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When I woke again, I was in a room with a bed on either side of me. I looked to my left to find Ethan, his arm and hands covered in dressings. The other side of me was Ivy, in a hospital gown, running her fingers over my jaw.
“Hey, handsome,” she spoke with a smile.
I swallowed, pain ricocheting through my body. “Are you both okay?”
“We will be. We all will be.”
“The fire? Hazel?”
“The fire made the ceiling collapse. They’re still investigating what that bitch did to make it burn so quickly, but Eth went back in for you. He dug you out, burnt his arm, but he saved you.”
Memories flooded back; losing Ivy’s hand as we left the house and the burning heat of the flames as the ceiling came down. “And you, firefly? Why are you here?”
“That bruise on my hip was a bit more serious than I’d realized. I’ve fractured my pelvis and I have to stay in bed.”
“That sounds like it might be fun,” I murmured, the effort of speaking suddenly too much.
“Take it easy, Gray. I tore up a house to save you, so you have to do as you're told.”
I twisted to look at my husband who'd been asleep a few moments ago. His smile making my heart ache.
“Hey you.” There was so much I wanted to say to him, but instead, I asked the question I was afraid to hear the answer to. “Will you heal, Ethan?”
He shrugged, but he didn’t stop smiling. “Who knows, but if not, I’ll have kickass scars that will make people scared of me. Imagine the benefits when I’m managing the band.”
I sniffed back my tears as I thought about how much pain he must be in. “I’m so sorry. Both of you. She was only after us because of me.”
“No, she was after us all because she’s a bigoted bitch. And she’s gone,” Ivy replied, her calm voice soothing me. “Thomas found enough evidence about her and her organization to lock her up for a lifetime.”
“The house?” I questioned, but I already knew the answer. I remembered the size of the flames and the sound of the explosions.
“Can be fixed, rebuilt or we can move. I don’t care as long as we’re together.” Ivy reassured me, taking my hand in hers. “Thomas and Melissa are going away in a couple of weeks, and they’ve offered us their house for six weeks.”
“I love that man.”
Ethan laughed. “And I hope that’s the drugs talking, Gray, otherwise I will be reddening that beautiful ass when my hands are working again.”
“Hhhmmmmm,” was all I could manage before sleep pulled me under.
Ethan
GrayandIstayedin the hospital for three weeks. I had to have a skin graft on my arm and Gray needed a second operation after the damage to his liver didn’t heal like it should. But it was Ivy we were most worried about. Her nightmares were the first sign that she wasn’t okay. Gray and I hadn’t mentioned them to her, but she woke us up screaming most nights. Then there was the fact I thought she was keeping something from us. The doctors discharged her, but she wasn’t allowed to stand or walk anywhere, while her pelvis healed, and as Gray and I would be the people to look after her, she’d stayed here, telling us she didn’t want to leave us, but it felt like there was more to it.
Addi begged her to come home with her. Lori and Phil offered to take her home as well. Even Tanner tried to get her to leave, but she wouldn’t go. She looked exhausted. She was being sick on a daily basis and her emotions were all over the place, laughing one minute and crying the next. It was hard to watch her struggle so much while confined to a bed next to her, unable to give her the comfort I knew she needed.
Thomas appeared in the doorway. “Right, you miserable buggers, I can’t go away and leave you in here. You’re going home to recover together. Well, my home, but it’s all yours for six weeks. I’ve asked Sean to take special care of you, so you know you’re safe, plus you’ve got Dr. Stark on hand as well. She’s going to come by daily and make sure you’re all healing properly.”
“That sounds great, Thomas, but how the hell are we going to take care of ourselves? I can’t use my hands, Gray can barely stand yet and Ivy is on complete bed rest. We’ll starve or die on the way to the bathroom.”
“Ah, I thought you’d say that, so I brought reinforcements.” Thomas did a dramatic arm sweep and Frankie, Mav, Tanner, Addi, Lori, and Phil appeared in the doorway, and I thought I might cry.
“We’re going to take care of you all. No arguments, kids. You’re all family now and we always take care of family. Whatever you need, we’re not going anywhere,” Lori announced, leaning over and placing a kiss on Gray's cheek.
I looked over at Gray and Ivy, who both looked like broken versions of themselves that I didn’t have the strength to fix on my own and I mouthedthank youto Lori, who nodded, with a smile.
Mav carried Ivy into the house, while she complained a lot.
“Look, sis, because that’s what you are now. Gray and I shared a womb, so if he can’t take care of you for a while, then it’s my job. No more complaining. I will be carrying you to the bathroom, helping you shower—”
