Stroking her forehead, I smooth back her hair. “Shhh. I’ve got you.”
Her brows lower in confusion as she looks around the room. As she looks back at me, her eyes fill with tears. “I’m sorry.” Her voice is hoarse from the strain.
“Don’t talk.” I smile. “I’m gonna take you home and take care of you. Just do me a favor and save your voice, okay?” She nods.
It takes another hour for me to get her signed out. Getting out of the cab I’d called, I carry her sleeping body up to her apartment and unlock the door. Gently, I undress her, careful of her injuries. After finding a clean t-shirt to put on her, I place her into her bed and pull up the covers. Grabbing a chair from the corner of her room, I pull it up next to her bed and watch her.
Epilogue
Piper
The following days were filled with tender care, loving gifts of flowers, grocery store runs and tending to my every need. I’ve come to realize, the hard way of course, that being popular isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, and that everything I ever wanted or needed was in West’s friendship all this time. Not only that but those feelings I’ve had for him, the ones that go beyond friendship? I was nervous because I wasn’t sure he felt the same way. After all he’d told me he’s gone through, I thought friendship was all he wanted. Turns out, I was wrong about that too.
In those few days, my throat finally healed enough that he told me I could talk. Such a mother hen. I found he was right as it hurt too much to use my voice. He’s never left my side this entire time. Cooking me soup, giving me my pain pills and water, every four hours like clockwork. When I expressed my concern about him missing work, he’d tell me not to use my voice but would smile and tell me not to worry about him. I don’t know how I got so lucky.
Tonight, I finally took a shower and put on some clean clothes. My ribs are still tender and I had to be careful of the stitches in my cheek but it felt so good. I had to stink of body odor by now. I smile thinking about how this entire time he’d tell me how beautiful I am. I’m sitting on the couch, pillows from my bed tucked behind me, courtesy of West. He told me to get comfortable while he finished cooking dinner. I could get used to this. Bringing over two plates, he sets them down on my coffee table – the smell of hamburgers and fries making my stomach growl. He picks up a plate and sets it on my lap then retrieves his own. Starving for anything other than soup, I pick up my burger, ready to take an enormous bite, when it hits me. Not for the first time. Remorse. Regret. I look over at him as I set my burger back on my plate.
“West?” He looks over at me, chewing his food, his brows raise in question. “Um. Thanks again for taking care of me but mostly, thanks for pulling Cian off me. I’ll never be able to repay you for that.” He stops chewing, staring into my eyes. I look down, still ashamed for how I was acting but let out a breath and look back into his eyes just as he swallows. “I hope you know just how much your friendship means to me.”
He takes our plates and sets them back on the coffee table then turns to me, sliding his fingers into my hair. “Quit apologizing.” His eyes search mine. “Don’t you know how much I value our friendship?” I nod slightly, loving the feel of his hand against my face, the way his fingers rub my scalp through my hair. “Don’t you realize that I want more?”
“More?” I whisper.
His mouth turns up into that smile I love so much. “Yes. More. So much more.” My heart starts beating so hard as he leans toward me. His lips are warm and tender against mine as they cover my mouth. I raise my hand and cover the side of his face, relishing the light stubble there. He moves back but in inch, looking at my lips, wet from his, then he looks up into my eyes. “Just do me a favor?”
I smile. “Anything.”
His brow raises but then lowers as he smiles. “How about you just be you, and I’ll just be me.” My heart begins racing as I nod quickly. “Deal?” He leans toward me again. The anticipation of his lips causes those butterflies to take root in my stomach as tingles flow through me from his touch.
“Deal.”
His mouth covers mine and for once in my life, I’m glad and relieved to just be me. I think he’s glad too.
The End
About the Author
Best Selling Author of Romance and Romance Suspense, Vicki Green lives in Kansas with her husband and their two sons, as well as their three dogs that rule their house. She loves spending time with her family and furbabies.
Look for more Romance books from Vicki as well as future projects such as Romantic Comedies.
Website: http://www.vickigreenauthor.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/VickiGreenAuthor
Twitter: @rileyks3
Goodreads Author:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7112966.Vicki_Green
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Tattooed & Alone for Christmas
KL Donn
Prologue