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Zach nearly ruined my life. If it wasn’t for the cameras Ben installed, I would be going to court right now, fighting for my freedom.
He ruined his parents’ lives doing what he did, and tried to ruin Ben’s. It’s unforgiveable. My emotions have been all over the place. I want to be able to grieve for the loss of a person who I spent most of my childhood and adulthood with. Yet all I can picture when I think of him, is him standing on that bluff with a knife tucked into his trousers. All I feel when I think of him is anger and hurt. As much as I try to deny it, he took a piece of me that day. All the stuff he pulled, all the unnecessary words he said, I can’t get past it. Maybe one day I will look back on this and forgive him, but not today. And probably not anytime soon.
“No,” I answer quietly. “I just didn’t think you wanted to go back to work so soon.”
“I’m not,” he replies.
I turn back to him, my lips parting. “But you said…”
“I asked so I knew what timeframe I was looking at, not because I’m itching to go back. I’m good to stay home and recover properly.”
“I’m sorry. I just assumed you would want to because you love doing it.”
“I do. But I found someone I love more,” he admits, making me melt. “I’ve spoken with Evan. He’s agreed to let me do light work instead of assignments. I don’t want to tempt Death for a third time. He might actually take me.”
“Please don’t joke about it. Not yet,” I whisper.
“My point is, I’m happy as I am. I might be able, but I’m not ready to go back. Not mentally or physically. Being unable to feed yourself gives you a new perspective on life.”
“Okay,” I reply. “If that is what you want to do. Just don’t do it because of me.”
He pulls up outside the bungalow and puts the car in park. “I love you, Imogen. I’m in this. Which means I’m thinking of you too when I make these decisions. Watching you hurt during my recovery made me realise this isn’t just about me anymore. But I think I would have done the same if you weren’t in the picture. My mum isn’t sleeping. Stefania said she wakes up in the night crying. I want to ease her troubles too.”
I reach over, tucking his sandy blonde hair behind his ear. It’s grown in the past few weeks. It’s longer, with a hint of a curl. “You’re a good man, Ben Donovan.”
He grins and leans over to pull me in for a kiss. My god, he tastes good. We’ve not been able to be intimate, and going another two weeks is going to kill me. “I think we should spend the day in bed,” he requests, brushing the back of his fingers across my cheek.
I pull back, my cheeks hurting from smiling. It’s like he read my mind. “You heard what the doctor said.”
“Yeah, but you could do all the work,” he suggests, wiggling his brows.
I laugh before leaning over to kiss his lips once more. “As fun as that would be, you just said you didn’t want to tempt death. So, let’s keep it PG.”
“You wound my heart,” he teases.
“Plus, we have company,” I tell him, clucking my tongue. “You are dropping the ball, Mr Donovan.”
He turns to the house, and his eyes widen when he spots Hayden letting herself in. “What?”
“It’s our TV debut, remember?” I remind him. “Sabrina sent over the DVD copy.”
He groans as his mum makes her way up the path holding trays of food. “You invited my mum?”
“And sisters,” I admit, struggling not to laugh when they follow, holding their own trays.
“I’m too vulnerable to be around this many people,” he lies.
Unable to keep away, I kiss him again. “Suck it up. They want to give us a welcome home party and this is the calmest they could do.”
“How are they all going to fit in there?”
“We’ve made it work before,” I admit.
“We could just sneak away and get a hotel room together. That would be a great welcome home.”
“Suck it up,” I order and push open my door. “Come on before I call them out to assist you again.”
He narrows his eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
