How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

Jarrod ignored her attempt to pull away; instead, his grip tightened, fingers fitting perfectly between hers.

"No," he said firmly.

Elodie frowned at him.

He met her gaze. "You don't have to bottle everything up. If you're upset, cry. If you want to blame someone, yell at me. I've got all the time in the world-I'll stay right here with you."

She'd only just woken up not long ago; her mind was still a bit foggy. Jarrod's attitude, though, left her dumbfounded. "This is a huge blow for me. I need time to process it. You should give me some space."

"Processing just means sitting alone, overthinking everything, right?" He looked her straight in the eyes. "If you can't have kids, then I can't either. We're both in this together, both a little unlucky. How about we just have a good cry together?"

Whatever emotion Elodie had been building up suddenly stalled out, derailed by his words.

Her beautiful eyes widened at him, but she couldn't get a word out.

Jarrod hooked her pinky with his and kept rubbing it gently, his voice unhurried. "Maybe I should just get a vasectomy, too. That way we're a matching pair, huh?" For a second, Elodie wondered if he was completely out of his mind.

"This isn't something you joke about."

"When have I ever made careless jokes with you?" His voice was calm and clear, not a hint of hesitation or mockery.

whole train of thought into chaos. She

She glared at him.

wouldn't have to worry about me running around and fathering kids with someone else.

a long moment to find her voice. "Jarrod, how old are you? Are

have to be with

just smiled, unfazed by her protest. He leaned back slightly and

immediately grabbed his hand to

не

scars. nearly kicked the bucket,

his shamelessness

twisted his hand out of her grasp and took her hand in his instead. "What did you think I was doing, undressing for some other reason? Is your mind really

stared at him,

her hand away and ignored

something you

fell silent for a moment, meeting her gaze. His Adam's apple bobbed as

he asked, "Elodie, could

trembling under the weight of the emotion in his

1.n

you, and just can't. Can we try again 'll admit, I've always been proud, maybe too stubborn to back down. But with you, Elodie, you win.