I had spent the last 24 hours of my life trying not to blink. If I blinked, I might miss it. I might miss watching his chest rise as life-giving oxygen poured into his lungs.

The doctors had retrieved the bullet from Riley's leg and said he was going to okay. That he just needed some rest. I had cried.

He was going to be able to walk again, smile again... Kiss me again. Relief wasn't enough of a word to describe what I was feeling.

After we got in the car, I had driven a lot faster than what was considered legal to reach the tiny, rural hospital in Remington. They weren't able to treat him because of their lack of resources so they flew us out to Sydney, where he went into surgery and I went into a state of permanent worry.

Hudson went to the house after I called and told him what had happened. He and two other officers made the arrest on Chase, his henchmen and Spence. My heart clenched a little at the mention of Spence's arrest, but I had to remind myself that he had tried to have me killed. That thought hurt worse. They were all being put on trial for attempted murder.

After Riley's surgery, they had transported him to the recovery ward where he lay, still unconscious, now.

My fingers were laced in his, but I was afraid to move in any other way in case I disturbed his soft breaths.

I hadn't had a wink of sleep in days, and while I was petrified that the moment I closed my eyes, something horrible would happen, my brain had its own agenda, and began to shut down.

I fell asleep, sitting in an uncomfortable armchair, my fingers still linked with Riley's.

-

Silence pined at my ears in a way that was almost painful. With not even the chirp of a bird to remind me that life existed, I realised that it wasn't a noise that had woke me. It was a movement. The twitching and tightening of Riley's fingers around mine. He's waking up!

Sleepiness leaves me instantly and my eyes dart to his, begging them to open wide. His eyelashes flutter and I realise just how long they are. So not fair, I swear guys always have the longest lashes and they don't even need them. Did I get so lucky? Nooo, I need 3 bottles of mascara just to make them visible.

A tightening around my fingers pulls me back from my mini-rage about mother natures sense of humour and I look directly into a sea of bright green.

It isn't until I let out a shudder of relief that I realise I had been holding my breath. For what would have to be the first time in my life the power of speech escaped me completely. I could barely breathe with the overwhelming sense of relief I was feeling, let alone speak.

He's alive. He's alive. He's alive.

Luckily, Riley wasn't going to make me say a word.

"Cat got your tongue, Greyson?" He spoke, as if nothing had even happened and we were still sitting on the kitchen bench of the cabin.

It was all I could do to stop from crying, so instead I jumped up into the hospital bed beside him and buried my head in his chest. I didn't want him to see my tears. I didn't want him to think I was unhappy.

His arms wrapped so tight around me I would have choked, had I not already been breathless.

"You nearly died. I thought you were dead." The rumble of his chest as he chuckled was all I needed to feel like all was right in the world again. Wow, how I would have missed his laugh.

"You can't get rid of me that easy, Sabbie. Besides, then who would you have driven crazy?" His eyes were wide and full of joy, but I could see the cloud hiding beneath them.

"What happened after... everything?" He asked cautiously.

I had to take a deep breathe, and prepare myself for the explanation to come, "When Chase tried to shoot me, Spence stepped in and took the gun from his hand but you were shot in the struggle. I rushed you to the hospital, and they flew you here to Sydney. Hudson made it to the cabin and they were all arrested." Even speaking vaguely about it shocked me a little bit. Everything still felt like a dream. Like something you'd see in a movie. Something that would make you say, 'that's horrible. I'm glad it's not me.'

My whole life had felt like that lately.

Riley's eyes fluttered closed, and stayed still for a long time. He was thinking, I just didn't know what about. I can't explain the helplessness one feels when a person they love is in pain and there's nothing they can do about it.

He took in a deep breath and held it, eyes still sealed shut. It was all I could do to keep from gasping when he finally whispered his thoughts to me, "I wasn't the one who saved you."

I knew he blamed himself for everything. For kissing me, for leaving, for my near death. But to think that he blamed himself for not being my hero was unbearable.

"It was him. Spence saved you, not me. He was there when you needed him, and I sat down and got shot."

Instead of pulling him closer like I so desperately wanted too, I let go and sat up beside him. The grimace of pain from my letting go hurt, but I needed him to see how serious I was.

"Riley Martin. Are you being serious right now? Please tell me, who was the person who stopped their life to hide me in the middle of no where? Who was the one to calm me back to sleep when I couldn't even bare my own memories? Who was it that hushed my screams and made me believe life was worth living again? Don't ever doubt what you have done to save me. I wouldn't even be here without you."

My words seemed to calm him, and I could feel the tension seeping from his muscles as he relaxed and pulled me back into his chest. God I love this feeling. There was no where that I would have rather been in that moment.

I could feel Riley's slow breathing shifting my hair softly before he reached to tilt my chin toward him.

Looking into his eyes I saw his love and knew that all the craziness of our lives hadn't diminished that. He opened his mouth and I prepared myself for words of adoration...

"You know what hurts more than getting shot? When your girlfriend basically lies on your brand-new bullet wound."

I was so shocked by the humour in his voice I didn't even register exactly what the words meant, until he raised his eyebrows in expectation at me.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed, quickly pulling myself off him. "I'm so sorry, are you okay? Does it hurt? Should I get a nurse?"

Riley burst into laughter at my worry, despite being the one who caused his discomfort. His laugh made me smile, as it always did, but it always made me think about his words properly and I gasped.

"Wait... did you say 'girlfriend'?" I asked, my eyes wide at the prospect. I guess I had never really thought about what my new-found freedom would mean for Riley and I. I'd never let myself consider a future that might not have come.

Riley smiled and cupped my chin once again, "I figured after all we've been through, our relationship should be pretty obvious."

I rolled my eyes, apparently a bullet to the leg hadn't dampened Riley's ever prominent arrogance.

"Of course, but you should have at least asked." I teased.

His eyes squinted mischievously and I quickly regretted poking the lion.

"If you wish, her highness." He stated, before ripping the hospital sheets from his legs and pulling himself out of the bed. I was in too much shock to stop what I'm certain was not an okay move for someone who had had a bullet in his leg less than 24 hours ago.

He stumbled when he first tried putting weight on his leg and I jumped to hold him up. I was sure that would put this little stunt to an end but Riley's eyes still glinted with mischief as he slowly bent down on one knee.

Oh my God.

"Sabine Paige Greyson... Would you please do me the honour of being mine officially forever, by becoming my girlfriend?"

Despite the joking, his words caused my heart to flutter like a million butterflies were trapped in my chest. There was no doubt in my mind that I could never love anyone as much as I loved this man. I knelt down in front of him, and took his hands in mine, staring into his beautiful green eyes with all the adoration I could possible convey.

"There is nothing I would want more." He smiled wide and bright as we both leant in until I lips finally met. His kiss was as wonderful as I remembered it, even better now without the taste of whiskey on his breath. He leaned in closer and deepened the kiss, just as the hospital door swung open.

"See Bliss? I told you they are both alive and well... very well by the looks of things. Damn, little brother, you don't waste time, do you?"

I could feel Riley smile against my lips as he pulled me closer and gave me one last, deep kiss for show, before pulling back and looking up at his older brother and my best friend, who I couldn't help but notice had their fingers slightly intwined.

"You know I've never been a fan of waste, Nathaniel." Riley joked, before attempting to pull himself up. Both Nate and I rushed to pull him to his feet, slowly helping him over and back into the bed. I could tell it hurt to ego to be so helpless but there was nothing I could do to help him with that, except enjoy the little power it gave me.

Once Riley was safely propped up on his pillows, I left he and Nate to themselves in exchange for Bliss.

The sign in relief we both exhaled at realising the other was safe came just before we collided into a hug. Yes, I had spoken to Bliss often on the phone since I'd been away but it was not at all the same as experiencing her embrace in person.

"I missed you so much," I whispered, still clinging to the tight hug.

"I missed you more," she whispered back, before reluctantly letting go.

We glanced over at the boys, who were completely consumed by their conversation.

"Want a drink?" She asked, that familiar smile brightening my world once more.

"Definitely," I replied and we snuck out the door without either brother noticing our escape.

-

"So Spence was just spying on you the whole time?!" Bliss exclaimed as we sat in the hospital cafeteria, sipping on a Coke Zero and Chai Latte. Her with the latter, of course, being the complete Tumblr-esque girl she was.

I tried to ignore the silent stab of betrayal talking about Spence caused, but it still hurt thinking about how stupid I was to have trusted him.

Bliss didn't seem to notice my pain, she was all too consumed by her own rage, "I will kick his ass. Who the hell does he think he is? Tell me where he is, Sabbie. I'll hand his ass to him on a silver platter."

I managed a smile at her ever constant desire to smash a guys face in. "Don't worry, I think gaol will do a good job of that for you."

She stopped for a moment, apparently shocked by my words, "He's going on trial as well?"

"Well, yeah. He had just as much intent to have me killed as his father. Although I think that fact that he also saved me will help get him a lesser sentence."

"How do you feel about that?" Her words stopped me short. I didn't know how to feel about that. Spence had been my friend, but his betrayal was still so fresh and shocking to me. I didn't want him to live out his life in a jail cell but I also wanted him to suffer the consequences of his actions. The question was too loaded for me to answer just yet.

With a slight shake of my head I conveyed everything to Bliss that words could not, and with that she dropped that topic. Thank God.

After a moment of silence I felt the mischievous smile I must have learnt from Riley creep onto my face, "Soooo.." I drew out, and Bliss looked at me in annoyance, "Nathaniel Martin, huh?"

I asked and thoroughly enjoyed watching the tomato-like tinge she always teased me about creep up her cheeks.

"I just wanna say that I totally called it... Those Martin boys are hard to resist."

A wide-smile erupted on both of our faces at the realisation that the two of us were truely happy at the same time.

We continued to catch up and recount all the crazy events in our lives before finally getting up and heading back to the boys.

They both stopped talking and looked at us when the door opened, Riley immediately gesturing for me to return to his side. I sat up beside him on the bed and Bliss linked her fingers with Nate's, smiling up at him.

I never want this to end.

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