“I love you.” The words rang through my head clearly like a bell. Over and over again, echoing around my brain and rendering me speechless. I blinked at him a few times. I returned the sentiment, I thought, but I didn’t say the words back to him. My brain was moving too fast, too much was happening. In hindsight, I should have. He almost died protecting me, he took a bullet to the stomach because of me, and I couldn’t even tell him I loved him back. “I need to call the doctor.” I stood up and retreated out of the room with my phone in hand. I stepped out into the hallway and dialed the number for the doctor I called when I first brought Ethan home. He said that he would be at the house in an hour to check him over. I thanked him and went back into the bedroom. Ethan was sitting up

