Burned (New Adult Romance)

by Lakes, Krista

  The woman in blue scrubs returned with a plain white T-shirt for Andrew. Then, she shooed the males out of the room so she could help me change into a hospital gown. I felt better after laying down and not breathing toxic smoke, but I was still beaten and tired.

  She was gentle, but I still held my breath as she maneuvered my torn shorts over my ankle. It was so swollen and painful that I yelped despite her best efforts. I made her check the pocket for my mother's picture. She handed it to me and I held onto it like it was a winning lottery ticket.

  As soon as I was decent, Andrew was back holding my hand, distracting me from the pain. The blue-scrub lady brought me a warm washcloth. Andrew took it from her and wiped the grime from my face with delicate care. It felt luxurious.

  Audrey came in and started an IV, pumping drugs and liquids into my system. She specifically refused to look at Ray, focusing only on me. The drugs hit me, and I felt loopy; the pain was still there, but I no longer cared. Pain didn't matter anymore.

  "Holly, we are going to take you down for an X-ray to look at your ankle in a few minutes. You doing okay for now?" Audrey said as she hung a bag of fluids above my head.

  "I'm better now. Audrey?" I felt the medicine making me bold. I couldn't stop the words from pouring out of my mouth. "Why are you fighting with Ray?"

  The room went quiet except for the constant beeping of the machine recording my vitals. It reminded me of crickets chirping after an unsuccessful joke. Everyone was staring at me.

  "Holly, that's not really important right now. You just rest," Audrey finally said, patting my good leg gently.

  "No. It is important. You two were happy, and no one can give me a straight answer why you aren't together and happy." The words just poured out of me. Andrew squeezed my hand and looked expectantly up at his mom.

  "She's right, Mom. Doped-up Holly has a point. Neither one of you has given me a reason that actually makes sense. You say it's his fault; he says it's yours. So I want to know why you aren't together," Andrew said firmly.

  Ray dropped his eyes to the floor. Audrey played with her pen, biting her lip.

  "Andrew, this is between Ray and me. This is not the time or the place to discuss our relationship," she said firmly, her voice taking a chastising tone.

  "No, this is exactly the time," I interjected stubbornly. "I saw fire today. Once you light a fire, it has to burn and it doesn't care if this is the time or place. Fire either burns brightly or it fizzles into nothingness and smoke. Without the fire, there is no light. So, are you two burning or fizzling?" I demanded. I wanted an answer. Andrew looked at me, and I shrugged. I might be confused from the drugs, but it had sounded poetic in my head.

  "I nearly lost my best friend today. I love her, and I nearly didn't get to tell her I was sorry." Andrew looked pointedly at his mother. Silence echoed across the room.

  "I'll be here, marking time for as long as you need me to," Ray said softly, breaking the silence. Audrey's hand suddenly went to her throat as her eyes filled with tears.

  "Ray," Audrey whispered, dropping to her knees in front of him. He looked up at her, his smile shy and timid. He looked so much like Tyler that I wondered if their shyness was genetic. There was a sweetness in his eyes that I couldn't look away from. Audrey looked at him for a long time, her eyes searching his face. She started to smile, her eyes going bright like she had just discovered the answer to a difficult puzzle. "I should have said yes a long time ago."

  She leaned forward and kissed him lightly. Ray's face lit up like the Fourth of July before he caught himself and looked at her seriously. "Really?"

  "Yes, really." Audrey nodded and giggled, grabbing his hands. Ray's smile was the happiest I had ever seen. He kissed Audrey with so much excitement and emotion that it was hard to look at them without being blinded by the light of their joy. I looked over at Andrew confused. He smiled and whispered into my ear.

  "When Ray asked Audrey the first time to marry him during the band practice, she said no. That's when he said, 'Then I'll be here, marking time for as long as you need me to.'"

  "You mean they're getting married? That's why they were fighting?" I blurted out. Audrey and Ray looked at one another and started laughing, tears rolling down their faces. I looked perplexedly at the two of them, waiting for an answer.

  "Yes, Holly, we're finally getting married," Audrey finally managed to get out. She kissed Ray's cheek and stood up smiling. "But you, young lady, are going for an X-ray."

  "Can I go with her?" Andrew asked, his soot-smudged face smiling. Audrey nodded and moved the curtain aside, stepping out to let the blue-scrub lady in. Ray's eyes followed her like she was the light of his world, a smile permanently carved into his face.

  We left the two of them in my curtained room, holding hands and giggling. Andrew held my hand as the gurney glided silently down the hall.

  "I don't get it. Why were they fighting?" I asked, my mind still jumbled by pain and medication.

  "Ray asked Mom to marry him. She kind of freaked out. I asked her about it on the ride home from the amusement park. She felt like she was in high school again and like everything was going too fast and she was missing out on things. I think she just realized that by saying no, she was missing out on an even better thing," Andrew explained patiently.

  "Oh. Well, that makes sense," I said matter-of-factually. Andrew laughed.

  "We should put you on this medicine more often," he chuckled.

  "Why? You want your mom and Ray to get married more often?" I countered. The woman in the blue scrubs snorted, and she and Andrew laughed. We had arrived at the X-ray area, so she helped me sit up and slide onto the table in the center of the room.

  I lay very still, listening to the X-ray machine hum and chirp. I could see Andrew behind a plexiglass window, smiling tenderly at me. I closed my eyes and let happiness flow through me. I may be broken physically and emotionally, but I was going to get fixed.

  Chapter 17

  A cheer went up. The fire was retreating, forced to consume itself instead of the landscape. Tears of joy from the townspeople mixed with the ash still raining from the sky. The fire wasn't defeated, but hope glowed in the eyes of the people. A renewed energy, a promise of success gave energy where there was none before, powered the hoses and shovels. They would be victorious.

  ***

  "Thanks, Aunt Heather, we'll be there soon," Andrew said into his phone. He turned and smiled at me, pushing the wheelchair toward the exit. "Aunt Heather is all ready for us to come stay with her. She has a bed made up for you on the ground floor so you don't have to go up the stairs."

  I smiled as he pushed through the doors and out toward the car. Andrew helped me hop into the passenger's seat, gently guiding my leg into the car. The doctor had put a cast on my ankle and I had to check with an orthopedic specialist in a week, but I was able to go home with pain medication. Since I no longer had a house to go home to, Andrew's "aunt" had volunteered to take us in. She had been watching the fire on the news and had called offering a place to stay the minute she saw the evacuations.

  "Mom says she is going to stay up here. The clinic is short-staffed and she wants to stay and help, so it will just be the two of us at Aunt Heather's," Andrew said conversationally as he pulled out toward the highway.

  "Sounds good. I'm excited to meet this Aunt Heather. I bet she has lots of great stories about your mom," I said, relaxing into the seat. I had just taken more pain medication, but it hadn't kicked in yet. My ankle was beginning to ache, so I shifted in my seat, trying to get comfortable. "Have you heard anything more from my dad? I remember talking to him before they gave me more of that medication, but I don't remember what I said."

  "Your dad is fine but he was worried about you. He said you sounded out of it, but I told him you were on some pretty serious painkillers," Andrew answered. "He said he could change his flight to come home sooner, but there really isn't anything he can do at this point. I made sure to give him Aunt Heather's phone number and
address, and he said he will give you a call tonight."

  "Thanks, Andrew," I said, putting my hand on Andrew's leg. He smiled. "How about Luke?"

  "Luke gave me a call while you were sleeping. He had been up for twenty-four hours by that point so he was pretty tired. He said the fire is an absolute mess. They've lost over twenty houses just today, and it is getting close to the town. He doesn't think they are going to be able to contain it for a long time. He's doing all right though—wishes he could do more, but that's just Luke," Andrew said. The car hummed down the winding road, my ears popping as we came out of the mountains. The medication was finally kicking in; I could feel my eyes getting heavy

  "Do you mind if I fall asleep for a little bit?"

  "Sleep away. I'll wake you when we get there," Andrew said, turning the radio down. I smiled and curled up with my head against the window, confident that Andrew would take care of me. I quickly fell asleep lulled by the hum of the road.

  ***

  Flames. Fire everywhere. There was no where left to run... I had to get out, but I couldn't walk. The heat was rising, smoke was everywhere—I couldn't breathe—

  "Holly! Holly, wake up! You're having a nightmare," Andrew said, shaking my shoulders. I woke up trembling, sweat covering my body.

  "The fire—the fire was going to get me!" I wanted to scream.

  "Shh, shh, it's okay. It was just a dream, you're okay." Andrew's voice was soft and soothing as he held me in his arms. I held onto him like I was drowning, like he was the only stable thing in my world. It was the third night in a row I had woken up screaming about fire. After the first night, Aunt Heather put an air mattress in my room so Andrew could sleep near me. She didn't want us sleeping in the same bed, but she didn't want me to be alone with my nightmares.

  "It was so real," I sobbed, burying my face into his shoulder. He hugged me tighter and gently rubbed my back.

  "It's all right, I'm here. I won't let the fire get you," he whispered. I sniffed and wiped my face with the back of my hand.

  "Thank you for saving me," I said, looking up at him. He smiled.

  "You know I will always save you," he whispered back, kissing me softly on my forehead. "Do you need more meds?"

  "No," I said, shaking my head. "I think they are giving me the nightmares."

  "Can I get you anything?" he asked, his hand still rubbing my back.

  "Just stay with me. I don't want to go to sleep again. Not yet," I said. I could hear the fear in my voice despite my best effort to hide it.

  "I'll stay here with you as long as you want," he said. I leaned into his strong arms, feeling his body wrap around me. I reached up and touched his face, tracing the curve of his jaw. His two day stubble felt rough beneath my fingers, but I liked it. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

  His lips were soft and inviting. He kissed me back, deeper this time, a passion stirring within me.

  "Your aunt is working tonight, right?" I whispered, a naughty grin spreading across my face.

  "She isn't supposed to be home until eight," he answered slowly, mirroring my grin.

  "Then kiss me again," I whispered.

  "Gladly," he replied, his voice gaining a husky quality. He kissed me, our lips meeting and merging, tasting one another. He gently bit my lower lip, making me moan softly. His kisses flowed down my neck, stopping to nibble on the curve of my shoulder. My body temperature was rising, a primitive need beginning to take control.

  I grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it up over his head. He wiggled out of it, tossing it to the side as I ran my fingers down his front. His muscles hardened under my hand as he kissed my shoulders and neck. He nuzzled the strap of my tank top, pushing it until my shoulder lay exposed in the moonlight. He bit it gently, sending a thrill through me. His hand crept up the soft fabric, cupping my breast in his palm through the thin material. My nipple beaded into a tight point as his fingertips caught it, and he let out a chuckle.

  With his opposite hand he pushed the other strap of my shoulder, his thumb gently rubbing against my nipple. A low moan escaped my lips, and I could feel him smile. He let go of me for just an instant, pulling my tank top up over my head. Moonlight caught the curves of his shoulders and highlighted the grin on his face. I lay back slowly, feeling his eyes absorbing me.

  With touches lighter than feathers, he slowly traced his fingers across my collarbone and along the curves of my breasts. My breath caught in my throat as he traced gentle designs across my skin. He chuckled again, a sound that made me dampen with excitement. Keeping his fingers gently caressing the tender edge of my far breast, he bent down and took the other in his mouth.

  I arched my back as he flicked his tongue against my nipple, waves of heat rolling through me. He suckled gently, still teasing me with his fingers as his hand crept lower and lower. His fingertips brushed my bellybutton and crept down to the elastic waistband of my pajama shorts. I tensed for a moment as he slid under the band and pushed his fingers against me.

  He pushed lightly at my panties, his fingers navigating to find me pleasure. In less than a heartbeat, he began stroking across the fabric, teasing the part of me that was throbbing with need. He made slow, constant circles with his thumb, his tongue still flicking against my nipple. I could feel my legs begin to twitch, my core vibrating with desire.

  He stopped and sat up, pulling his hand up and out. I groaned with want, which he answered with a short laugh. "Just wait a second," he said, his voice husky. He tugged gently on my shorts, pulling them low on my hips. I happily raised them, allowing him to slide them off. He was gentle as he maneuvered them across the bulky cast. I bit my lip, watching the way his muscles rippled in the moonlight. He grinned impishly and pulled on my panties, tossing them on top of my shorts.

  I lay bare in the moonlight, ready for his touch. He put his thumb against my clit again, slowly starting his circles. A gentle finger parted my folds and navigated toward my opening. With wonderful slowness, he pushed it inside, and the slowly out again. I arched my hips, begging him silently to fill me again. He rocked his fingers in and out, his thumb never stopping its slow circles. My entire being began to quake, desire and pleasure threatening to overwhelm me. Bliss rolled through me like a wave crashing into the shore. For a glorious moment, I was floating on a sea of joy and sensation; colors washed through me and I forgot to breathe.

  He slowly withdrew his hand as my lungs began to work again. A wonderful sense of relief filled me, but an ache for more replaced it. I opened my eyes and looked up into Andrew's. He could see the desire within me, his eyes shining with need of his own. He stood and slipped out of his shorts and boxers, his member already hard and erect.

  I licked my lips, my hips arching with desire to feel him between my legs. He turned and knelt on the floor, fumbling for his jeans. I heard the plastic packaging open, and he returned, ready for me. He climbed up onto the bed and kissed me deeply as he moved over my body. I wrapped my arms around his back, and he positioned himself at my entrance. We locked gazes, the blue of his eyes shining even in the dark as he delved into me.

  I cried out, my nails digging into his muscular back as he began to rock in and out. With every thrust I felt a fullness that threatened to overwhelm me. I wanted more; I wanted every inch of him to merge with me. I wanted to wrap my legs around him, to pull him deeper, but my cast forced my leg to stay still on the bed.

  "Roll onto your side," he said, his voice deep in my ear. He moved behind me as I lay on the side of my injured leg. He tucked his arm under my head, his hand wrapping around my breast, as he slid back into me. His top hand held my hip, guiding it up and down. I rocked my hips in time with his, feeling him move within me. His breath was hot in my ear, spurring me on. I wanted him so badly I could taste it, the ache growing within me yet again.

  "Harder," I moaned as he pushed into me. His hand tightened on my hip and I could feel my body beginning to shake yet again. He pounded deeper into me, fueling the
fire building inside of me until I lost control. I climaxed again, squeezing tight around him. He groaned into my hair, his fingers pushing into my skin.

  "I want to look at you," he whispered when I had finished. I rolled onto my back, and he slid into me as though we had never been apart. His strong arms bulged on either side of me as he began to thrust. I could feel him swelling within me, his eyes dilating and losing focus. I felt him shudder, his body going stiff as his eyes closed. I smiled as he continued to rock, slowly melting into me. He finally stopped, staying within me but resting on top of me like a human blanket. I never wanted him to move.

  "I love you, Holly," he whispered, his voice full of tenderness. I wrapped my arms around him, snuggling my chin into his shoulder.

  "I love you too."

  We lay there, each of us lost in bliss. The moonlight glowed on the muscles of his back and across the curve of his ass. His weight was pleasant and comforting on top of me. I never wanted this moment to end, but he finally sighed and rolled carefully away from me. He turned his head, a smile across his handsome face.

  "Be right back," he murmured. I watched his attractive body stand and walk to the bathroom. He came back a moment later with a warm washcloth for me. He then helped me dress myself again, getting clean pajamas from my bag before dressing himself. He sat down on his air mattress, the dawn still far away.

  "Stay with me? I don't want to fall asleep alone," I said softly. His eyes softened and he climbed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me and I nestled into the hollow of his shoulder. I felt safe and happy. The soft beating of his heart along with the even rise and fall of his chest lulled me to sleep. I closed my eyes and didn't dream of fire.

  Chapter 18