“Every day?” I asked. “Why?”
“He was always checking your charts, too, despite my insistence he didn’t,” the doctor said. “Doctor Anderson was insistent that you didn’t have any family to contact.”
“I don’t,” I said. “He’s right.”
“Then with your permission, Miss Breckenridge, I’d like to keep your friends in the loop with your condition while you’re still in the hospital.”
“That’s fine. Is there a waiver I have to sign or something?” I asked.
“We’ll take care of that later,” the doctor said. “Right now, I need to go start setting up your testing for today. We’ll do a brainwave test as well as take some blood. Come this evening, if your body feels up to it, then we’ll do an EKG before you settle down for the night.”
“Sounds good. Thank you,” I said.
Then the doctor left us.
I relaxed against the bed as silence filled the room. I didn’t know what to say or how to feel. It was like a fairytale. Like someone else had lived that life and not myself. It didn’t feel like I’d been in a coma for three weeks. Just like I’d been in a really deep sleep for one night. I felt Dean’s hand squeeze mine and I squeezed back, then I looked up at him as he smiled at me.
“Every day? Really?” I asked.
“I think that’s my cue to leave,” Emilia said. “Tristan’s in the cafeteria, and I know he’s going to want to see you. I’m also going to go call Grace and tell her what’s going on. So the two of you use the time wisely while you have it.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Dean said.
I turned towards Emilia and watched her lips come down onto my forehead.
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” she said. “You scared us.”
“I live to freak people out,” I said.
“Then use some fake blood and a Halloween mask next time. The coma was a bit much.”
I nodded as Emilia stood up. She left the room and closed the door behind her, but not before she took one last look at me. The way she looked at me sent shivers down my spine. Like she was looking at a friendly ghost. It was almost like she couldn't believe I was awake, and that frightened me. I heard my heart monitor speed up as she closed the door and immediately Dean jumped into doctor mode.
“Calm down. Everything’s okay,” he said.
His voice automatically calmed me, however.
Like it had whenever I had been in that space between sleep and awake.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dean
I was trying not to bombard her with how excited I was that she was awake. She didn’t need to be startled or rattled in any way. Her state was still very fragile. But inside, I was screaming. Leaping. Jumping for joy. I couldn’t stop holding her hand. Kissing her skin. Looking into her beautiful brown eyes. I’d been robbed of them for weeks because of my own negligence. Robbed of her freckled stare and the light that shone behind her eyes. I ran my fingers through her hair and she looked at me as my mind tried to silence the doctor running through my mind.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked.
That was really my greatest fear. That she would remember the car accident and remember my name, but not remember who I was. With the type of injuries she suffered, I knew there had to be memory loss somewhere. No one came out of a severe concussion with a brain bleed and a three-week coma without some sort of loss. And it was obvious she remembered the accident. Obvious that she remembered who Emilia was.
But did she know who I was?
“Mr. Lasagna,” she said with a grin.
My eyebrows ticked up as her beautiful giggle filled the room. Such a glorious sound that crashed waves of happiness over my heart.
“You remember?” I asked.
“Who in the world could forget a man that eats four helpings of homemade lasagna?” Ivy asked.
“What else do you remember?” I asked.
“I remember your lips tasting like wine,” she said as her hand slipped from mine. “I remember the suit you were wearing the night we met. You know, at my fashion show where I had to step in as a model.”
Tears rose to my eyes as her hand lifted to cup my cheek.
“I remember waking up next to you and how safe it made me feel,” she said. “And I remember you coming out to meet all of my friends before we went and got pizza. I still feel bad about talking about my ex during that dinner.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I said with a whisper.
I turned my face to kiss the palm of her hand as I cupped the back of hers against my skin.
“I remember decorating your apartment and how much money we really spent,” she said with a smile. “And how you didn’t once bat an eye at the joke I made about painting your walls a sparkling pink.”
“I told you that you had true creative freedom that weekend,” I said.
“I think you wanted to get laid.”
“It was a nice perk of the weekend,” I said with a grin.
She giggled, and oh, how it filled my ears. I laced our fingers together and slid her hand from my cheek, placing both of our hands into my lap. I was amazed at what she could remember after everything she had suffered through. I cocked my body so I was fully facing her, my free hand falling to her cheek. I stroked her skin and watched as it flushed with that incredible shade of pink. The true essence of her beauty rising to the surface underneath my ministrations.
“Ivy,” I said with a whisper.
I watched her eyes fill with tears before one of them slipped from her eye and found its death upon the tip of my finger.
“You know what else I remember?” she asked.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“I remember the utter joy your texts fill me with. How my cheeks ached every time I saw your name flash on my cell phone screen.”
I chuckled as leaned my forehead down to hers.
“I remember your laughter. How it rattled my ribcage and made my heart soar. I remember the color of your polo shirt during our first date. It was red, by the way.”
“Yes it was,” I said with a whisper.
“I remember the swell of your chest against mine and how beautiful I felt in your arms that night. I remember how vulnerable you make me feel and how comfortable I am in that vulnerability with you. I remember the first time you ever texted me after meeting you that night, and how it was the first time in years I hadn’t felt so alone.”
“Oh Ivy,” I said lowly. “My beautiful Ivy.”
“I remember the first time you called me that.”
I smiled against her forehead before I pressed kisses into it. She remembered. And her attention to detail was astonishing. I had no doubt in my mind that Ivy would make a full recovery from the accident she had experienced, and the thought made my heart soar.
“I could never forget those memories, Dean.”
I pulled back and looked into her eyes.
“I could never forget them because those were some of the best moments of my life so far,” Ivy said. “Every single one of them.”
I couldn’t contain myself any longer. Without a second thought to what anything would look like, I thrust my lips upon hers. Slightly chapped, a little cold to the touch, and exactly as I remembered them. Kissing Ivy made the world fall back into place. I felt her hands slide around my neck and pull me closer. I felt her weakened muscles twitch to life against my body. My tongue slid against hers and it filled me with a sweetness unlike any other.
A sweetness I could only attribute to her.
I wrapped my arms around her back and slowly pulled her upright. I pressed her deep into my chest and held on as tightly as I could. Her lips melted against mine and I licked my tongue across her chapped skin. Smoothing it back down before I plunged into her mouth again. My hand tangled within the tendrils of her hair as footsteps came running down the hallway. I knew we didn’t have much more time left. There was so much I wanted to say. So much I wanted to do now that she was awake.
>
But I settled for the one thing I knew was true.
The one reason that would explain why I’d been here every single day for the past three weeks.
I pulled back from Ivy’s lips and looked into her speckled brown eyes, watching as they crinkled with her smile.
“I love you, Ivy.”
Then her friends crashed into the room as I settled her back down into bed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ivy
“Oh my gosh I don’t want to leave you,” Grace said as she hugged me close.
“It’s okay,” I said with a giggle. “I’m going to be out of here soon enough myself. Hopefully.”
“There’s no ‘hopefully’ about it,” Dean said. “I just talked with your doctor-”
“You mean you’re not her doctor?” Emilia asked with a grin.
“Actually, that’s the catch,” Dean said.
“What catch?” I asked.
“Your doctor is very pleased with the progress you’ve made this past week, but he does want you released into someone’s care,” he said.
“And I take it you’re offering your services,” Tristan said.
“I did. The doctor approved it, but it still has to go through Ivy,” Dean said.
“I couldn’t think of a better person to watch over her,” Hayden said as he looked at Grace.
The two of them shared a look as I shook my head. They should know better than anyone what caring for a partner looks like.
“Sure, I don’t mind that,” I said. “I’m just ready to get out of this place. I want to feel the sun on my face again.”
“I could take you for a walk in the park,” Grace said.
“Oh, count me in,” Emilia said as she walked into the room. “Got coffee for everyone, by the way. But not for Ivy. You get fruit juice.”
“Goodie,” I said flatly.
All of us sat around as Dean went to go inform my doctor that everything was okay on my end. I didn’t know what all entailed him looking after me once we left the hospital, but the idea of spending more time with him sounded wonderful. After all, that was why I left my apartment that night in the first place. To get us some coffee and to go spend time with him. I knew Dean still felt guilty. I could see it in his eyes whenever I did struggle with something.
But all I did was kept reassuring him that I was okay.
Things weren’t completely perfect. I still had problems remembering the extent of the accident and a few details here and there were missing. Like conversations I’d had with the girls when they came to visit me. The doctor told me a spotty short-term memory was the least of my concerns with something like this. That it would clear up as my brain continued to heal. The swelling had completely gone down and the lesions had almost dissipated. And as they continued to heal, my memory would continue to grow stronger.
Other than that, my physical and mental faculties were intact.
Though my emotional ones were still in upheaval.
I tried to keep as much of that concealed from everyone as I could. But sometimes, when I woke up in the hospital, it would bring tears to my eyes. I hated hospitals. The smell and the sounds and the tubes. I hated constantly being poked and prodded and unable to do the things I needed. Like contact people who were expecting me to job sites and things of that nature. With me being in the hospital for over a month, I’d missed two massive job opportunities.
I needed to call them and tell them what had happened to me.
Sometimes a vivid dream would wake me up in the middle of the night. The honking of a horn would jerk me awake or the crunching of metal would ring out in my ears. I tried not to let it affect Dean, who practically lived at the hospital with me. But sometimes I would wake him up. And I felt terrible for it. This wasn’t his issue to deal with. My doctor told me that vivid dreams of the accident would be normal for weeks-- and even months-- to come. I didn’t want to burden Dean with what I was going through.
But the idea of him coming back to my apartment with me did bring me some comfort.
“All right! I’ve got the discharge papers,” Dean said. “Whenever you’re ready, Ivy, we can get you out of here.”
“Toss me your keys,” Hayden said. “I’ll go find your car and pull it around.”
“I’ll go down to the pharmacy and get her prescriptions,” Emilia said.
“And I’ll gather up everything here and take it down to the car,” Grace said.
“You guys need any help up here?” Tristan asked. “Because if not, I’m going to run to the grocery store and get you guys some things. I can swing them by Ivy’s place.”
“That sounds fantastic,” I said with a grin. “Could you get me some of that aloe water stuff? Grace has me addicted to it now.”
“Why did you do that to her?” Hayden asked. “That stuff tastes like shit.”
“It does not!” Grace balked. “That stuff is incredible. You just don’t know what good water is.”
“When it’s stuffed with chewy bits, it’s not good water,” Emilia said.
“Thank you,” Hayden said.
“I’ll make sure to get some just for you,” Tristan said with a smile.
Everyone scattered to go do their thing while Dean sat on the edge of the bed with me. He placed his hand on my leg and began to smooth his thumb on the top of my hospital blanket. I reached out for him. Placed my hand between his shoulder blades. I watched him flinch for a split second before his body relaxed underneath my touch. I could feel his worry radiating from him. I could feel his heart beating through his back. He squeezed my shin and I closed my eyes, trying to imprint some of my comfort through his skin.
“I wasn't sure if you wanted me to stay with you or come by and see you every day, but whatever you need I’ll make sure you have it.”
His voice was low. Filled with anxiety. I scooted myself to the edge of the bed beside him and leaned my head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around me, his grip intentionally cautious of its strength.
But I wanted to feel him squeeze me.
I wanted to feel him pull me close.
“Got a wheelchair for the lucky lady,” Hayden said with a grin.
He wheeled it into the room before I got a chance to tell Dean to hold me like he used to. He got up quickly and helped me from the bed, picking me up in his arms. I shot him a look. I didn’t need him picking me up and hauling me everywhere. I was perfectly capable of walking around on my own two feet.
“Just until you get out of the hospital,” Dean said.
“You ready?” Hayden asked. “I got twenty bucks on you for a race I set up. There’s an old lady that thinks her husband can roll you faster than I can.”
I threw my head back and laughed as the three of us left my hospital bed in neurology.
The second Hayden pushed me out the front doors the sun beat down upon my face. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, taking in fragrance of the air around me. I could smell smog and sweat. I could smell the sun and the earth. I could smell rain in the air and opened my eyes to see thick rain clouds off in the distance. Never in my life did I ever dream I’d be happy to hear a car backfiring in the distance. Or be happy to smell the smoke blazing from the exhaust pipe of a car.
Hayden rolled me to the curb where Dean’s car was, but I stopped him as he reached out for me. I planted my hands onto the wheelchair and slowly stood to my feet. My legs still felt wobbly, but I was getting stronger every single day. I stood, my back cracking and my knees popping as I stretched to the sky. I tilted my head up to the clouds and heard thunder rumbling in the distance as something was pressed into the palm of my hand.
“Juice,” Emilia said. “Let’s toast.”
“To good health, open eyes, and smog,” I said with a smile.
“To Ivy being okay,” Tristan said.
“To Ivy being strong,” Hayden said.
“To being surrounded by those we all love,” Grace said.
“And to one day being able to
drink coffee again,” Emilia said.
I turned my eyes to Dean as he held his coffee in the air.
“To steps forward instead of backward, and never having to be alone again.”
My eyes hooked onto his and I could see the truth behind his words.
Dean loved me.
And I loved him.
“Here, here,” we all said.
Then we each took a sip of our drinks before I got into the passenger’s seat of Dean’s car.
Everyone leaned in to give me kisses before we drove off and left them on the curb. I knew they all had lives to get back to, but something told me they would be dropping in pretty frequently. I sipped on my fruit juice as Dean drove us through town, navigating back to my apartment. He rolled my window down and I let the wind brush through my hair. The smell of rain was thick in the air and I couldn’t wait for it to storm. I’d missed those. Storms. The flashing of the lightning and thunder to loud it rattled my windows. I loved the sound of rain pouring down outside, and the idea of curling up into Dean while it happened made my heart flutter in my chest.
We rode in complete silence until we got unloaded and into my apartment.
“Will you stay with me?” I asked.
“Of course I will,” Dean said. “In fact, I just got some vacation time approved. So you have me for the whole week if you want me.”
“You took vacation?” I asked.
I sat down onto my couch and reached for a blanket to curl up with.
“I did. I wasn’t sure if they were going to give it to me, but I got a text from my attending while we were coming home. I checked it once I pulled into the parking space,” Dean said. “I have an entire week off to look after you.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t have to stay with you. And if you want me to stay, I can sleep in your guest bedroom or on the couch or something.”
“Dean-”
“I just want you to be looked aft-”
“Dean,” I said.
His eyes panned over to mine and I saw the hesitancy rising in his eyes. He’d gone out on a limb to admit to me how he felt, and I’d left him hanging there. I could see the toll it was taking on him, not knowing how I felt. I patted the couch cushion next to me as the thunder rolled closer to us. And once he sat down, I curled into him and laid my cheek against his shoulder.
Falling Into You: The Complete Naughty Tales Series Page 48