AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hey.” He smiled down at me, and I grinned back. It was dark in the room. Had I slept all day?
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “Hope said you hadn’t slept in a week, not since your father had you drugged up. I’m glad you rested. I never mind you sleeping near me.”
Zeke didn’t stop the running of his hand. “Because of how I snore.”
“Because it’s you. And you sleeping near me, making your little sounds, tells me you’re there. I really, really love when you’re there.”
He dropped his fingers to stroke right under my eyes with his thumb. I imagined that I had dark circles there. “I might never get used to you saying those kinds of things to me.”
“You will because I’m going to say them all the time, princess. I love you. And whatever you need, you’re going to have. Speaking of which, are you hungry?”
My sisters were gone. I should have recognized that right away
“I am. Really hungry.”
He nodded. “That’s good. I didn’t like the look of the food here. So I had some delivered.” He pointed to the table.
“Seemed like a night for a pasta. Really good red sauce.” Zeke always did know how to eat.
The weeks passed, and I was never alone. I was either with the therapist, the doctor, Zeke, or my sisters. I couldn’t remember there ever being a time I’d been so well cared for, so wrapped in the love of people. Eventually, they released me.
Zeke was there to take me out of the hospital and bring me to whatever came next. Truth was, I had no idea what that was. It was raining when he stepped outside, and he covered me in a red umbrella so I wouldn’t get a drop on me.
“Where are we going?”
He stood close, both of us standing on that same street corner again. “You have a couple of choices.”
“Okay. What are they?” I leaned into him. I just liked to be close.
“I could take you to an apartment I rented. It’s not very comfortable. I never got any furniture because I was staying in the car.” I looked over. It was still there.
“What are my other choices? I don’t relish sleeping on the floor.”
“Well, I guess you have three others. We could get a hotel room and stay in it until I furnish that apartment.”
I didn’t know if he should do that. Were we staying in New York? I didn’t think Zeke particularly cared for New York. And I couldn’t see him here. He’d do it for me. He’d said as much. But I didn’t know if I saw us in New York.
A hotel would be fine, temporarily. “Or?”
“You could stay with Hope. She offered. So did Bridget, but I think Hope meant it more. Bridget strikes me as needing her space.”
That was one hundred percent true. “Yes, is that Michael Li over there?”
“It is. I’ve hired his new company to guard all of you. And Justin. If we can ever find him.”
I gave Michael a little wave, and he nodded at me. “I don’t want to stay with Hope.”
“Would you let me take you someplace else? On a plane? An idea I had. I know you just got out of the hospital. It’s probably a bad idea to put you through anything else right now, but I’d like to take you…elsewhere.”
Funny enough, I liked that idea best. “Let’s do it.”
“Princess, I love you so fucking much.”
“You might not love me on an airplane. I don’t like to fly, and please don’t drug me.”
He kissed my lips. “Always love you. Plane or not. And no one will ever drug you without your consent again. I’ll hold your hand. It’ll be fine.”
