm reminded of as I watch Yvette gather her things with that determined set of her jaw. After a flurry of paperwork and discharge instructions, today's the day she's finally getting out of here.

Romi and Sullivan show up right as we manage to bundle everything together, jittery energy in the space between us all. Romi's already waging a full-scale invasion, insisting her sister stay with them for a while.

"Not happening," I tell them, maybe a bit more firmly than necessary. "She's coming with me."

This earns me a raised eyebrow from Romi and a curious look from Sullivan.

"She needs rest, quiet, and more importantly, she needs someone to make sure she's safe from fucking Richard Hecken," I continue, strong and unbending.

"She will be safe at our house," Romi insists, mutiny flashing in her expressive eyes.

I take a deep breath and calmly state, "Yvette told me you guys have a small baby and a spoiled-ass Rottweiler who thinks he's a child. There's no way she'll get any rest there."

Yvette watches this exchange with a raised eyebrow. I'm pretty sure she's enjoying the show. My little knockout enjoys watching the cavalry coming out, sirens blaring.

"Look, my place has enough room to let her relax. Plus," I add the kill shot, "I have one of the best security systems on the market."

"I could always go home," Yvette finally steps in and insists. "No one would be crazy enough to come to Ms. Viola's house for me." She's got a point, but I'm not about to give up.

"It doesn't matter, little knockout." I'm not above kidnapping at this point if it comes to that. "You'll be much safer at my house." I step close and gently wrap my arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to my body. Electricity flows down my spine as I look down at her. "And I'll sleep better knowing you're taken care of." I've been in constant contact with Ashton and the town sheriff, Dillon Armstrong. They promised to let me know the moment Richard Asshole Hecken makes bail.

"What about when you go to work?" Romi steps in, not ready to give up. "She'll be alone several hours a day."

"I'm going to work from home for the next few days." I already arranged it while Yvette napped.

"Firemen work from home now?" Romi looks back and forth between me and Yvette while Sullivan stands aside, smirking at the scene.

"As Assistant Chief, I have a lot more flexibility in my job," I explain my pressing job duties. "I can do the monthly budget and schedule from home."

Sullivan chuckles a bit at that and steps in to help my cause. Staring down at his wife, he asks, "Besides, do you really want her having to deal with Ms. Viola right now?" Fuck. I owe him big fucking time.

That gets a laugh from both Romi and Yvette. Ms. Viola, Yvette's landlady, is a legend in Midnight Falls, the small Texas town a few miles away that celebrates Halloween year-round.

Ms. Viola's got more energy than the Energizer Bunny wrapped in fireworks. And more questions than a kindergartener who just ate too much sugar—fine for an average day, but no way am I letting Yvette face that just out of the hospital.

Finally, the trio collectively concedes, and Yvette throws me a look that's somewhere between appreciation and relief. Romi and Sullivan run over to Yvette's place to pack her a bag and bring it back to the hospital.

Romi jokes that Ms. Viola promised to sic her guard iguana, Herman, on me if I don't take care of Yvette. As threats go, it's not very intimidating, but I keep that bit of info to myself.

Getting back to my place is uneventful. She snoozes most of the twenty-minute drive to my secluded home. We pull up to the house, and Yvette gasps when she sees my home for the first time.

The facade is a striking white brick ranch-style home with a wrap-around porch skirting the front. "Your home is gorgeous." She sighs and follows me to the front door.

"Make yourself at home," I tell Yvette, opening the door with a little flourish, and she steps inside.

I give her a quick tour of the house, and it's hard not to feel a swell of pride as we move through every space. The warmth of the open floor plan draws you in. Every room connects without barriers, creating an expansive feeling that's both airy and intimate. The entryway opens up to a grand living area that flows effortlessly into the kitchen, where everything feels inviting. The high ceilings amplify the spaciousness, adorned with tasteful light fixtures that cast a soft glow over the space.

"Here's the bathroom," I say, waving my hand toward a door just off the main hallway. "And over here is the guest room." I lead her inside, where the decor gives off a cozy vibe, light on frills but heavy on comfort. Soft bedding and plump pillows cover the large king-sized bed.

"Oh, this is nice." Yvette runs a hand along the wooden dresser, clearly appreciative despite her lawyerly caution.

"Do you want to take a little nap while I cook us some lunch?" I'm not sure what I'm going to make since I haven't shopped this week, but I'll figure something out.

"I've actually got some work emails to tend to," Yvette says as she reaches for her laptop bag. I help her get settled on the edge of the bed, then place a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I'll head to the kitchen and whip up something quick. I can't promise five-star dining, but it will beat the shit they passed off as food at the hospital," I toss back over my shoulder, feeling oddly good about stepping into a domestic mode.

While I fix grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, I hear her voice drifting from the guest room as she takes care of business, and I find myself getting caught in the domesticity of it.

Once lunch is ready, I plate it up and head back to the guest room, catching her in a moment between phone calls. "Food's ready," I declare, and she looks up, her expression shifting from professional poise to something softer, more inviting.

"Rescuer by day, gourmet chef by…" she begins, that playful glint in her eye.

"All hours," I finish for her, matching her grin with one of my own. "Anything for you, little knockout."