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“You’re sweet,” she says before letting out a big yawn.
“And you’re tired.”
“The doctor told me not to go to sleep yet.” Her expression is disgruntled.
“I guess I’ll have to occupy your time telling stories that are so fascinating you can’t help but stay awake.”
“They’d have to be some pretty amazing stories,” she says.
“Oh, they are. Especially the one about how I met the love of my life.”
“I’d really like to hear how that happened, but first would you please get me a drink? I’m so thirsty.”
“Sure. I’ll be right back.” I step from her room and head toward the nurses’ station. When I approach, both nurses sitting behind the counter look up at me. I know the precise moment they recognize me because their eyes bulge out.
“Mr. Hart. Can I help you with anything?”
“Hi, how are you both doing?” I say, being polite.
“Wonderful now,” one of them says.
“Could I please get a drink for my girlfriend? She’s in room 318.”
“Sure thing. I’ll get that for you right now.” She walks off.
“I hate to do this, but not enough to not ask. Can I get you to sign a few things?”
I nod. “I can do that.” I take the pen from her and the pad of paper. I sign my name on a few pages and make a special one out to her when I notice her name tag. “Here you go.” I hand it back over the counter.
“Thank you. I know my husband and son are going to flip when they see this.” She shakes the pad of paper back and forth.
“Here you go.” The other nurse hands over a covered cup. “It’s ice water.”
“Thank you so much.” I walk away as one nurse explains to the other how she got my signature and she made sure she had enough for her too.
When I return to Rori’s room she’s sound asleep. I know I should wake her up, but she’s had a traumatic night and is exhausted. Glancing at my watch, I realize it’s almost six in the morning. No wonder she’s so tired. Setting the cup of water on the wheeled table, I lower into the chair beside her bed. I watch her chest rise and fall for a matter of minutes or maybe hours when I’m suddenly struck by the realization that I could’ve lost her tonight. She could’ve been killed.
I can’t imagine a day without her, never mind spending the rest of my life alone.
Nose stinging, I drag a deep breath in through my nostrils and try to battle off the tears before they let loose. I’m able to stop most of them but a few slip through and I quickly swipe them away. I should’ve been there when her shift ended.
If I had, she wouldn’t be lying broken in this bed.
CHAPTER19
RORI
It’s finallytime for me to get out of here. My CAT scan came back normal, I have a purple cast on my arm, and all I’m waiting for is the doctor to come in here one last time. I’m ready to go home and sleep in a comfortable bed, and I know Kaiden’s feeling the same. He’s got to be even more exhausted than I am. He’s spent too many hours crammed into a tiny chair at my bedside. The little sleep he got was interrupted when the nurse came in to wake me up every couple of hours to check on me. This morning he was sleeping with his head crooked at an awkward angle. I’m sure his neck must be bothering him, but he won’t complain to me. At least not when I’m in this bed.
The doctor walks in and my eyes spring to Kaiden. His hair is even more rumpled than usual with the way he’s been gripping the strands and running his fingers through the thickness. I’ve come to realize it’s something he does when he’s nervous or feeling the least bit uncomfortable.
“Hello, Miss Russo.”
“Hi, doctor.”
He notices Kaiden in the chair—I mean, how could he miss him?—and he visibly perks up. “Kaiden Hart?”
I nod. “The one and only.”
