How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Elodie was caught off guard as Jarrod pulled her into his arms.

Pressed tightly against his chest, she could feel the heat radiating from his body- and the steady thump of his heartbeat, gradually calming.

"Are you awake?" she asked, trying to sit up. But Jarrod refused to let go; if anything, his arms tightened around her as soon as she spoke.

He murmured next to her cheek, voice rough and low, "Not until you got here. That's when I woke up."

Hearing his voice, so hoarse and strained, Elodie could imagine how awful he must be feeling. His skin was burning hot beneath her touch.

"Cara said you were in bad shape. Sit up and have some soup, then take your medicine and get some rest." Trapped in his embrace, Elodie found it impossible to move, especially since she was practically lying on top of him-so close it was almost disconcerting.

Jarrod stayed silent.

He still wouldn't let her go.

"Jarrod?" she called softly.

No reply.

Elodie pushed against his chest, trying to wriggle free. "Jarrod, come on-don't play dead."

Only then did he nuzzle her neck, almost imperceptibly, and answer in a lazy drawl, "I'm just pretending to be asleep. That way, in my dream, we're still in love."

Elodie was momentarily speechless.

Was this his way of cheating the moment?

up and eat," she insisted, refusing to indulge him.

to reluctantly loosen his hold. He sat up a little, glancing at the bowl of soup on

the temperature of the bowl before handing it to him. "Did the doctor

the bowl. "Yeah.

eaten since yesterday. I can barely

"So?"

pillows, the corners of his mouth tilting up. "I'm afraid I'll need your help, Ms.

his aristocratic features. Was this his

seem to be recovering just fine. Weak in the

tilted his head on the pillow, feigning

see he really wasn't well-his antics felt more like an effort to reassure her than anything else a subtle way of saying

eight.

"Take care of

spoon

at

for a moment,

still been in love. His throat tightened as memories threatened to surface, and

blew on another spoonful, Jarrod watched her

"I didn't really expect you

or shouldn't I?" she

thought... you're not

and stood

her back down beside him. "You're already

him a sidelong glance. He always knew how to twist words to