“Visiting hours are over, young man.”
He stands and gives my hand a squeeze like he regrets having to let go before he releases it. I feel weird without it and I’m just doped up enough to not care if I shouldn’t be thinking things like that.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll get out of your hair.”
Turning back to me, he smiles and I feel like I’m melting into the bed. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
He flashes me a look that makes it clear that he’ll be back tomorrow come hell or high water and I have a love/hate relationship with the way it makes me feel.
“Get some rest, okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
He winks before turning and walking out of the room. Bonnie watches him leave before walking over to the bed and grinning at me.
“Girl, your man is fine as hell, no offense.”
“None taken,” I reply, shaking my head. “And he’s not my man.”
Her brow arches as she looks at the door. “You sure he knows that?”
“Yes. We just met today.”
She hums as she takes my vitals. “Stranger things have happened, my dear.”
Glancing back at the open doorway, I try not to give too much weight to her words but I'm already looking forward to seeing him again tomorrow.
Shit…
* * * *
Alice:
Any news yet?
Smirking, I shake my head. She’s so damn impatient that she’s been texting me since six this morning but I know how she worries.
Me:
No, not yet.
How’s Brooklyn?
Setting my phone down on the bed, I turn back to the TV and sigh. The only thing I’ve been able to find to hold my interest is HGTV and I’m getting a little tired of home renovation shows. The doctor came back this morning and they took me down for another scan but that was a while ago and I’m getting anxious to learn if things look better today. My entire body aches like nothing I’ve ever felt before and all I want to do is go home, take a nice long bath, and crawl into my own bed. My phone buzzes from the mattress and I scoop it up.
Alice:
Okay. She misses you, though.
Me:
Hopefully, I’ll be home soon.
After I set my phone down again, I lie back on the bed and close my eyes, trying desperately to not think about the last time I was at this very hospital. It was one of the very worst nights of my life and it wasn’t until I was alone last night that I realized where I was. The panic almost overwhelmed me but I was able to get a handle on things before they got out of hand. Now, I just want to get out of here and quite frankly, I’d be thrilled to never step foot in this place again. The memories from that night threaten to bury me and I focus on my breathing until I feel in control again, pushing the images from my mind temporarily.
Opening my eyes, my gaze drifts to the door and my heart sinks. Why do I keep checking the door for a man I don’t know? Especially since he’s already done so much for me. He owes me nothing but I’m eager to see him again. God, that’s stupid. So what if he does interest me? It’s not like I can do anything about it. Not right now, at least. I’m still a mess emotionally and even though I’m getting better each and every day, it’s not a good idea to let someone in. Burying my face in my hands, I groan. I wish I could just figure him out. He’s contradictory on every level and it’s been driving me crazy since the moment his eyes met mine. Maybe he should have scared me with his arms full of tattoos and his large, muscular frame but something about him put me at ease immediately - like I already knew him. Despite my past, I felt safe with him and that’s something I haven’t been able to say in two long years. Then he flashed me that easy going smile and my heart rate slowed despite the fact that I’d just been hit by a truck. Laying my head back, I sigh.
I’m absolutely hopeless.
“Quinn?” His voice warms me like a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon and I suck in a breath as I glance up, fighting back a smile.
“Lucas. You came.”
He walks into the room with a bouquet of flowers and that damn smile on his face as my heart beats a little faster. “I told you I was going to check in on you today.”
“Yeah,” I answer with a shrug. “But most people say a lot of things they don’t mean and you’ve already been so kind.”
“Well, let’s just get one thing straight now. I’m not most people and I never say things I don’t mean.”
I tilt my head to the side as I study him. Usually, I would assume that a statement like that was just a line but there is something about the way he says it that makes me believe him. “That’s refreshing.”
“Here,” he says, ignoring my comment as he hands the flowers to me. “These are for you.”
I take the bouquet and smile at the bright cheery sunflowers wrapped up in brown paper before bringing them to my nose. When I meet his gaze again, I smile.
“Thank you. I love sunflowers.”
He nods, sitting in the chair next to the bed. “You’re welcome. I just wanted to get something to brighten your day. How are you feeling?”
“Sore and ready to go home.”
“Have they given you an update yet?”
I shake my head. “No. They took me for a scan earlier but I haven’t heard from anyone since then.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll keep you company until then.”
“No,” I blurt out, shaking my head. “You really don’t have to do that. I don’t want to intrude.”
His brow arches and he leans forward, meeting my eyes with his intense blue gaze and I suck in a breath. “Didn’t we go over this already? If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be. Besides,” he continues as he leans away from me and lies back in the chair, “I have some news for you.”
“Oh?”
He nods. “They caught the son of a bitch that hit you and he was still wasted when they arrested him last night.”
“Wow,” I whisper, lying back in the bed.
“You sound surprised.”
I glance over at him and as soon as our eyes connect, I feel it rocking through my whole body. What the hell is going on here? “I guess I assumed he was going to get away with it.”
“Hell, no. I wasn’t letting that happen.”
“You had something to do with this?” I ask, my brow arching.
“Well, I told you that my friend was unavailable but I pulled some strings to make sure that bastard ended up behind bars.”
Who is this man?
I see people everyday that can’t even be bothered to hold a door for someone and offer up a smile in passing but he’s been incredible since the moment we met.
“Why?”
His brows furrow. “Why what?”
“Why would you do all this for me? I mean, we don’t even know each other.”
He’s quiet for a moment as different emotions flicker across his face and finally, he sighs. “I don’t know why I’m doing it except that I feel compelled to. There’s something different about you, Quinn, and there are other things I could be doing right now but all I want to do is sit here and talk to you some more.”