I just need to get to her. To see her. To make sure that she’s okay. Kace looks to me as I try to rush faster than my legs will allow, and he reaches out grabbing me and pulls me to a stop.
“Luca, you need to calm yourself. Going in there the way you are now will only scare her. You have blood all over your knuckles and your fucking pants. You look like a fucking mess. You need to control yourself. Take a damn breath.”
Clenching my eyes, I take a breath and nod. “Sorry. I just… I haven’t spoken to her properly in too long. I don’t know how she’s going to take seeing me even.” Opening my eyes, I look to Kace, and he winces placing his hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes.
“Luca, she adores you. She’s hurt, and I bet right now she’s thinking about you as much as you are her. Just relax. Don’t freak her out… you’re freaking me the fuck out.”
I wince and roll my eyes. “Cockhead,” I snort.
“C’mon, let’s go see her,” he instructs leading me down to the end of the corridor at a more normal pace.
We turn, and her room number comes into view. A sense of relief flooding over me as I tilt my head toward it and Kace nods walking with me. We arrive at her door to hear voices coming from inside. I glance around the door to see a man standing by her bed holding her hand. I pause, not wanting to interrupt as she looks at him. But it’s the way she looks at him that has me in shock. She’s looking at him with adoration and if I’m not mistaken… love.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Sunshine…”
Pausing, I can’t see his face. He’s facing her, his back to me, but I can tell he’s smiling at her. “You know I’ll still love you anyway.”
She weakly smiles back at him, the love pouring off her is unwavering. It shocks me, as I stand watching her with another man looking at him like I want her to look at me. Kace reaches out gripping my arm right as Everly grips her hand tighter on the man’s hand. “I love you, too…”
Everly keeps talking but my ears begin to ring, and fog enters my brain as I turn into the hall feeling my world crashing in on me.
She clearly loves another man.
I’m too late.
I left it too long.
Fuck!
I have to get away. So I start walking. Kace is by my side. He says nothing as I madly dash through the hospital hall. My hip burning with the force I’m pounding into it. Finally, I pull up in a waiting area and need to sit. Just for a moment. So I turn, slumping down into a plastic chair, throwing my crutch onto the floor with a loud thud as Kace slides into the chair beside me. I run my hands through my hair, while Kace assesses me and clears his throat. “It might not be what you think, Luca.”
I snort and shake my head. “She just told another man she loves him…” I shrug and shake my head. “I never stood a chance.”
Kace winces and places his hand on my shoulder squeezing it tightly. “You’re angry. You’re hurt. You’re in pain, emotionally and physically. I think you need to let yourself cool down, and when your head is clearer, go back and talk to her. Get everything out in the open. You have to work together, so I think being honest with each other is the best option here, Luca.”
Nodding, I sigh. “Yeah… you’re right. But not yet, not while he’s there.”
Kace nods. “That gives us time to get you looked at, and look where we are.”
I glance up to see somehow we’ve managed to make it into the Emergency waiting area. I screw up my face. “Fine, I’ll get checked out, but only because I’m here.”
Kace nods and walks up to the check-in station, and I sit back and huff. I had no idea this day could get worse, but fuck me if it didn’t just smack me in the face. Hard.
Well, fuck today.
Fuck Brandon.
And fuck that guy in Everly’s room.
Whoever the hell he is.
After hours of waiting in Emergency, I was finally seen by some sassy little doctor who didn’t like the idea that I’d gotten into a ‘bar fight’ and that’s how I’d gotten all the blood on me. She was quite adamant in my condition I shouldn’t even be frequenting a bar, much less fighting. But she checked me over and said I’d just sprained the muscles around my hip, but the hip was still in place and hadn’t dislocated again. Thank God. And with a little rest, it should come good.
Great, more damn rest!
Something I don’t need, or want. But Kace said if I needed more time off duty, I am to take it. And depending on how my talk with Everly goes, I might very well need it.
But I’m hoping now—it’s been hours since I came in and saw Everly with that mystery man—he’s gone home. Hospital visiting hours are almost over, and as I make my way back to her room, I have to admit, I’m nervous. Talking through my problems has never been a strong suit of mine, and admitting to Everly my feelings for her, might be the wrong move. But fuck! I need to clear the air with her, get everything out there so we can move on with our lives and work together in the best way possible.
Kace has gone for the night. I told him to head off and report back to Jack, and I’d cab it home and catch up with him when I get there. But walking up to her room, I can’t help but feel anxious about how this will go down. Seeing her before, all I cared about was how she was doing. Was she okay? But then hearing her say ‘I love you’ to another man broke something inside of me. It made me realize that I don’t want her to say those three words to anyone but me.
Stepping up to her door, I take a centering breath and round the corner to see her alone, her eyes closed and looking so peaceful it makes me smile. She’s so fucking beautiful it makes my chest ache. Knowing Brandon hurt her today and she’s in here because of that, makes my chest ache for an entirely different reason. But I push that to the backburner and step inside of her room trying to be stealthy, as I walk with my crutch up to the side of her bed.
She slowly opens her eyes, they’re glassy, and she blinks a few times taking me in as a slow smile creeps up on her face. She then glances to my pants, and her brows scrunch up, and she shifts up in the bed dramatically as she sits up looking me over with a frown. “What the hell happened to you?”
I take a seat in the chair beside her bed and exhale. “Brandon won’t bother you anymore.”
Her face turns pale, and she grips the edge of her bed, almost like it’s for support. “Luca, what have you done?”
“Don’t worry, Snowstorm, I didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re thinking…” she relaxes slightly, but her stare on me is still stern. “I just roughed him up a little.”
“Why the hell would you do that and risk your recovery?” Everly demands.
My chest tightens as I slam my hand down on the armrest of the chair and look her dead in her eyes. “Because I fucking love you! And it sucks. I feel it so damn strongly that it hurts my fucking heart. And then to hear you say those words to someone else… well, it almost killed me.” I sink into the chair feeling relieved to have not only told her that I love her, but to let her know that I know, she doesn’t love me back.
Her eyes glisten as she shakes her head, her eyes darting around the room like she’s trying to take in all that information. Heavy breaths are being forced through her nostrils, and I have no idea why she’s so affected by what I’ve just said.
She looks to me and winces. “What do you mean hearing me say it to someone else, Luca?”
I look away from her. “I came here before… there was some guy next to you, and you were professing your love for each other…” I pause and continue, “… I was so stupid, Everly. While I was avoiding you, leaving distance between us, I left it too long. Long enough for you to find someone else. But you have to understand I thought I was doing the right thing for you, for us. I didn’t want to be broken when I came back to you. I wanted to be a man that’s good enough for you…” I trail off and look down at the floor.
She rolls on her side facing me. I can’t bear to look at her. I’m laying it all out there, but I doubt it will change anything.
“I do love Andy.” I cringe hearing his all-American goody-two-shoes name. “We used to be together when we went to school, but our love is… different now.”
I put my hand up to stop her. “You don’t have to explain. Honestly, I don’t think I want to know.”
She giggles and I furrow my brows wondering why she’s enjoying my torment. I mean I know she’s in love with another man, but honestly, I never thought of Everly as sadistic.
She reaches out grabbing my hand, a jolt surges straight down to my cock, and I cringe, hating that she still has the power to do that to me. Even now. “Luca, stop! Andy would be more interested in you than me.”
It takes a couple of seconds for that to sink in, and I look up to her in shock as I shake my head. “Wait… what?” I ask, and she chuckles.
“You idiot, Andy is gay. I love him as my best friend, but there’s only one man that I’m in love with.”
Swallowing hard, my chest rises and falls fast as she smiles at me wide.
“You… Luca. I love you!”
Standing up from the chair so fast I almost fall over, I rush to the side of her bed and bend down, grabbing the sides of her face and staring into her eyes. “Thank fucking God,” I groan as I lean down pressing my lips to hers. She kisses me back fiercely, tongues, teeth, the works. Her hand rushes up into the back of my hair holding me to her, and I kiss her like it’s the first time. Just like I did the first time I attacked her at her home. With so much intensity my knees feel weak.
I love her—she loves me.
This is the best thing I could have ever hoped for. All I’ve been dreaming of. Sure, we’re both injured right now, but fuck if my adrenaline isn’t pumping furiously. I need her, I don’t even care if we’re in the middle of a hospital. She’s mine, and I need to show her how much I love her.
Pulling back from her, I turn, reaching up for the curtain by her bed and yank it across so if anyone walks in we will hear them, and it will give us some privacy before they see us. She raises her brow as she watches me and I turn back pulling her blanket off her. She smirks and seems to understand what I’m doing instantly as she moves in grabbing at her panties and yanks them down and off, rolling them up and placing them under her pillow. I undo my belt and unzip my pants moving them down over my ass just enough, but not all the way down as I move in and jump up on her bed on top of her, my body sliding between her legs. She looks up at me as she moves the cover over the top of us as I look into her eyes.
She grins and chews on her bottom lip. “This is so naughty.”
I chuckle. “I don’t care, I need you.”
She nods as I lean in kissing her, my cock hard and ready, lining up with her slickened pussy. She’s so wet and ready for me already. I don’t even need to work her up. I love this about my girl. Reaching out, I grab one of her wrists with one hand and bring it up beside her head holding her down, and with the other, I hold myself up above her as I move into position.
I deepen the kiss as she angles her pussy up, my cock’s tip sliding inside her just a fraction, and I can’t hold back as I groan into her mouth and thrust up. She moans, and I pull back, pausing and then thrusting again. She writhes against me, needing to take all my pleasure. She kisses me forcefully as I move inside of her. My hip hurts like a motherfucker, so I’m taking it slow, and she’s helping me with my movements. We’re working as a team. Together in unison. This isn’t hard, it isn’t fast, it isn’t untamed. It’s calm, it’s full of lust, it’s what I guess you’d call making love, and I’ve never been the type of guy to do it this way, but fuck, I think I could get used to this every now and then, with Everly.
She brings her legs up around me making it easier, so I don’t have to move as much, and we rock together in blissful harmony. Back and forth, thrust after slow, tortuous thrust. She feels like heaven, and as we continue to kiss, the slow burn radiates through me. Everly ignites something in me, she calms my storm. I haven’t felt this from anyone before. She makes me feel at ease like no one else can.
My hand on her wrist tightens, as I rock against her. She kisses me frantically, the connection growing between us. A shudder runs down my spine as her muscles clench. My skin riddles in a fine sweat as I break the kiss, panting for air as my face falls into the crook of her neck. Nipping and sucking on her salty skin, she writhes against me as we work together for our climax. Soft moans echo from her as we edge closer and closer. My skin prickles in goosebumps as my balls pull up tight. I squeeze my eyes shut with the pressure building inside of me. My muscles clench, and I bite down on her neck. Not hard, just enough to send a shockwave of pleasure through her, making her quiver against me as she lets out a heavy moan.
“Luca,” she says breathlessly as she climaxes and her tightening pussy is enough to send me over the edge. Everything inside me compresses as I groan unloading forcefully inside of her. I thrust up and empty everything I have, my muscles going rigid as I hold my breath. Her free hand digging into the muscles of my back.
Relief washes over me, and I relax down on top of her. My hip aching and burning as I take a moment to recover. Letting her hand go, her hands smooth up and down my back comfortingly as my lips gently tickle her neck.
“Shit,” I murmur and she giggles running her hands through my hair.
I pull back, and she looks into my eyes. “How’s your hip?”
I wince. “On fire.”
She scrunches up her face and sighs. “Lay on my bed with me?” she asks, and I nod as I pull out of her and roll to the side. She shifts over, and I reach down hoisting up my pants, and doing them up as I move on my side to face her. I bring my hand up and caress her cheek.
“You’re beautiful.”
She rolls her eyes and brings her hand up to rest on my chest comfortingly. “That was probably stupid. I bet your hip is going to be worse now. We shouldn’t have done that.”
I lean in pressing my forehead against hers and gently kiss her nose. “Nothing would have stopped me from being with you after you told me you loved me, Everly. Not even a fucked up hip. Even if I am in pain right now. But hey, we’re in a hospital, and where’s the best place to get low doses of medication to help relieve my pain?”
She snorts and shakes her head. “You kinda have to be a patient to get pain meds, Luca. And no morphine for you, not after last time.”
I nod and smile. “Yes, but we have people in high places here, and no, definitely no morphine,” I say as the door to her room opens, and I turn back just in time to see the curtain slide back and Everly’s mom, Sally, dressed in her nurse’s uniform peer through.
She smiles and raises her brow. “Oh, hi, Luca. Glad you’re here. Can I get you anything?”
I chuckle. “As a matter of fact, you can…”