The noise of doors slamming close by, is what wakes me, my heart thudding in my chest at the surprise. I try to sit up, but gentle hands push me down before something cool and damp trails over my forehead. A soft female voice urges me to drink some water.
I must nod my head because within moments, a glass is placed at my lips and I drink hesitantly from the cup.
"Ginny. Hey girl, you are okay. We are in your bedroom. It's me Hartley," a voice sounds as the glass is taken away from my lips and a gentle cloth swipes over my forehead for a second time.
"What?" I croak, still trying to figure out where I am and what has happened.
"Just lay back. We have the doctor coming back in just a moment. He is outside speaking with Hunter and Dom now," she adds.
"What?" my brain is still not catching up with what she is saying and her words keep getting lost in my thoughts.
I lay back and close my eyes again, the noise of the air conditioning keeping my focus for a little while until I hear a door open or a door close maybe.
"Thanks Hartley, you can go now," I hear a deep voice coming closer to me. I know that voice and it has me whimpering a little bit.
"Um, no offence Hunter, but not sure I would leave my bestie with you. If anyone it would be Dom," Hartley whispers back in anger.
"Don't disturb her. When she wakes we can argue about it, but for now get your ass out of here. The doctor has confirmed that she needs rest and you are disturbing her by being difficult," Hunter's voice speaks low and quickly back to her.
"Seriously, I am going to phone her mother and then perhaps she can sort this out. We don't even fucking know you!"
"I found her unconscious which means she is my responsibility and you are being fucking petty, while she suffers. Watch her flinch every time you argue. And don't you dare call her mother, she is the last person we need involved in this. I have spoken with her Grandfather already and he is on his way here. So like I said, get your shit and fuck off. I have already thrown Dom out of her suite and I will not hesitate to do the same to you," he growls as he moves further away and again I hear the swish of my heavy bedroom door as it opens before it clicks shut softly.
I must drift off to sleep again because the next thing that I feel is being pulled back, held in someone's arms.
"Gigi, what the hell? I'm sorry. I wasn't there to protect you. He should have been watching you better. But then he doesn't understand just how special you are, does he?" Hunter speaks so low I have to strain through the darkness to hear him but his feather light touches on my face give me something to focus towards.
I must drift off, the next time I wake it is sudden. My temperature all but explodes out of my body, and it has me sitting up quickly, vomiting all over the bed. The tears start rolling down my face in my confusion, but a pair of big strong arms, lift me out of the mess I made, and hold me so very tenderly.
"Fuck! Oh Gigi, I am sorry. Hang on you are okay, just wait a minute. You know that you are safe with me. It's me honey, I got you." we rock in a strange movement before his voice is back speaking softly at me again, "I am just going to put you on the settee for a minute Gigi. Can you lay here for me," he doesn't wait for an answer before laying me down and covering me with a light blanket.
My eyes can’t seem to stay open and they close again for a while. Next time though, I wake up feeling more alert. The dim light of the table lamp still hurts my eyes so I keep them closed but I can hear better, things are assimilating better inside my head. I hear Hunter moving swiftly around the place and hear the noise of blankets being dropped or shuffled, before a window opens, pulling the strong scent of vomit from the room. A warm cloth wipes over my face, and then tender hands pull my long hair into a bun on the top of my head.
"I have to change your top Gigi, but it's okay Hartley left you in a sports bra, so we just need to change your PJ top. I promise, I don't want to see you like this," his hands don't wait for my agreement but at the same time he is concise in his movement and in the blink of an eye I am changed, even lying back on my bed which smells heavily of fresh linen.
He props me up against a sea of pillows and then he shuffles up so that he is on his side facing me while I am reclined next to him.
"What happened Hunter? Why did you call my Grandpa? What's going on? Why are you in here and not my friends," I ask as I close my eyes again to stop my head from pounding. "Can you turn the light off, it hurts my eyes," I say and within moments hear the little click on my bedside lamps.
Hunter wastes no time with words and pulls me down further on my bed, so that I am laying next to him, and then he turns me into him so that we are on our sides looking at each other in the dark. He pushes his arm under my shoulder, maybe I should fight more than I do, but I snuggle into him and start crying.
He holds me there for what seems like forever, his fingers moving so softly up and down my side, while with the other he pins me to his chest.
"Someone drugged you, Gigi. And I am sorry, but none of your friends were there when I found you, so they don't get to help you now. I don't trust any of them. They should have been paying better attention," his voice comes closer to me before I feel his lips on my forehead, he keeps them there while he talks more. "The school called your grandfather after getting you the doctor. The school told your grandfather that I was the one who found you. The medical team put you in your bed happy with how you were doing, they left a long list of instructions including that someone stay with you. Your mobile kept ringing with your grandfather’s number but I swear I didn't answer until he text and told me to. He is just worried about you, trying to understand what happened." Hunter stops talking, but he keeps his lips on my forehead while slowly wiggling his hands out from around me so that he can stroke my face better.
"I punched your boyfriend Gigi and I am not even sorry," Hunter's deep melodic voice croons at me, and I smile at it. It must be my fragile state. "I am sorry that we fought. I’m sorry I was an asshole. You infuriate me, you know. Being around you for more than two seconds just makes my blood boil, but being away from you is even worse. I’m leaving you, Gigi. I’m leaving St. Joseph’s tomorrow. I have to, I don’t want to, but I have to. I even wonder if you will remember this, god I hope you do. But you forget all my other words, so I am not sure why this time is any different. I just don't think it is our time yet," his voice fades away and in his arms, in the dark cocoon in my room, I fall asleep again and enjoy the most peaceful, tranquil sleep I have ever had.
The noise of the morning and the birds singing is what wakes me this time and I am surprised to see that the sun is glaring in through my window. I hear a newspaper rustling as it is being turned and a cup of tea sat down, when I turn towards the noise my eyes nearly bug out of my head.
"Grandpa! What are you doing in my bedroom?" I say as I sit up quickly, totally confused, the action sends a galaxy of little stars across my vision and I grab my head to stop the spinning.
"Verginius, are you okay, my girl? I had a call from the school last night, the doctors provided medical aid to you and you have some lovely friends that stayed with you last night. But I couldn't risk it, I had to see for myself that you were okay," Grandpa speaks softly as he comes to sit on the side of my bed, his old wrinkled hand holding mine in his.
"What happened, Grandpa. I have no recollection of anything from last night," I look at him totally bewildered.
"Ginny, someone dropped something in your drink, it knocked you out cold. You were very lucky sweetie that you got medical attention when you did. Whoever did it was not playing around, the amount used was enough to drop an elephant. We have had to take formal action against the school, our solicitors are doing that now and unfortunately the police have been involved. Even if this was a bit of teenage fun, it is something that can't be ignored. I have the doctor sitting in your suite just waiting for you to wake up to double check that you are okay and then we are going home," he says and without waiting he gets up to walk out of my suite to get the doctor. I stop him at the door with my words.
"Grandpa, who found me?" I question him, not liking that I can't remember anything of last night. A funny feeling stirs deep in my tummy though, I know this answer even if I can’t recall it. My heart already hurts as it races in dread, my head starting to spin again. Even before he says it, the tears start falling from my eyes.
“It was him, Ginny.”
