Chapter Twenty
Jinx
My eyes open slowly, the crust around my eyelids cracking open as I blink. I’m afraid to look down to see if my leg is still there. I know I should be thankful I’m alive, but if I don’t have a leg, I don’t know how I’ll handle it. I take a deep breath and look my body over, my leg is hung on a sling, with an entire leg split.
I draw my attention to my surroundings. I’m not in your standard hospital room. This room is more of a beautiful studio apartment, I gaze to my left to see Pyro studying me from a chair.
My bottom lip wobbles. “I still have a leg,” I choke out.
Pyro jumps up, rushing over to me. “Shhh… you’re okay, baby.”
I tug on his arms, and he inches his way onto my bed, careful not to bump my stomach or leg. I sob for a few minutes while he runs one hand through my hair, comforting me while I have my brief mental freak-out.
I pull back and tug on the oxygen tubes in my nose and gag.
“Don’t.” Pyro stops me. “You need those, darlin’.”
“My insurance doesn’t cover swanky rooms,” I mumble.
He chuckles, laying his head beside mine, lacing our fingers together. “Winter.”
“I need something to drink.”
Pyro pushes a button on the bed, and a few seconds later a nurse comes in.
“She’s thirsty, is she allowed to drink anythin’ yet?”
Pyro plays with my fingers while the cute nurse checks my vitals and fluids while checking out Pyro.
“I’ll tell the doctor she’s awake, she can have ice chips until he clears her for more. I’ll be right back.”
A small laugh bubbles up from my throat. “She was checking you out.”
“Was she?” he shrugs.
“What are you up to, sir?”
“Nothin’ m’lady, nothin’ at all,” he says with a cheeky grin.
The cute nurse comes back in with my ice chips, Pyro ignores her, and you can tell she’s never ignored because she lingers for a moment, confused.
Pyro unlaces our fingers and takes the ice chips from my bedside table. “Open up,” he orders as he fingers a few pieces out. I open my mouth and suck the ice chips from his fingertips.
When he pulls his fingers from my mouth, I grin as I chew my ice. “You feeding me now?”
“If that’s what ya need, Shortcake.”
How is he even here? He has his watches with the guys.
“When do you have to leave?”
Pyro puts the cup of ice back on the bedside table and gives me his devasting eyes. “I wish I didn’t have to leave you at all.”
“But you have a duty.”
He nods. “I only have three shifts a week. You’ll be here for almost six weeks.”
Six weeks?
What the hell am I supposed to do trapped in a hospital bed for six weeks?
“Ripley brought some of your stuff, it’s in the drawers, and she had ZZ take her to the bookstore, you have some new books on the kitchen table.”
That’s freaking dandy.
I’m kidnapped, raped, suffer from panic attacks, shatter my ankle, get stabbed, and then almost die from my ankle. I’m surprised I’m not in a mental institution yet. “I need a freaking vacation.”
Pyro reaches over to the bedside table and hands me my phone. “Find us somewhere to go.”
I take it with a shaky hand. “You’ll take me on vacation?”
“Shortcake if you don’t leave me, and you’re healed up, I’ll take you anywhere you wanna go, baby.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am.”
“I think you kinda like me, Ice,” I say with a smile.
“I know I kinda like you, Fire. Now, where do you wanna go?”
I hand him my phone. “To a cabin, deep in the woods somewhere. Quiet. I want quiet.”
“I’ll make it happen,” he promises.
“It’s gonna be a long six weeks,” I groan.
Pyro slides off my bed, kicks off his shoes and climbs back in with me. “If we follow all the doctor’s orders,” he says while lacing his hand with mine once more. “And you do your therapy on schedule, it’ll go by in no time.”
“Liar,” I grump, and he chuckles.
I close my eyes from exhaustion. “You were here this time.”
His fingers tighten. “I was there last time, too.”
“I know,” I mumble. “But you’re here this time.”
“I hear you, Shortcake. Sleep, baby.”
∞∞∞