Elaine’s POV
By the fourth day in the hospital, I’m convinced I’m going to lose my mind. Not because I’m in pain.
Well... okay, I’m definitely in pain.
Getting shot hurts. Who would’ve guessed?
But that’s not the reason.The reason is Zane.
The man refuses to leave my side.
Refuses .
I’m starting to think he secretly bribed the hospital staff to let him move in permanently.
I wake up and he’s there, i take a nap and he’s there, i open my eyes in the middle of the night and he’s sitting in the chair beside my bed staring at like I’m about to disappear if he blinks.
It’s sweet, it’s romantic, It’s also driving absolutely insane.
"Zane."
His eyes imdiately lift from the docunt he’s pretending to read. The docunt hasn’t moved from the sa page in over an hour.
"Mm?"
"You need a hobby."
He raises an eyebrow.
"I have one."
"No."
I point at myself.
"This isn’t a hobby."
His lips twitch.
"It is now."
I groan.
A second later he reaches over, adjusting my blanket for the millionth ti today. I swear if this man tucks in one more ti, I’m filing for a divorce.
A knock interrupts us, then another, then the door bursts open and suddenly my room is flooded with people.
"Oh God."
Noah enters first, the man looks like he’s personally preparing for war.
His eyes imdiately scan from head to toe.
"You look pale."
"Hello to you too."
"You’re not eating enough."
"I’m literally eating hospital food."
"That’s not food."
Caleb walks in behind him.
Thankfully.
Because Caleb is the only thing stopping Noah from becoming completely unbearable.
"Ignore him."
"I am standing right here."
"And yet I still said it."
I grin.
Noah glares and Caleb pats his shoulder.
"No murders in the hospital."
Noah mutters sothing under his breath.
I choose not to ask.
Lucas enters next and imdiately I notice sothing.
Aria follows him, very closely.
Interesting.....Very interesting.
The mont they notice looking, they imdiately separate.
Which only makes it worse.
I narrow my eyes but Lucas avoids looking at entirely.
Suspicious.....Very suspicious.
"Lucas."
"No."
"I haven’t even said anything."
"I know that tone."
I grin.
"Oh my God."
Aria imdiately starts laughing.
Lucas looks like he wants the floor to open up and swallow him.
"Leave alone."
"No."
"Elaine."
"No."
"You literally got shot."
"And?"
"Use your recovery ti to recover."
"Or..."
I smile sweetly.
"I can spend it annoying you."
Aria snorts.
Lucas groans.
Success.
A few minutes later Grandpa arrives, the second I see him my smile softens....the man might be a freaking pain in the ass but his the only father figure I have.
He’s walking slower than usual, his eyes imdiately find and for a second neither of us says anything.
Then he reaches my bed.
"My girl."
My throat tightens. Because his voice sounds emotional, really emotional.
I reach for his hand.
"I’m okay."
His fingers squeeze mine.
"You scared all of us."
The simple honesty in those words nearly makes cry. So instead I lean forward and hug him carefully.
His arms wrap around imdiately.
For a brief mont I feel like a little girl again.
Safe, protected and Loved.
When he pulls back his eyes are suspiciously shiny but I pretend not to notic, he pretends not to notice too.
Then Ivy arrives next and all peace imdiately disappears.
She bursts into tears before she’s even fully inside the room.
"Oh my God!"
I laugh.
"There she is."
"You got kidnapped again!"
The room erupts into laughter, even Grandpa laughs.
Ivy points at accusingly.
"Why does this keep happening to you?"
"I don’t know."
"Do you have a sign on your back?"
I laugh harder but my side imdiately protests and I wince.
"Ouch."
Every man in the room straightens Imdiately.
Noah stands, Zane stands, Lucas stands.
Caleb looks concerned.
I stare at them.
"You all need help."
"No, you need help," Noah says.
"You’re literally in a hospital."
I roll my eyes.
Then three familiar faces appear at the doorway.
Tessa, June and Lila.
The mont I see them I smile. The three of them have beco family without even realizing it.
For a second they just stand there, looking at . Then Tessa suddenly starts crying.
Oh no.
"Tessa?"
The tears imdiately start falling.
"I’m sorry."
Confusion flashes through .
Then realization hits, the car, the day she asks to go get groceries with her. The conversation in the backseat, then her knocking out unconscious with a handkerchief to my nose.
The beginning of everything.
"Oh."
Tessa covers her face.
"I’m so sorry."
"Tessa."
"I didn’t want to do it."
The words co rushing out.
"He threatened everyone."
Fresh tears slide down her cheeks.
"He threatened June, threatened Lila, he threatened all of us."
The room falls quie and I can hear how guilty she feels.
"I tried saying no."
Her voice breaks.
"But he kept threatening everyone."
My heart aches for her. Because I know exactly how terrified she must have been.
"Tessa."
She shakes her head.
"I put that thing over your nose."
"You an when you practically chloroford in the backseat?"
A shocked laugh escapes June.
Lila snorts.
Even Tessa lets out a wet laugh.
"That wasn’t funny."
"It kind of is now."
"Elaine."
I smile softly.
Then reach for her hand.
"You were scared."
She looks down.
"I was."
"You didn’t betray ."
Fresh tears imdiately fill her eyes.
"I did though "
I squeeze her hand.
"Thomas did."
Silence.
Then she throws her arms around carefully trying not to hurt .
"I thought you hated ."
My chest squeezes.
"Never."
That only makes her cry harder, a second later June joins then Lila. Suddenly all four of us are hugging while everyone watches.
"Won are strange," Noah mutters.
Caleb smacks him hard.
The room erupts into laughter again and hours pass like that, with us talking, laughing teasing.
User Comments
0 comments from readers