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I know he still has some serious trauma to work through after everything...we all do...but I am so fucking grateful to see my boyfriend and girlfriend sharing cheeky smirks. God, I want to bring her home and see her blossom again. I will never get enough of her smiles, no matter how small they are. The one she's sporting now reaches her eyes; the twinkly mischievousness eases more of my turmoil.
Clearing her throat, she removes Korren's hand from her jaw and holds it in her lap while giving him a lingering kiss on the cheek. My eyes drop to his other hand that's white-knuckled on his thigh, clearly trying to hold himself back.
"How are you feeling?" Amiri asks her again, not happy with her previous lie that she was fine.
"Um, when can I go home?" Korren squeezes her hand when she starts to drop her eyes again.
"Why don't I go get the doctor?" Without waiting for anyone to respond, Miri stalks out of the room, ready to get us some answers.
"So, what will I love?" Her golden eyes peer at us between her thick lashes. The question has Ryan ready to burst with excitement. I roll my eyes and catch Korren doing the same.
"Your Christmas present!" A switch flips. Her chin hits her chest, no longer caring about Korren's demands.
"I-I'm so sorry."
"What are you sorry for, Fire?" I'm confused about what just happened; I need to make it better. I want her to look at me and smile. I want her voice to go back to something more than a whisper.
"I missed Christmas. I ruined another h-holiday." Her hiccup makes me want to find a fucking blowtorch and burn the world down. I don't even want to know what Korren is thinking right now. The tick in his jaw says it's nothing good.
"You didn't miss Christmas Eve. We paused it, and everything is right where we left it, okay? We will celebrate with the entire family whenever you want to."
Thankfully, she takes Ryan's words in stride, lifting her face and giving him another teeny smile and nod. A breath wooshes out of me at her acceptance just as the door opens behind me.
"Ah, there she is!" Doctor Ellis' sudden presence in the room has Eve jumping and curling in on herself, even if it hurts her.
Bright face and wet cheeks, she gasps in pain. "I'm sorry, Ms. Miller," Ellis drops his voice to a more soothing tone. Hopefully, that's enough for Korren to stop staring daggers at him.
"She's in pain," Kor basically growls like a fucking caveman. Doctor Ellis nods and moves to the machines; meanwhile, Eve hasn't taken her eyes off him. She leans slightly away from his spot next to her.
"Ms. Miller, if the pain ever gets to be too much, you can push this button right here to administer a dose to lessen the pain, okay?"
She nods but doesn't move to press it. I frown, confused again at her reaction. I feel useless, the person I have known my entire life is sitting in another hospital bed, and I can't fucking understand what she's thinking. It sounds ridiculous, but Iknowher. I know her better than I know myself, and I hate that I don't understand what she's thinking or going through. I can guess...but it's not the same as truly knowing someone inside and out. I should be able to complete her sentences, damnit.
Ellis frowns but continues, "Since you are awake and coherent for the most part, I think it's time you got an update. Would you like them to leave?" He doesn't look at us, his eyes trained on Eve, waiting for her response. She is his top priority, not the guys who have been hounding his ass for the entirety of our week spent in this cube of white walls.
Her eyes flare, and I wish like hell I was close enough to truly see her flames spark to life. My skin heats; the embers of my little phoenix being stoked back to life sets me aflame with pride and need.
She will rise.
Chapter23
Evelyn
Do you want them to leave?
That's gotta be a joke. There is no way my guys are ever leaving me ever again. The thought makes something flare to life inside of me. The same flame that made me stand my ground against Kyle...the one that urged me to fight back and escape.
No way in hell are they leaving me here alone.
"No, I want them to stay," I give myself a mental pat on the back for how strong my words come out. The older man gives me a nod, taking me at my word, thankfully, because I don't have the energy to fight with him over whether I'm sound enough to make that decision.
"My name is Doctor Ellis; feel free to call me Ellis, though. I hear the word doctor way too much around here." His easy smile and joke have me relaxing a little, in turn making Korren settle.
"When can I go home?" Out of the corner of my eye, I see the other three taking their seats in a few chairs.
"First, I'd like to run a few additional tests before I answer that question with certainty. If everything goes well, you should be home by Monday."
I look at Kor, who understands my unanswered question. "It's Saturday. You have been here for six days," I listen with rapt attention as his voice cracks, "you were missing for a week before that."
