Little Moments

by Madison Street

  She shrugs. “I don’t know. He asked for her and said it was urgent. Maybe they went to talk somewhere.”

  I spin around and wheel down the hall. Amanda follows me as we search for Melanie and her stranger. Coming up to another corridor, I hear her voice in the distance.

  I call out for her, “Melanie?”

  Nothing but silence, so I turn toward Amanda and tell her to get security. Panic builds inside as my breathing staggers. My arms burn as I wheel the chair closer to the sound of her voice. Turning the corner, I see her pinned against the wall as the man caresses the side of her face. She smacks his hand away and urges him to let her go. He snickers as he holds her against the wall.

  Rage fuses with anger as I wheel closer and shouts toward them. “Let her go!”

  The bastard turns around as Melanie cries out. “Roman, go get help!”

  The man throws her to the ground and scowls. “So this is the cripple Gia told me about. Geez Mel, why bother with this one? He’s ghastly, just look at his face.”

  I wheel forward quickly, helping her off the ground. “Melanie, get out of here.”

  She stands up slowly. “No, I won’t leave you. He could hurt you.”

  As I’m about to tell her to leave, my wheelchair is pulled and turned over to its side. My body flies out as the chair crashes to the ground. A burly voice laughs in the distance as my body cries out in pain.

  “Easton! You asshole!”

  I look up to see Melanie rush to him and smack him across the face. He stops laughing and slams her against the wall as she yells out. My hands ball into fists as I quickly sit up, forcing myself to stand.

  Adrenaline and fury surge throughout my entire body as I rush toward him, yanking him away from her by the collar of his shirt.

  Shoving him away, I growl, “You stay away from her!”

  Regaining his balance, he rushes forward and takes a swing, but I sway, avoiding his punch just in time. Taking steps forward, my body erupts with untapped energy. My fist connects with his face as the force blows into his cheek, catching him off guard. My punch hits him again and then a third time. Blood spurts from his nose as I continue to pummel him. Losing his balance, he falls to the ground, knocked out cold.

  Standing over him, blood drips from my fists as my chest heaves up and down. My pounding heart slams against my chest as I fight the urge to keep hitting him. My body trembles with anger as I stare at him lying on the ground unconscious.

  Melanie’s angelic voice signals me back to reality. “Roman?”

  I turn around and walk toward her, taking her in my arms. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”

  Her body heaves as she cries into my chest. I’m in full on panic mode, ready to combust as the nerves start to take over.

  I kiss the top of her head, holding her closer. “Oh god, please tell me what’s wrong. Baby, please don’t cry. Tell me where it hurts.”

  She looks up and stares into my eyes. The emerald greens shine as tears fill them and a tear trickles down her face. My finger reaches up to grab it just before it rolls off her chin.

  A huge smile stretches across her plump lips as she whispers, “You walked.”

  Melanie

  EVERYTHING HAPPENED so fast I can’t even remember it. All I know is that I saw Roman walk. He walked from the spot his wheelchair was thrown, to where Easton was standing over me, and finally he walked back to me after he beat the shit out of Easton.

  He glances down at his feet and his eyes grow wide. He slowly raises his gaze toward me and flashes a brilliant smile. “I walked.”

  His eyes fill with tears as it hits him that he actually did it. I rejoice with him and he crashes his lips into mine. Tears spill down my face and I taste the salt as I kiss Roman. The kiss is heated but toned down.

  He pulls away from my lips and blurts out, “I’m so sorry for being a dick these past couple of days. I’ve been an ass and I hope you can forgive me.”

  I nod my head and before I can respond Amanda arrives with two security guards. “Holy shit, what happened Melanie?”

  Roman takes a few steps back and I hold on to him, not sure how much longer he can stand on his own. Roman and I explain the entire situation to security as they wake Easton up. He grumbles on the floor and cusses out loud toward Roman and me. Roman’s body tenses but I hold him back, not wanting him to cause another scene.

  Amanda rushes to grab Roman’s wheelchair off the floor and pushes it toward him. He refuses to sit in it and remains standing. “Nope, I’m good.”

  Puzzled, she looks at me and I tell her, “He walked.”

  She lets out a shriek as her hands clasp together, jumping up and down as she hears the good news. “Oh, my god! That’s amazing!”

  A few minutes later, Tom strolls toward us with a cane in his hands. He hands it to Roman. “Amanda told me the news. Congrats dude. You finally conquered your fear and pushed through. I’m so proud of you.”

  The two of them hug as Tom heads off back toward his floor. The security guards take down our statement again before taking Easton away and telling us we can all head out. Holding hands, Roman and I head back to the nurses station and I watch as he walks, keeping his balance with the cane.

  His footing is a little shaky but nevertheless, he’s walking. Actually walking. He must sense my enjoyment and my stare because he winks at me, catching me off guard. I squeeze his hand as we continue to walk toward the nurses station.

  I leave him to rest in the waiting area. “Wait here. I need to go talk to my boss for a moment. I’ll be back.”

  Heading down the hall, I knock on Dr. Ferguson’s door and listen as he tells me to step inside.

  “Ah, yes Melanie. How are you doing today? What’s goin on?”

  I’m shaking with nerves. “Uh, yes sir; actually lots of things at the moment.”

  I proceed to tell him all about what happened with Easton and Roman: the assault, the fight, and the miracle. Dr. Ferguson listens closely as I recount each detail as best I can. At the end, I ask if I can have the rest of the day off.

  He sits up in his chair. “So, quick question. You and Roman are in a relationship now?”

  I nod. “Yes sir.”

  He glances up toward the ceiling. “Hmm, and when did it start? It wasn’t while he was a patient, was it?”

  Swallowing hard, I shake my head. “No, it only started last month.”

  He stares at me for a few moments, trying to sense if I’m lying, but he then proceeds to grant me my freedom for the rest of the day.

  I let out a deep breath. “Thank you Dr. Ferguson. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You’re welcome Melanie. And tell Roman I said congratulations.”

  Heading to the door, I glance back at him with a smile. “I will.”

  ******

  I keep him steady as he unlocks the door of his apartment. Swinging it open, he lets me step inside as he shuts the door behind me. Hanging my coat on his coat rack, I remove my boots and watch as he walks through the foyer with the help from his cane. I still can’t believe this happened. He’s walking again.

  During the cab ride, he called his aunt and uncle and told them the good news. I easily heard their screaming and tears of joy right through the receiver. Roman told them that he would come by to visit tomorrow, but he just wanted to rest at home for the remainder of the day.

  Leading him to the sofa, he slowly sits and I prop his feet up, making sure they are properly elevated. He’s been on his feet for the past hour and I know it must be taking a toll on his body. I don’t want him to over exert himself so we’re taking it easy.

  Ensuring he’s all right, I ask, “Do you want water or anything else to drink?”

  He shakes his head no and pats the spot next to him, inviting me to take a seat. I smile as I sit and snuggle into his arms.

  I glance up toward him. “How do you feel?”

  His chest inhales and exhales a deep breath. “Like a million bucks right now. I’ve never fel
t better.”

  Rubbing his chest, I rest my head on his shoulder. “Good. I don’t want you to push yourself too hard. You may be able to walk, but nothing too long distance, okay?”

  His voice whispers, “Melanie?”

  “Yeah?”

  A loud breath seeps out of his mouth and tickles the back of my neck. “I’m sorry I blew up at you the other day.”

  I sit up to face him as he continues with his apology. “Roman, you don’t have—”

  He raises his palm to stop me. “No, let me finish.”

  I nod, letting him continue. He closes his eyes for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts. He then opens his eyes and takes my hand in his. I sense his nervousness and in turn, it starts to make me nervous. Oh boy.

  Clearing his throat, he gets out what he’s been trying to say. “I shouldn’t have blown up at you. I was a dick for doing that. I guess…I guess I was just upset and hurt because I felt like there are things that I want that maybe, you don’t want.” He glances up at the ceiling with a frustrated look.

  Shaking his head clear, he mumbles to himself, “Okay, let me try it this way.”

  He stares into my eyes with such conviction it causes my body to freeze and stop breathing. “I have wanted to be with you since I was seventeen years old. From that first moment you walked into the bakery, I knew that you were the only girl I wanted to be with. There were times when I was close to telling you, but you had a boyfriend and I didn’t want to jeopardize that, because I just wanted to you to be happy. After years of not seeing you around, I moved on and dated other women, but none of them compared to you. Not even close. The thing was, even though I didn’t know you that well, I knew we were right for each other.”

  Tears fill my eyes and spill down my cheeks as I listen to him pour his heart out. His hand cups the side of my face as I lean into it. He thumb rubs against my cheek, wiping away the tears that fall.

  “Then you literally crashed into my life again and I knew this was my time to act. I knew that if I didn’t, I would lose my chance and never get it back. But what I didn’t expect was that you’d be the one to find me. When I saw you walk in my hospital room, I thought I had died. It couldn’t be real that you were standing there in front of me. I know I was an asshole back then, but I was so messed up. My life had changed in the blink of an eye and I didn’t know how to handle it. I felt like I was damaged goods and wasn’t up to par with what you deserved, so I wanted to push you away. And even after all of that, you still pushed through.”

  He glances away for a second and looks at me again, his hand still cupped on my face as his voice starts again. “You saved me. You brought me back to the person I once was. I don’t think I could have recovered without you and frankly I wouldn’t want to try. I owe my life to you and I owe my happiness to you. Being with you is something that I’ve dreamed about and now that it’s happened, I got scared that it would be taken away. I guess…I guess what I’m trying to say is that I—”

  My finger presses against his lip, stopping him from finishing his sentence. He blinks with shock and a little annoyance that I interrupted him yet again. My palm rubs the scar on his face as I look deep into his dark brown eyes. I’m no longer nervous; instead, I’m full of affection and passion.

  Finding the strength, I open my mouth. “I used to be so afraid, afraid to open myself up and feel. But, with you, I’ve learned to let it out. I’m ready to be your everything and more. I just want you to know that I am yours.”

  My lips curve into a smile as I say the words to him. “I love you.”

  His eyes widen and his face brightens with awe and excitement. He exudes joy with a wide smile. “And I love you.”

  My heart speeds as we press into one another as our lips crash. Our kiss is fueled with passion and lust, growing stronger as our lips dance together. His hands roam over my shoulders and down my back as we continue to deepen our kiss. I push my tongue forward, stroking it against his, and he lets out a moan. My body temperature rises as my breathing becomes harsh. My lungs gasp for air but I refuse to stop kissing him.

  He pushes me backward, laying me down on the sofa as he climbs on top. His lips lift off of mine to start a trail of kisses down my neck. I gasp out as the touch of his body presses harder against mine. The bulge from his jeans pokes into my lower stomach, begging to be released. His hands roam underneath my clothes, down my to stomach and around my thighs. As he touches me I realize that I’m still wearing my scrubs. Oh, fuck it.

  We make out on the sofa until I can no longer breathe. Turning my head to the side, I inhale deeply and exhale, taking as much air as I can during this free moment.

  Roman chuckles at my attempt to breathe and slightly lifts his weight off of me. He looks at me while his hand strokes the top of my head, grabbing a loose strand of hair and trickling his fingers down my face.

  His expression is filled with adoration as he whispers “I love you” to me again. He sits up, allowing me to breathe once more, then stands all the way up. His hand reaches for mine and I grab it as he leads me to his bedroom.

  Shutting the door behind me, he keeps the lights off and I turn to face him as the nerves come rushing back. He stands still by the door, staring at me with a heated intensity full of love and passion. His eyes are almost black now and I can see his chest rise and fall. He removes his shirt, tossing it to the floor and exposing a vast scale of muscle on top of muscle. Oh god.

  His deep voice hums as he remains still. “In ten seconds, I am going to kiss you and make love to you. If you want me to stop, all you have to do is tell me and I will. Okay?”

  I remain silent as my head nods a “yes.”

  He starts to count and slowly takes a step forward one at a time. “One, two…”

  His hand reaches up to my face, tilting my head up so I can look into his eyes. Bending his head down, he breathes out and says “ten” before pressing his lips to mine.

  Roman

  DRAWING HER HAND up, I press my lips against it, kissing her soft skin. She looks at me and smiles, turning her head back toward the window of the bus. Our hands hold together as the bus drives us to our destination.

  The sweat radiating off her hands moistens our grip and I silently laugh at her nerves. She’s always nervous. No matter what it is, she’s nervous.

  A few minutes later, the bus arrives at our stop and she follows me off the bus. Taking her hand, I guide her across the street and around the corner as we make our way to our destination. Glancing over at her, she’s a little calmer now, but nerves still plague her.

  Squeezing her hand, I soothe her. “Relax. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  She chirps, “I know, I’m just being a basket case at the moment.”

  I bust out laughing at her expression as we continue our journey. The new spring air blows through her hair, causing the golden locks to sway in the wind. Moments later, we descend upon the end of our journey and I watch as she gets acclimated to the environment. She breathes out and gives me a smile, showing she’s okay and ready to begin.

  I give her a quick wink and look down at the headstone. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Melanie.”

  Her soft voice carries in the wind. “Hi, nice to meet you.”

  Looking at Melanie, I tell my parents all about her. “Remember that time I told you I saw her again and that I was going to fight for her? Well, I did it. Actually, she found me first, but in the end, we are together now. I wanted you to be the first ones to know that I’ve asked her to marry me and she’s said yes.”

  Melanie flashes her engagement ring and I chuckle at her enthusiasm.

  I let out a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears as I talk to my mother. “Mom, I want you to know that you were right. All those times you told me to cherish the little moments in life and not take anything for granted, I’ll always remember your advice. It was that advice that brought Melanie and me together. I never would have thought that me taking a job in a bakery, or beco
ming a firefighter, or heck, watching Charlie Brown would lead me to this beautiful woman standing next to me.”

  I pull Melanie into my arms just as a tear trickles down my face. “I want to thank you Mom for teaching me to never give up, for telling me that there’s more to life than just living each day by the book, to go after what I want and to never stop until it’s within my reach.”

  I look down at the bouquet of flowers in my hand and step forward, but Melanie takes them instead. She steps up to the tombstone and places the bouquet softly on the grave.

  Her sniffled voice echoes around the cemetery. “Mr. and Mrs. Moretti, I’m honored to have met your son. He is a great guy and he has made me the happiest woman on earth. I will do my very best to watch out for him, care for him, and love him with every fiber of my body.”

  She steps back into my arms as I gaze at the stone.

  I let out a sigh as I say one last thing. “I promised you once that I would follow my dream no matter what. I want you to know that I’m truly happy now. I miss you both so very much and it saddens me to know that you’ll never meet my wife and kids, but when I look up into the sky at night, I’ll know that it’s you two watching over us.”

  Tears spill down my cheeks as my heart rips apart for my parents. “I miss you and love you both so very much.”

  A moment later, Melanie and I say our goodbyes. Just as we turn to leave, a gust of wind blows through the field, swaying around our bodies. My heart fills with love and longing for my parents, and I know that one day I’ll see them again.

  Until then, I’m going to cherish every single moment that I have with the gorgeous woman holding my hand. Staring into her green eyes, I wink and press a soft kiss against her forehead.

  Leading her away from the grave, I squeeze her hand and give her a warm smile. “Come on, let’s go home.

  I can’t believe I managed to write another book! It’s such an amazing feeling! There are so many people I’d like to thank, especially those who have cheered me on during this crazy and stressful journey.

  To my editor, Caitlin, you are a godsend! I don’t know what I would’ve done without you. You are truly a remarkable person and I’m so honored and fortunate to work with you. Thank you for putting up with my terrible grammar and whipping my butt into shape. I can’t wait to work with you again and look forward to our future projects together.