The nurse—the same pretty woman with the close-cropped, dark hair that they’d met the other day—glared at him. “I told you they were fine. That they hadn’t been injured. I never expected you to get all tornado crazy and fly out of your room after them!”

“We are fine,” Eric assured him quietly as he tried to steer Ben back to the elevator. “You’re the one down here with your ass hanging out.”

And he was. When Ben turned, he completely flashed Piper.

“Is it…safe?” Ben asked haltingly. “Is Piper okay?” Now he glanced over his shoulder at her.

There wasn’t fury in his gaze. No hurt, either. Just worry.

She pressed her lips together. She was so sick of crying. Piper forced herself to give a strong nod. “Okay.”

Ben tried to pull away from Eric, but Eric just held him tighter. “I’m sorry, Piper,” Ben burst out. “I’m a jackass, and you know it. Hell, you know it better than others.”

“We all know it,” the nurse pointed out flatly.

He ignored her.

“I want my best friend,” Ben mumbled. “I want you to always be there for me, and I am a selfish bastard because I didn’t think about what you need. What you want.”

It wasn’t true. He did always encourage her to go after what she wanted.

Except in this particular instance…

“You want him.” His gaze swung to a glowering Eric. “Then take him. And he’d better be damn grateful for every single day that he gets to spend with you.”

“You think I don’t know that shit?” Eric demanded immediately. “Are you still high on the pain meds? Of course, I need to be fucking grateful. Piper is the best thing that ever happened to me, and, yes, I know it.”

“Good,” Ben threw back. “Because she’s my best friend, and you’d better treat her right.”

Piper stumbled forward. She threw her arms around them and wound up hugging both Ben and Eric and the IV line. “I love you,” the words just came from her.

But she wasn’t just talking to Ben.

I love you, Eric. She had to tell him. If the threat was gone, if they were free and clear, then maybe…maybe giving her heart to a lover wasn’t a risk, after all.

Maybe Eric could be the lover that she finally counted on.

“This is…interesting,” the nurse said. “Are you all a couple?”

Piper pulled back. She stared at the two men who meant so much to her—but in different ways.

“We’re family,” Ben said firmly.

Piper smiled. Yes, they were.

A faint grin lifted Eric’s lips. “And we’re getting his crazy ass back upstairs.”

“Good.” Ben gave an approving nod. “Because I think my knees are about to buckle. Bro, catch me if I fall.”

***