She visibly shakes, and my smile widens.
I don’t have control over much, but here?
I’m the fucking king.
Chapter 6
Charlotte
“What the hell?”
The light streaming in through the blinds stings my eyes as a nurse comes into my room. She banged her rolling nurse station computer thing right into the end of the bed, jolting me awake. Why do they have to do rounds so damn early in the morning?
“Sorry about that. I don’t think I will ever get used to these stupid things. How’re we doing this morning, miss?” the older woman tuts down at me with my chart gripped in her hand. Her features are blurry as I blink my eyes rapidly a couple of times, trying to get them to focus.
“Better, I guess,” I groan, trying to shift into a more comfortable position.
“Looks like you’ll be getting out of here pretty soon.” She smiles at me before writing a few notes onto the clipboard and putting it back into its holster at the foot of my bed.
“What? How can I be going home the day after being in an accident? The doctor said I had a really bad brain injury. I don’t understand.” I don’t fucking get it. It’s not like my insurance company is refusing to pay for me to be here. The Hawthornes wouldn’t stand for that.
“I talked to your doctor and he has agreed to discharge you as long as we have someone check on you at the house,” my mother’s voice breaks free as my eyes dart to the corner of the room where she is perched.
Has she been there this entire time?
Did she stay here all night?
Why does she want me home so fucking quickly?
Figured my folks would have been enjoying the time away from me and my antics.
“All right.” I don’t know what else to say. My brain is still wrapped in a daze, filled with missing pieces and complete confusion.
“I’ll leave the two of you. Take care.” The nurse offers a tight-lipped grin, backing out of the room slowly with her rolling workstation in tow.
“Rolland is on his way here now to get us. We’ll have you home and in your own bed before you know it, honey. You’ll feel much better once we get you out of this cold, sterile place.” She comes up beside me, grabbing my hand firmly, and I realize she is still in the clothes she had on the night before. “I am so thankful you weren’t seriously injured. I don’t know what I would have done.”
My mother chokes on her words as her fingers release mine before her hand flies up to cover her trembling lips.
I slowly cock my head to the side, overwhelmed by her genuine emotion. “I am really glad you’re here. Thank you.”
“Wild horses, sweetheart. Wild horses.” She blinks back tears, swallowing hard. “I’m going to hunt down your doctor for those prescriptions he promised me hours ago.”
She really had been here all night.
I am completely shocked.
I really wish that I wasn’t so surprised, but my parents are the way they are. I could have never seen this one-eighty coming from a mile away.
My bed has never felt so damn comfortable in my entire life. Rolland had to carry me up the stairs to get here, but it was totally worth it. My mother was right, I did feel better being home. Which was overly strange. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt relief being back at Hawthorne Manor. Guess there is a first time for everything.
On the nightstand there is a gorgeous blue and purple orchid arrangement with a gaudy, get-well-soon balloon hovering over it.
Moira. I smile, eyeing the beautiful arrangement that she had put together. It was one of her finer skills that she loved to put to work.
“Miss?” Moira’s voice chirps from my open bedroom door.
“Yes?” I lazily smile at her as she walks in with a tray clutched in her hands.
“The doctor said that you need to eat when you take your medication. I brought some tea and a croissant for you.”
I breathe in the clean scent of her lilac shampoo as she sets the tray down on the end table.
“Thank you.”
Descending onto the bed, she pats my arm. “Of course, Miss.”
Her eyes look tired, even under her perfectly done makeup.
“I really am all right, you know.” I try to offer a shred of comfort to her.
“I know. I’m just so relieved.” Her head falls a little. “After you brother, I just don’t know how we would have managed. You know I think of you like my own, right?”
I tangle my fingers with hers, beaming up at her. “We’re family. And besides, I have to stick around. Someone has to be here to keep you on your toes.”
She laughed a little, rubbing her thumb under her eyes.
“Eat up. Your medication is in the small dish.” She runs her free hand over her face before pushing up from the bed.
Once Moira exits my room, I flip the TV on for some background noise as I peel apart the flaky pastry. I could tell it was from my favorite bakery. Moira really pulled out all of the stops.
Flipping through the channels, I finally land on a Criminal Minds rerun that I have seen five times, at least. I’m able to get most of the tea down and all of the croissant before my pain level starts to creep from a five to an eleven. It damn near takes all of my strength just to choke down the pills before my head falls back onto my plush pillow. It feels like it weighs a million pounds. This is not fun at all.
Gentle tapping clicks in my brain as I groggily come to again.
“Charlotte?” Blaine is standing in the doorway with a bouquet of white roses. The bottom of his chin has a bandage, but other than that he looks completely fine. Lucky bastard.
“Hi,” I cough.
“Char, I hope this is all right. I tried to visit you at the hospital and the nurse told me that they sent you home already. Your mom was nice enough to let me come up.” He rapidly spits out the words, taking a few steps into me room.
“Thanks for coming to check on me. Those are beautiful.”
“It was the least I could do.” Blaine sets the flowers down next to my other ones. “I feel horrible.”
“They’re called accidents for a reason. It wasn’t your fault. How could it be?” I point to the armchair a few feet away from my bed. “Sit. Relax. You look like you need to take a load off.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Blaine nods. “Yeah. Okay.”
“How are you?” I asked, twisting a little so I could look at my guest.
“Fine,” he mutters. “Don’t worry about me.”
His eyes start darting around the room. He looks nervous and on edge. But it could be all the meds making me paranoid.
“What is it?” I force out.
“I just feel like absolute shit that you’re laid up like this because of me.” His head falls into his hands. “I don’t know if I will ever be able to forgive myself. This is all my fault. Look at you. You wouldn’t be all banged up if it wasn’t for me. You’re too beautiful, too perfect to be hurt like this.”
Well, that was a little dramatic.
Blaine’s words stain the air. What in the world? Blaine has always been a little flirty with me, but never this outright. It feels off. Something is going on but I can’t piece it together. I can’t piece anything together. Stupid meds. Stupid head trauma. I need to figure out a way to get my head back on straight.