“Yes,” I reply, my mouth parched.
The nurse places a glass of water and a bowl of ice cubes on the table next to my bed. She hands me the water, but Joshua stops her.
“She’d prefer this,” he insists, picking up an ice cube and pressing it to my lips.
I give him a thankful look, allowing him to slip the ice cube between my lips. Closing my eyes, I relish the cold sensation, glad that the uncomfortable dryness in my mouth is fading as I suck on the ice.
Joshua gazes down at me, love evident in his eyes, and then he leans in to give me a brief peck on my lips.
“Do you remember what happened?” the doctor asks, and I nod.
Clay, on my other side, takes my hand. Meeting his deep chocolate eyes, I’m overwhelmed by the emotions I see in them, prompting me to look away.
“We’ll need to complete some tests to ensure there’s no lasting damage,” the doctor explains. “However, everything seems promising so far. Your family can either wait or return later. The tests will take a few hours.”
A funny feeling bubbles up at the mention of the word ‘family.’
“We’ll be here when you’re back,” Joshua reassures me, stroking my head.
“We won’t be going anywhere,” Clay adds, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing it.
The doctor leaves the room and an orderly enters to help the nurse prepare my bed before wheeling me out of the room. “One of them was always by your side,” the nurse tells me as we move through the hospital corridors.
“They were?” I ask, surprised, a sense of gratitude welling up inside me.
She chuckles. “The handsome Korean boy was here every morning for a few hours. The big tattooed one came in the afternoons, and we had to ask the charming one to leave at least three times each night.”
“Really?” I ask, my heart swelling.
They came for me every single day.
“It must be fun having three boyfriends. Oh, to be young again,” she muses.
“Actually, only Joshua is my boyfriend. The other two are just friends,” I clarify, a hint of embarrassment coloring my cheeks.
“Sure,” she replies with a teasing tone. “It must be lovely to have three guys care about you so much then.” I’m about to respond, but she speaks first. “Here we are.”
For the next two hours, I undergo various tests and procedures. Thankfully, they all show the same results—the swelling has disappeared, and I am fine. There is no other damage, and after a few more days of rest, I’ll be back to full health. They still want to watch me overnight, but I can go home tomorrow, which I dread. I really don’t want to run into Roberto when I am still not one hundred percent.
But right now, I am just drained. My energy has been zapped by the rollercoaster of emotions and physical ordeal of the tests I’ve just had.
I’m gently rolled back into the room where the guys and Sophia wait for me, sitting with pizza boxes on their laps. They’ve kept their promise, patiently waiting for me, even though all the tests took ages.
The aroma of pizza fills the room, but the mere thought of eating makes my stomach churn. Xander, ever attentive, notices how I turn up my nose at the food and springs to his feet,hurrying over to the window to open it, allowing in a breath of fresh air.
“You okay, kitten?” Clay asks, concern evident in his eyes. He sets down his slice of pizza and takes a moment to clean his hands with a cloth before he stands up.
“Thank you all for waiting,” I whisper, my voice quivering slightly as I struggle to contain my emotions.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be,” Joshua says from next to me, leaning down to kiss my temple.
“That looks like a nice little Christmas dinner,” the nurse observes, smiling at all of them.
“It’s great not to have to cook for once.” Sophia grins at me. Her smile is infectious and lifts my spirits.
“I am going to help you shower, and then you can join this little gathering, all right?” The nurse asks me, and I nod.
I definitely need that shower.
