“I didn't think she was the type to get guilted into anything.” I say.
“Yeah, turns out she can be guilted the same way she guilts Emmey into shit. I basically told her how disappointed Emmeys father would be if he knew that she was living in the dorms with people that treat her badly while mommy dearest was out living a carefree life with her new rich husband. I may have used a few colorful words to get my point across.”
We both laugh a little. I'm glad she had him all those years to look out for her.
“Anyway, we still live in that very same apartment. Almost a decade later and she is still my best friend, my rock. Now imagine how Nessa felt while you were missing. Five days is a long time to miss someone you have loved your whole life. Just don't forget that when you see your sister again.”
I thought he was trying to make me feel better, turns out he was just telling me what an ass I am. I know I should never have yelled at Nessa like that, no excuse.
“You are right, Spencer. It was wrong for me to lose my temper and take it out on her.” I put my face in my hands and wince at the pain. “I don't know what to do with myself. I feel useless. I know there is nothing I can do, but it doesn't stop me from feeling this way. She never would have been there had I been smarter or stronger. Maybe I could have fought my way out and she never would have come to save me. She never should have had to save me.”
When I lift my head he is walking to the chair next to my bed. He sits and puts his hand on my shoulder.
“She will pull through. She has to. She won't leave you now that she finally has you. You really don't know how much you have changed her. She is stronger with you than she ever has been. I know her dad is looking out for her, he will guide her back to you because it is her time to have happiness. He would fight death himself to bring her back.” his smile is so genuine it makes me believe him.
∞∞∞
After sixteen hours Ember was finally out of surgery. Thomn came to my room to let me know she is doing well and in recovery now. We don't know how much longer till she wakes up because he told the doctor that since she is alive he can wait and to tell him whatever news he has. Not really what I wanted to hear, but she is alive and that is the important thing.
The nurse has let me out of bed finally. Not out of the room, but it's a start. That open ass hospital gown was not working for me, so Spence went to my flat and brought me some sweatpants and a few t-shirts to change into.
I still feel like shit, my whole body aches and the two stab wounds hurt something fierce. I refused anything stronger than what you can buy over the counter. I don't want that shit in my system clouding my thoughts when I finally get to see her.
She has been in recovery for three hours now and I am getting antsy. All I want to do is see her beautiful golden brown eyes and sweet smile. I want to hold her hand in mine, kiss her lips and just stare at her until she tells me I am being a creep. The thought makes me smile.
“Well, let's get you into the wheelchair, your sleeping beauty is awake and asking for you.” the nurse says as she wheels the chair to my bed.
I threw the blanket off and move faster than I should have. Pain shoots through my abdomen. The nurse raised her eyebrows at me, but I waved her off. I get into the chair and she wheels me to the opposite side of the floor. I was expecting to see our friends and herfamily but the room is empty.
I look up at the nurse, “Where is she? These beds are empty.”
She just smiles and continues to push me between the beds. “She is on her way up from the recovery room. She refused to let them move her until she saw you, but they convinced her to calm down. This is the room you will both be staying in. Though I'm sure your stay will be much shorter.”
The thought of her stubbornness makes me laugh. “Thank you. What about her family?”
“She refused to see anyone but you. Do you want me to stay?”
“No, I'm sure you have better things to do than babysit me.” she laughs and leaves me to wait alone. Maybe I should have had her stay, every second waiting in the silent room is killing me. It feels like hours before I see the transport bed being rolled into the room.
They line the gurney with the bed and carefully transfer her. The nurse with her checks to see that everything is still connected to her, plugs a few cords into the machine next to her bed and makes sure she is covered and warm enough before leaving. The entire time my eyes never leave hers.
I roll myself closer to her now that we are alone. She smiles and I can't help but let a few tears fall. I was so scared I would never see that beautiful smile again, see those eyes, hear her laugh or feel her touch. She slowly reaches her hand out and wipes the tears from my face. I take her hand in mind and put it to my lips.
“Hi.” She says weakly.
“Hi.” I smile and laugh at her casualness.
“I really missed you. I was so worried that I would never see you again. I don't ever want to feel that again.” she whispers as tears fall from her beautiful eyes.
“I am so sorry, agápi mou. I never meant to leave you.” I kiss her hand and she waves me away.
“You can't be sorry for this. It wasn't your fault. I won't let you feel any guilt over this.”
“It's not your fault either.” I remind her.
She shakes her head and looks at the ceiling. “No, it's not, but I still feel responsible for them hurting you. It was me they wanted to hurt and the thought of what they did to you makes me sick. I want to...to hurt them back.” her small hands are balled into a tight fist.
“That would not make you feel any better. You are too good, your heart is too good to feel better by causing someone else harm. They will get what they deserve, I'm sure of it.” I want her to know that she is nothing like them.
“I know, but I'm just so angry.” she sighs.
“I know, we all are. Forget about what happened for now, we have plenty of time for plotting revenge.” I chuckle.
She smiles and shakes her head. “I love you. You make everything better.”
“I love you too, and thank you. How are you feeling? Much pain?” stupid question, I know, but I need to be sure she is not in pain. I can't stand the thought of her in pain.
“I feel weak and sleepy. I know I technically just woke up, but I feel like all my energy has been drained out of me. No pain though. The nurse said they put some really good shit in my IV so I should be ok for a few more hours.” she looks at the IV in her hand. “It feels so cold. It's strange.”
I smile and take that hand in mine to give her some of my warmth. She grins ear to ear as she lays her head back on the pillow. She turns to me, just looking into my eyes. No words, no grand gestures, only her and I looking into each other's souls.
Even now, here in this hospital room covered in bruises and wires, with her hair a tangled mess and bags under her eyes. Right here, right now, she is still the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. I thank the stars that she is mine.
Her doctor knocks as he enters the room. “Hey there, glad to see you are awake. Any pain or numbness?”
She shakes her head.
“That's great. Do you want me to wait or would you like me to go over your surgery details now?” he asks as a nurse walks in with a laptop on a moving desk of some sort.
“Now please.” she looks at me and squeezes my hand softly.
“Well, the good news is the bullet in your leg did not hit anything major. Your inner thigh is mostly soft fatty tissue, though it did hit some muscles. I would normally put you on crutches but with your abdomen injury I don't want you putting any stress on it.”
Again she nods.
“As for the bullet we took out of your abdomen, well it needs more attention. There was a good amount of damage to your large intestine and a lot of internal bleeding. Luckily it was nowhere near your uterus. However the stress still could have had a negative effect on the fetus. I want you to see your OBGYN in a week, sooner if you feel something is not right with the b
aby.” he paused looking at us both.
Chapter 26
Ember
“Is everything alright?” the doctor looks worried.
“I think I'm going to be sick” the nurse rushes to me with a barfbag, but I manage to calm myself.
I look to Jonas, who apparently has been staring at me the whole time. Baby? I can't be pregnant. I mean I know that we never used protection, and I guess that is always a possibility, but I never really entertained the idea. Is he upset?
His face is blank and pale. His eyes are not moving, he is just staring at me or through me. I'm not really sure. God please don't let us survive all this crap just for him to leave me because of this.
“Im sorry, I assumed you knew.” I shake my head no, and he continues. “It's not my specialty but I would say you are about ten weeks pregnant. There doesn't seem to be any damage at this time, but like I said, please make the appointment and contact them sooner if needed. The damage to your intestines is what took the longest to repair, but the specialist on call was one of the best this side of the country. She was able to save nearly every inch of it. You will also need an appointment with her, but the nurse will get that taken care of before you discharge.”
“She may stop in to see you, or one of the residents maybe. You will most likely be here the rest of the week, maybe longer if you have any complications. I would have liked for you to have a CT before you discharge, unfortunately due to the pregnancy that is not possible. I may still order an ultrasound.”
“Okay. Umm, thank you doctor.” It is barely a whisper.
“We will leave you alone to discuss things. Again, I am very sorry you found out this way.”
I nod. The doctor and nurse walk out of the room closing the door behind them. Now it is just the two of us. Well three if you count the baby. Our baby. I smile at the thought. I never thought I would be a mother, but if I am going to be, I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else. I just hope he feels the same.
“Did you know?” is the first thing he asks. He doesnt sound angry, so that's a good sign.
“No.”
“Ten weeks? That was just before I left for Greece.” he still has yet to show any emotion. I'm starting to freak out internally.
“Okay?” I'm not sure if he is asking me something or not.
He finally looks at me, I mean really looks at me. A huge smile fills his face and he tries to stand from the wheelchair.
“Jonas, don't hurt yourself.” I almost scream.
He groans and sits back down. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just want to hold you so badly. I forgot I was injured.” he gives me a sad smile.
“Are you ok?”
“I am. I can't believe we are going to start our family so soon. I just thought we would be married before. Not that it matters. We have so much to do. We have to get a room set up for our little one. We can turn the guest room into a nursery…” he looks up and stops his rambling words. “Will you move in with me?”
I never imagined he would be so opened to this. I was so afraid he would walk away, that I did not entertain the thought of us being a real family. Tears start to fall from my eyes and his whole demeanor changes.
“You don't want this, do you?” The sadness in his voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
“I..I guess I am just in shock. You are the only man I would ever want a family with, Jonas. I never really thought about kids or being a mother. I have always been so afraid I would end up like mine, so I pushed all those thoughts aside. I don't want to be a bad mother. I don't want my baby to hate me.” I don't know why I am crying, but I really do fear being like her.
“Ember, you are nothing like her. You will be a wonderful mother because of the person you are. You are kind, caring, generous and you are so strong. I may not have known your father, but I know that he was all that and more. That is where you get it.” he smiles and reaches for my face to wipe the tears away, but can’t quite reach due to his injured state.
“You will be the mother that your father raised you to be. You will be like him. Not her. I have no doubt that this baby, and all the rest to come, will love you just as much as you love him.” He places his hand on mine and squeezes it lightly.
“I hope you are right.” I smile. “Wait, are you already planning on more?”
His smile widens and he nods like a bobble head. “Many more.”
Oh, God this man is going to make me crazy.
“So, will you move in with me?” he asks again.
“Well I guess I have no choice.” I try to look very serious but fail miserably when he gives me puppy eyes. We both laugh and I nod my head.
“That is not an answer, agápi mou.”
“Yes, I will move in with you.” the smile on his face could light up a room. I feel my heart beat hasten and hear it in the beeping monitor beside me.
“Thank you. Thank you for everything. I didn't know that a woman like you could exist. You have already given me so much more than I could have ever dreamt of having. Yet here you are, giving me more.”
Before I can respond to his heartfelt words the door opens and in walks my grandparents, Spencer and Nessa.
“OH, Emmey! I'm so happy you are ok.” Spence squeals and runs to my other side. He carefully hugs me and leaves kisses all over my face.
“Thanks, but can you stop smothering me please. I love you, but I need air.” I manage to get out. Everyone laughs and he backs away with a playful smile.
“Sorry, I just missed my best friend.”
“I know, and I appreciate it.” I say as I take his hand in one of mine.
“Jonas, how are you feeling?” Janessa asks him,
“Never better.” He replies with the biggest and most sincere smile.
My grandparents give him a questioning look. I mean it is understandable. He was taken hostage for five days, beaten and stabbed multiple times. So, their confusion is warranted. I don't know if I am ready to tell everyone, but there is no time like the present.
The door opens again to reveal my uncle and Wellington holding flowers, balloons and a stuffed...hippo? Interesting.
“Well you look happy. What could possibly put that look on your face after what you have just been through?” Wellington asks as soon as he looks at Jonas.
We look at each other and I shrug. “It's up to you?” he says. I take a deep breath and nod, letting him know he can tell them our news.
I look to my grandparents before he speaks. Avo is looking at me like she already knows. She has always been like that, just knows things. She gives me a quick wink and nods at Jonas to speak.
“Well the doctor told us that Embers surgery went well. She will have to see a few doctors in the coming weeks, but all in all she will be fine.” he smirks. “And our baby will be too.”
I swear Spence almost fainted. Wellington and Janessa both smiled and congratulated us. My uncle however started to cry. I mean ‘tears streaming down his face’ kind of cry. My grandparents just hugged one another while looking at me. I could see all the love in their eyes and it reminded me of my dad. Tears began to fall from my eyes, but they were happy tears. I am happy, truly and fully happy.
When Spencer finally recovered he couldn't stop talking. He asked a million questions and barley gave us time to answer them. I can't imagine how he is going to react when I tell him I will be moving out. We have been living together for just under ten years, in the same apartment, with the same routine. I am almost afraid to tell him.
My family and friends stayed for over three hours before they left to get some rest. I know they all stayed in the waiting room while I was in surgery, they must be exhausted. I am so thankful to have such an amazing group of people in my life, and lucky to have found the love of my life to share it all with.
∞∞∞
I have been in this stupid hospital bed for two days now. Two freaking days of laying here. All I get to do is stare at the cream colored walls and watch one of the five TV channels. I
feel like I am going to lose my mind here.
I keep begging the doctors to let me leave but they tell me no everytime. Jonas gets to be out of his bed, but still has to use the wheelchair. He complains about it, but stops everytime I give him the ‘I will kick you if you say another word’ look. Other than that we have been keeping eachother company.
Is it bad that I can't wait till I'm healed just so I can jump his bones? God I miss the taste of his lips and the feel of his hands on my body. The feel of him inside of me, making me scream his name. Dude, why am I so horny?
“Are you alright? Do you hurt?” he asks worriedly.
“No, Why?”
“You just looked like something was bothering you, or hurting you. I worry about you and the baby.”
I can't help but smile at him. He really is happy about becoming a father. I am coming to like the idea of being a mother. I want to give my child all the love I have to give and never ever let him or her think for even a second that they are not perfect. I know he feels the same way.
“Well actually I was thinking about you.” I laugh at his confused face. “I was thinking about all the things I want to do to you when I am all healed up.”
He raises his eyebrows and his lips curl up. “Oh, I understand. You are missing little Jonas.”
I crack up and it hurts like hell, but I can't stop laughing at him. “Little Jonas? You could have come up with something better than that, babe.”
He rolls his eyes at me, crossing his arms over his chest. “And what would you call him?”
“Well definitely not little, that's for sure.” his eyes light up with pride at that. “Oh, don't let that go to your head big boy.”
“Oh, it already has.” he wheels himself to my bed and climbs in with me.
Ribbon of Fate: Love or lust? Page 24