When Ash reached the bottom of the stairs, he didn’t make a smartass comment or put down his brother in any way. He grabbed his arm and threw it over his shoulder. “Let me give you a lift.”
When Hades didn’t reject the offer, it was clear he really needed help.
Together, the men made it to the third floor, and Ash escorted his brother into our bedroom.
When Hades was inside, he kicked off his shoes and took a seat in the armchair. He breathed slightly heavily, swallowing the exertion. He rubbed his hands together and bowed his head, as if to hide his visage.
I turned to Ash. “Thanks for the help.”
“I’m always here.” He didn’t make any jokes like he normally would have. He turned away to give his brother privacy.
I shut the door and turned back to Hades. I watched him continue to sit there, his head bent toward the floor. He rubbed one knuckle absentmindedly, as if he was thinking about something else. The bedroom was clean, with fresh sheets and new flowers, something to make him feel at home. “Must be nice to be back, huh?”
He nodded slightly before he rose to his feet. He moved much slower than before, as if all of his muscles resisted the command. Once he was standing straight, he inhaled a deep breath. He struggled to pull off his shirt. When it was over his head, he tossed it aside. Thick gauze was wrapped around his torso to protect his ribs, and he still had swelling and discoloration all over his skin. He looked so much better now than he had before, but he still looked beaten.
I came to him and helped him with his jeans. I got his boxers off too, assuming he would want to take a shower now that he was home from the hospital.
I was surprised he allowed me to help.
Wordlessly, he slowly made his way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He left the door cracked behind him.
I listened to the water fall for a few moments, wondering if he wanted to be alone. But I knew he’d been alone for weeks now, suffering in silence because he refused to let his guard down. Even if he wanted to be strong for me, he shouldn’t have to be. I was his wife. I should be at his side…wherever he went.
I shed my clothes and then joined him in the shower. I came up from behind and noticed the way he stood idly under the warm water. With his eyes closed and droplets of water dripping down the bridge of his nose and his hard chest, his mind seemed to be far away.
When I shut the shower door, he tensed at the audible click.
I moved toward him and gently rested my forehead between his shoulder blades. My arms circled around his hips so I could avoid his sensitive ribs. He blocked all the water, so I was cold, but I was happy just to be there. Happy we were both there.
Hades stood still for a long time and didn’t reciprocate my affection. We’d had a tender moment together in the hospital, but now, he was cold, like he wanted to be alone. He was probably just in a lot of pain, but sometimes I feared he felt differently toward me altogether.
Hades slowly turned around then pulled me under the water with him. His brown eyes weren’t as territorial as they used to be, but deep affection still burned in his gaze. His hands tightened on my lower back, and he pulled me closer to him. Once my forehead was against his chest, he rested his chin on top of my head.
Together, we stood under the water…silent.
We’d both suffered immense tragedies, the kind of agony neither one of us could comprehend, but we comforted each other the only way we knew how. We were still a team; we were still partners.
We were in this together.
For the first week, Hades didn’t get much sleep.
When his pain meds wore off, he lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling.
Somehow, I always knew when he was awake. The sound of his breathing was different, and it registered in my subconscious brain. During those moments, I would turn toward him and stay awake just so he wouldn’t feel alone.
We hadn’t talked about what happened yet…and it seemed like we never would.
During the day, he stayed in bed. Sometimes, he worked on his laptop or talked on the phone. He would have his morning coffee, but he wouldn’t eat much as he was concerned about gaining weight with his newly sedentary lifestyle—even though it should be his last priority right now.
I stayed home with him, working on my laptop whenever he did and doing my best to be good company without smothering him. At night, we watched movies, switching back and forth between the chick flicks I liked and the mafia movies he liked.
He improved slowly—really slowly.
I was sitting at the table reading an email on my laptop when Hades spoke to me.
“You should go back to work.” He sat up in bed, his back resting against a pile of pillows. He was shirtless, his flawless musculature still powerful under the scars. He’d stopped shaving, but the shadow looked good on his handsome face. He was moody every day, managing his pain in silence. He didn’t talk much…not that he had before.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you’ve been absent from work a long time. I’m sure you’re eager to get back.”
I had to stop myself from tilting my head because his statement was ridiculous. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Hades. I want to stay here—with you.”
He continued to hold my gaze with a stoic expression, but there was a hint of emotion in his eyes. He flicked his eyes away and stared out the patio doors. “There’s nothing you can do for me. I have Helena.”
“But I’m your wife. It’s my job to take care of you—and I want to.”
He kept his gaze out the glass doors. It was unclear if he was touched by that statement or not. He probably felt uncomfortable accepting my support, when he shouldn’t.
“Besides…I don’t want to put myself out there anyway.” I never went into detail about my captivity, not just to protect him, but because I didn’t want to relive the experience by discussing it. I’d rather just pretend it never happened.
His eyes returned to mine, his expression still hard. “He won’t bother you…if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
I’d always be afraid of it. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because I paid for your freedom. The transaction is complete.” His eyes fell, like he was reliving the moment when he took my place.
If he said that was true, then it probably was. But my place was still next to him. “I’m going to be by your side until you get through this.”
“I appreciate that, but I’m fine. Really.” Considering the significant trauma he’d experienced, it was a miracle he was in such good shape. Maybe because he was so strong before the incident, he was able to get by relatively unscathed. “There’s nothing you can do for me. And please don’t pity me.”
“I don’t.” My eyes narrowed. “How can I pity the strongest man I know?”
He wouldn’t look at me.
There was a knock on the bedroom door.
I opened it and came face-to-face with Damien. Instead of talking across the threshold, I stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind me. “He’s getting there… It’s gonna take some time.”
With his chin tilted toward the floor and his hands in his front pockets, he looked like a guilty dog that had destroyed the house before his owner returned. “Can I see him? Maybe we could have dinner tonight?”