He kissed my forehead before leaving, which left me feeling all sorts of weird, and it wasn’t from the drugs that were pumping through my veins.
As soon as he left, I called Janelle back in so she could help me to the restroom. It was time to take a look at the damage that had been done to me. I knew there was some, I could feel it. She helped me walk over while wheeling the IV.
Once I was left alone, I faced the mirror, and it wasn’t pretty. The entire right side of my face was already beginning to bruise, and my right eye was slightly swollen. The stitch line on my forehead was going to leave a nice scar. I was suddenly grateful I had decided last year to get bangs. It looked like I would always be keeping them. I chanced to look down at my lovely hospital-issued attire and found more bruising down my right side. I was surprised Ian hadn’t mentioned how horrible I looked, but it did explain the look of concern in those chocolate eyes of his.
I couldn’t stand for too long. I wasn’t sure if it was the trauma or medication, but I really didn’t feel all that hot, and Ian wasn’t helping with him being all Ian. If I thought I was confused before, there was nocomparison to the way I felt now. I was beginning to think Zane and Amanda were right, even though it made no sense at all. I mean, we’d spent thirteen years apart. And he told me coming here was all about business, but he sure wasn’t acting professional.
I’ll admit, there was a part of me that welcomed it, but how did I reconcile the years of separation and pain? And what about trust?
Janelle settled me in my bed once I was finished in the bathroom. She took my vitals, all while making small talk. “How long have you been married?”
Grrr, Ian. He was turning me into a liar. “Not long at all.” Was that kind of the truth?
“Oh, newlyweds,” she squealed.
I had a feeling she would like to be one. The cute perky nurse had that new-love aura around her.
“Do you have anyone special in your life?” I asked while she took my pulse.
My assessment of her was dead on. She began to gush about Carson. “We’ve been dating for three months, and I know that isn’t very long, but I know he’s the one. I mean, is that even possible? How did you know your husband was the one?”
I thought about her question, and at least I didn’t have to lie. “It’s like drowning in pure intelligence,” I said. “You have this peaceful, all-encompassing feeling that says you’ve come home.”
She sighed like a Disney Princess. She didn’t have to say anything, I knew she understood exactly what I had said, and even more, I knew she felt it. I only hoped her story ended better than mine, and that her Carson felt the same way she did.
She let me be and turned down the lights. “Try and get some rest, we’ll monitor you for the next little while, and if everything looks good, you can go home early this evening.”
I closed my eyes and let the medication take me over. I fell into a fitful sleep. The medication seemed to be fighting my mind for control, it was saying sleep, and my mind was saying let’s overanalyze everything Ian has said or done in the past two months. Heck, even the past fourteen years. Eventually the two did seem to make a compromise. Iwent to sleep, but my dreams were laced with Ian. I was almost grateful when the pain meds wore off and I woke up, even if I did hurt all over.
I found, though, that I wasn’t alone, and my dreams had suddenly become reality. There Ian was, on the edge of my bed, holding my hand. He had changed out of his suit that had some of my blood on it. He was now casual, in jeans and a polo shirt, looking more like the Ian I used to know.
He touched my brow as soon as my eyes opened. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
His head hung.
“Hey, it wasn’t your fault.”
He didn’t respond verbally, but I knew by the look on his face he blamed himself, and nothing I could say would change his mind.
“So are Delfia and I having a slumber party tonight?”
A devilish grin appeared on his face. “She has a date, so it looks like it’s just you and me.”
“Hmm.”
“Come on, Kelli. We’re both adults.”
That was the part that worried me.“Did you tell her I was injured and how important this was to me?” I mean, surely her date with Matt could wait a night.
“I didn’t think that was wise.”
“Why not?”
“Did you really want me to disclose to Ms. King that I was the alternative?”
“Well, no, but I don’t think we should be having a sleepover.” Taking my chances of slipping into a coma sounded like a better and safer idea.
