CHAPTER 48

Carly opened her eyes as Bo slipped beside her on the narrow hospital bed, careful not to kick her bandaged right foot. As soon as they arrived, she was given more oxygen and thoroughly examined for broken bones and internal injuries and the whole time Bo didn't leave her side, holding fast to the hand that bore his ring and Carly in turn refused to let go of his for a second. Besides a sprained ankle she had a sore back, bruised ribs and she felt very stiff, achy and tired all over. Everyone, including members of staff still around made a huge fuss over her, piling her with questions which Bo firmly put a stop to and sent them all out so that Carly could get some much needed rest. Roman squeezed Carly's shoulder before leaving; Patch dragged his weary but very much relieved wife home while Bo sent the boys to the beach house to catch some sleep, thanking them profusely for their help. They kissed and hugged Carly in turn before leaving; Bo couldn't help but notice how she held on to Brady for a long minute with an expression on her face he didn't understand.

'How do you feel?'

'I'll be okay. Olivia?'

'Sound asleep and her temperature's down like Kayla said. She's going to get a wonderful surprise when she wakes up.'

'Maybe you should've gone home with the boys, you could use some sleep yourself.' Bo had faint dark circles under his eyes.

'Yeah right,' He kissed her forehead. 'Like I'm about to let you out of my sight for anything.'

Carly smiled faintly as she nestled closer to the man she loved, feeling safe and warm in his arms like always. 'I don't want you leave either.' she admitted.

For a while they held each other in silence; Bo had no words to tell Carly how terribly scared he'd been that he might be too late to save her and how he would've had to face their daughter with the news he had failed her. On her part, Carly couldn't begin to tell Bo how all the more precious he was to her, after everything Izzy had revealed and predicted.

'You want to talk about it?' Bo asked softly after a while.

Carly tensed. That question had to come eventually but how on earth could she even begin to explain it to him, especially since the whole thing still overwhelmed her. Besides, he may not even believe it.

'Talk about what, honey?'

'How you knew I would hear you when you called me? Even when I couldn't hear your voice something weird led me where you were... like some strong cosmic force. Did you feel it too?'

Carly raised her eyes to look at him intently. 'You'll probably think I'm crazy.'

'Why would I think that?' Bo stroked Carly's hair. 'Tell me.'

Rubbing the arm encircling her, Carly took a deep breath and told him about Izzy's visit and all she had told her. Bo listened silently, eyes not leaving her face.

'Then she told me to call you and keep calling you until you answered. She promised you would come to me and you did.' She stroked his cheek. 'You saved my life.'

Bo took her hand, brushing his lips on her knuckles. 'Wow,' he said at last. 'That's some pretty heavy stuff, princess.'

'So you believe me then.'

'You thought I wouldn't?'

Carly freed her hand to pick at the buttons of his shirt. 'I don't know Bo, I was sort of afraid I'd sound like I was full of myself or something... I'm still finding hard to believe we actually have this connection.'

'Why?'

Carly looked up at him again. 'I know what Izzy said. But I also remember that Hope's your first love, I was there when you grieved for her...'

'Carly, we've already been through this, I told you...'

'You wouldn't have left me when she came back... I know and I believe you.' she interrupted.

'Not everyone's destined to be with their first love anyway.' Bo insisted. 'Of course I wouldn't have believed that years ago when Hope and I were kids just starting out. When I lost her the first time, I thought I could never love again- that she was my one and only. But I felt this pull the day we met... from the moment I saw these eyes,' his fingers traced her eyebrows, the look on his face emotional. 'I felt angry and guilty for feeling that way so soon after losing Hope.'

'That's why you were always so aggressive whenever we ran into each other after that.'

'That's right. I didn't want to love you, or any other woman. Not just because of Hope; I didn't want to go through that kind of pain again. I wanted you far away from me as possible and I tried to stay away from you... but I never could. Before I knew it, I was falling in love. And when we finally hooked up, that strange pull got stronger.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. When Marcus and Dr. H were operating on you the night you had that elevator accident, I had this stabbing sense of terror you were slipping away. I would've barged into that damned operating room if Isabella hadn't stopped me. I never forgot that feeling after that, it was something I couldn't even explain to myself.'

'And then you talked to me the whole night, urging me to live for us and Shawn D. Even Marcus said you were the real healer.' Carly gripped his arm. 'Does this mean it's always been there and we never knew?'

'Everything all adds up, including the time you came back to me. I kept wondering why it happened just at the time I was so miserable and angry over the divorce but for the most part, I was just so thankful I had my princess back.'

Carly held back her tears, with difficulty. 'There's something else, Bo. Something I told Isabella.'

'What's that?'

Carly swallowed. 'If... Hope had come back when we were married... I don't think I would've stayed.' Her heart clenched at the stricken look on Bo's face.

'Are you serious? You mean to tell me you wouldn't have trusted my love for you after all that time?' his voice shook. 'After all we shared, all we went through?!'

'No... No, of course not!' Carly's hand gripped his face, her face pleading. 'I know you loved me. I would've left because I would have felt so guilty that Hope came back from her ordeal to find us so happy... that I owed her something to make up for those lost years.'

'Me.' he bit out, his face hard.

'It would have been for your sake, too.' Carly said tearfully. 'She was Shawn D's Mum and ... above anything else I would've wanted you to be happy. I loved you more than life itself and I love you now, more than ever. Can you understand what I'm saying now?'

Tears pouring his face, he pressed his lips on her fingers; holding them against his face.

'I understand. And I would've followed you to the ends of the earth and dragged you back kicking and screaming. Our Mayan wedding wasn't symbolic after all; it spiritually joined us forever, like Izzy said. What happened tonight more than proved it.'

'Doesn't it scare you?' Carly asked softly, relieved he wasn't angry with her anymore. 'To love this deep?'

'Yes and no. Yes, because I don't know what I'll do if I lost you for good.' He touched her face, his fingers tracing his lips, her cheeks and chin. 'No because I know our future days will have no number. None.' His eyes went over the beautiful, beloved face, staggered at all she'd told him. If she was precious to him before, she was priceless now.

'There are many things we'll never be able to explain, Carly. Why two people from totally different worlds ran into each other, fell in love, stayed together against all odds and found each other again after so many years. What matters is it's now a certainty we'll be like this forever and I'm never letting you go.'

'Spiritual partners for life.' Carly smiled through her tears. 'Even a wedding ceremony can't possibly bring us closer than we are right now.'

'Does that mean you don't want to marry me anymore?'

'Of course I still want to marry you, stupid. But now that we know what we know now, is there any hurry?'

'I guess not. As long as there's still going to be a wedding, I can wait.' he brushed back her hair from her face. 'I love you, princess. I love you so much.'

'I love you too.' she wept softly. 'Oh Bo...'

Bo captured Carly's lips, his mouth fierce and possessive as he kissed her breathless, remembering how close he'd come to losing her. Carly kissed him back, giving him her whole heart and soul.

Afterwards, as he held his future wife close to his heart, Bo felt his whole life was finally complete. For all the sixteen years they'd been apart, their lives had been turbulent; there had been love between him and Hope, all the more consuming after she'd unexpectedly returned to him and Shawn Douglas. But a marriage depended on trust and compatibility to make it last and sadly the lack of those two pillars had been one of the many reasons they'd been off and on, on and off again. Carly had suffered a whole lot more; she'd had to protect their child herself... had no memory of him for so long. But now, two spiritual partners were merged back into one, forever bond. And, Bo vowed silently, it was going to stay that way.

As Carly drifted off to sleep, the vows she recited to Bo on their Mayan wedding so many years ago came back to her:

I know not if the voice of man can reach to the sky

I know not if the gods will hear as I pray

I know not if the gifts I asked for will be granted

I know not what will come to pass in our future days

I hope that only good will come, my love... to you