Chapter 45

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

My arms clutch his neck gently as he sits back against the hospital bed. The feeling of his warm, tattooed skin grazing and encircling my waist pools my eyes with tears. His arms form into fists around me, securing me in his protectively possessive hold. I've missed this. So, so much.

"I was so scared you wouldn't wake up, A." I express through tremors and tighten my grip as if to prevent him from evaporating. It sounds silly, but the sleepless nights I spent clenching his shirt in my fist while he was gone, extended my agitation into a paranoia, the very one swirling my mind as I hold him against me for the first time in a month.

"You're never getting rid of me that easily, baby." He rumbles, hoarse words swiftly dismissing mine. "It'll take so much fucking more to keep me away from you. And even then, I wouldn't promise you'd find peace from me."

For the first time in weeks, my lips pull into a genuine smile, "I missed hearing you say that word."

Aiden shifts his head back, resting against the orthopedic pillow for support. Emerald eyes study my face with adoration. He always looks at me like that and like always, it makes my stomach flutter and my cheeks heat. "I missed you."

"I missed you more." I whisper back, an aching pit of guilt forming in the middle of my chest. Hesitantly, I graze my thumb down his cheekbone, the sharp feature much more prominent than before. Does he remember what I told him before he blacked out? The query's been ceaseless, one I've been asking silently everyday, always promising myself to love him the way he deserves when he comes back to me, a tactic to make myself feel better. Might sound selfish, but Rose told me to never lose hope and somehow, I had to find strength in order to believe.

After all, nothing was final, and now, I get to lay next to my man and blurt out all I've been keeping from him in one, very loosening breath.

"And I love you. So much, Aiden. And I'm sorry for not coming to terms with my feelings and hiding them from you when I finally did-I was just scared it'd be our high before we took the fall-not that I ever plan on breaking up with you, 'cause you're stuck with me forever, dude, and sorry for thinking that we'd break up-I was just really insecure of myself and I'm really sorry if I ever made you feel insecure in either of us and I'm sorry for not telling you that I love you, and-"

"Again," nonchalant demand and smiling eyes cut in.

"What?" My hand lays frozen atop his cheek, a wildfire burns to it's finishing-line;my face and blazes me with the realization of that I've been word-vomiting all over him.

"Say it again." He says, urgency dripping off his every word, face matching the one of a child on Christmas morning.

"I love you." I repeat, fighting the strong urge to pout. Joy expands my heart leisurely, afraid that this moment somehow might be one I'm dreaming. The blinding sunlight persuades that it's not; A's really hearing me say the words we've both secretly anticipated under delightful circumstances and I couldn't be happier.

"Again," lips curl into a goofy smile, triggering mine to expand.

"I love you. I love you. I love you."

"I love you too, my love." Happiness drowns all sorrows at the sound of his following snicker. Chaste kissing the side of my face, he tugs me hard with a strangled groan, making me fall right on top of him.

"Don't do that, Aiden!" I scold immediately, worried about his wounds causing him pain or worsening, slowly and carefully sliding down so I'm laying on my side, tucked into his bare and scarred one. It reminds me of when we're spooning at home and he's too lazy to turn sideways. Or too invested into sniffing my hair and groping my butt and boobs to the point of hand imprints through my clothes. I like both the same.

Correction, love; the cuddles. And the groping.

No surprise when his IV injected palm, grasps the flesh of my behind viciously in true Aiden fashion.

Chuckles turn into a passionate kiss of longing. It's unlike any other kiss we've shared. Deep with feathery strokes yet careful, apprehensive of the dangerous reality we're in. As if to not provoke what we just got back.

I part from him, a sudden wave of anger mixed with fear makes me discern that I just got him back. That Aiden is here. Talking and kissing and touching me. Alive. 

"Please don't do something like that again." I whisper and open my eyelids, only to find him already gazing down at me. No mention of what I'm talking about is needed, my wretched whisper and grief-stricken expression apprise enough.

Aiden's striking emeralds lose all playfulness, fingers brush brown strands behind my ears.

"Don't do something like what, protect you?" He challenges, lids screwed shut as he shakes his head dismissively. "I will protect you, Ry. For as long as I'm able to. Don't ask me of something like that when we both know fucking well that you'd do the same for me." He finalizes in a hard voice, eyes penetrating mine, "this isn't one sided, baby. In any way. Something bad is about to happen to you, I prevent it no matter the cost. When I saw the laser sight targeting you," Cutting himself off, his glare digs through the white wall furiously. "Fuck, la mia vita è balenta davanti ai miei occhi, amore mio."

( my life flashed before my eyes, my love. )

"You're right." I nod in agreement, realizing the truth his affirmation holds. "I'd do the same a thousand times over if it meant you'd be alright. But seeing you lay in this bed, with a fifty percent chance of survival, broke me Aiden, I've never felt as empty as I did the past month." I explain as simply as I can with quivers slicing my voice.

His rough, calloused thumb wipes under my moist eyes, caressing a track down my chin where he clasps it between his long fingers and tender hold to pull me closer. "I'm so incredibly sorry you had to be without me for so long. I'd go fucking berserk had you been in my place, princess." Aiden plants an apologising kiss to my lips. "I promise to never leave you again, like I promised to never leave you alone. And even if I do, I'll always come back to you."

"Yeah?" I smile satisfied at hearing him say that. He's never broken a promise. It's like a vow that I get to keep him with me forever.

"Yeah," Aiden confirms, bobbing his head. "We still got lots of things to do together baby. I haven't had the chance to marry you yet, see you in a white dress as you become mine for all entirety." He pecks the corner of my lips, thumb tracing circles on my cheek. The fire on my face heightens.

"...Or given you the big house with a library." His loving kiss inches toward the center of my mouth.

"...Or put our babies in you." The sound of my giggles resonates off the vacant walls. My nerves spiking up at the sound. It makes all of our dreams feel the much more real. The word our, is dreamy enough on it's own.

"Or put our five babies in me." I correct, entirely aflame. Taking in the ghostly smirk printed on his paler face, I can't help but grin. He's so pretty and so mine.

"Five, huh?"

I roll my eyes at the cockiness on his face, shrugging one shoulder innocently. "You said it first, I'm just agreeing to your proposal."

"The same way you'll agree to my marriage proposal?" Aiden raises an eyebrow, amused chuckles rumbling deep in his chest, where I hide my burning face. Pretty sure my skin feels fevered against his.

"Yes."

"That's exactly what I want you to say, baby. On more than one occasion." He hints me with a playful wink, drawing me a headshake.

"You're relentless." I mumble disbelievingly against his skin and turn to my cheek once I feel my body temperature decrease, staring right back at those gleaming emeralds. Slowly raising my hand, I trace the shape of his collarbones, an urge I've been shutting down since I came in here.

The night he got shot, my bloodied hands left stains on his skin and the horrific image has been unforgettable ever since. It hasn't been a few times where it stirred me awake, kept me up with the fear of him leaving forever within those nightly hours.

I shut my eyes to rid of the memory and re-position my head, wave after ignored wave of exhaustion finally rippling through me. Fingers thread through my hair, tracking a path down my neck where Aiden massages lightly. "You haven't been sleeping, have you?" The concern lacing his question doesn't go unnotified.

I reply with a headshake. "It was really hard sleeping without you, A." Mentally, I remind myself to tell him that we basically don't even live in the same house anymore, but that's a conversation for another time. There isn't an easy way to tell him that we don't live in the same place anymore, at least not any I can think of at the moment.

Moving back with my brothers, made me realise how much things have changed the past few months. Situations. How much situations have changed. The handful of occasions they convinced me for social interactions within the house, we spent together, re-building the fallen pieces of our relationship back up. They were the greatest support the past weeks, and although I'm more than grateful things have settled between us, there's still a part of me tied to the back, dark corner of my brain at the thought of not being with Aiden on the daily once he's out of here.

To clear it out, I don't want to move back with my brothers. The temporary forty-six days I've been staying with my boyfriend-not that I counted or anything- have easily been the best forty-six days of my life. We grew together as mush as we grew separately. A routine of cuddles and nightly talks is hard to separate from, as is the home I found in him.

The topic of college decides to pop up in my mind right this instant and I couldn't be more grateful of him speaking. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm here now, though, so you can sleep if you want." It'd be ridiculous to think of the last part was a suggestion.

Teeth trap the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. I've missed demanding and possessive Aiden. "What if your doctor comes in?" I challenge.

"He'll be right out. You need sleep. Or else you'll be the one in a hospital because of sleep deprivation."

A giggle shoots off my lips and I throw an innocent grin at his frowning face. He's kind of cute when he creases his eyebrows like that, makes his lips pucker a little.

He pushes my head back down on his chest, fingers sliding down my eyelids to signal me asleep. And I do so with a small smile, my heart and soul finally at peace.

"Thank you," My words are faint minutes into the silence.

"For what, baby?"

"Not leaving me."

For some reason, we're whispering. Our hushed exchange of words unnecessary but somehow adorably personal. "I love you. So fucking much. My obsession with you would kill me if left you. Ever."

"I love you so much, too, A. Always."

.......

When I wake up, the first thing I see is Aiden looming over me, the smallest tilt to his lips. The room is darker than before, a nightlight sustaining the navy blue sky outside. It makes me wonder how long I've been sleeping for.

With a hand splayed across my belly, he keeps me stuffed into his side, the same way he did before my immense lack of sleep finally made it's grand appearance and swiveled me under the most peaceful nap I've had in weeks.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." The groggy voice almost makes me shut my eyes again, the low rumble doing otherworldly  things to my ovaries. Five, they mouth at me. Aiden pecks my nose with an affection only he owns, shutting my lady parts up momentarily.

Five, definitely five.

"Hi," I whisper up at him and snuggle closer, not that there's a lot of space to cover-this hospital bed is barely compressing us both-but I can always tuck myself a little bit deeper into his arms. "I missed this. Sleeping next to you. " I admit, melting when his lips capture mine in a slow kiss.

He parts with a peck, resting his forehead on mine, thumb caressing my cheek. "Yeah?"

I hum an agreeing answer, my digits twisting the few hair strands on the crook of his neck.

Cracking his lids open, I can tell he's happy hearing me say the words. "Good thing you won't sleep by yourself then."

"Great thing." I smile, not knowing whether to cringe or laugh at what I'm about to say next. Most likely both."It goes well with my plans."

"What plans?" Fingers pull my chin up, interested eyes scanning my face before lips collide with every inch of it, providing me with pure enjoyment as my eyes squint shut, my body bubbling with laughter.

"The ones where I'll be clinging onto you like a monkey." I said it. Dig me a hole, please.

Aiden pauses the innocent assault to my face. "As in hanging off me? Like twenty-four seven?" He gasps dramatically at the sight of my nod, burying his face into the column of my throat. Throaty chuckle stirs up shivers on the tender skin of my neck. "Fuck, I'm definitely fine with that." He hums lowly, "I would get to have your tits pressed against me the entire time. Not bad at fucking all."

Tilting my head to the side, I ask, "what about my ass?"

A cocky smirk makes it's appearance across his gorgeous face. His hands slide down my waist and I fight the strong urge to bite my lip. Aiden pecks my nose, hands groping my butt hard, face inching closer to mine and I know he's about to begin a wild make-out session the second his lips touch mine. In a hospital room. The very room where Aiden spent the past month of his face unconscious in.

The reminder should be my rationality to not start something we both know won't have an end, but my excitement dominates. "Baby your ass is my fucking favourite-" he lands a small slap on my behind the same moment the door opens, cutting all air circulation off my lungs when my eyes snap to the six figures standing there.

Aiden does a take over his shoulder and stares back at my terrified face, smiling innocently as he whispers his next words next to my ear. "After your boobs though."

"All of you just witnessed my childhood terminating." Zach winces, enhancing the rosiness on my cheeks. I take the torturous heat as my sign to get up from bed. Aiden catches my hand when he notices, holding it securely in his while I stand next to him. It reminds me of the last time we were all in the same room.

"Shut up, I ship them." Parker cuts in, Ashton smiling tremendously big at us.

"Hi," I manage above an awkward whisper, staring between my three older brothers, who all wear the same stoic expression. Although, we managed to repair our relationship the few times I came out of my room, their feelings toward mine and A's relationship remain unknown. The closest we've gotten to the topic is their apologies of how they've behaved toward us. And when Tristan mentioned the betrayal and distrust he felt toward Aiden.

In conclusion, the information I received wasn't enough for a conclusion.

"Hey," Hunter is the first to reply, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "I uhh, how are yo-"

"For fuck's sake. You didn't come here for beauty-parlor chitchat," Zach slices his glare over to Tristan and Xavier, "or to stay mute in the corner. Spill the shit you want to say to Aiden so we can get into the hot stuff."

"What hot stuff?" Ashton asks confused.

"The informative talk of what being in a relationship with Avery Marchetti entails." Parker's hard expression melts, a genuinely sweet smile directed at Aiden who's half-smiling back before mirroring the other three.

"Shut up." Hunter rolls his eyes, "how you holding up?" He nods at the IV sticking out of the back of Aiden's palm.

"Good, barely feeling anything." He answers monotonously, fingers tapping against mine. I look down at his communicating eyes, all words he wants to tell me written right there.

"I'll go get something to eat, you guys should come with me." I nod for my little brothers to follow me out, earning eyerolls of pure annoyance. I'm sure the only thing they're annoyed about is the fact that they won't be hearing any gossip-worthy tea for later. I stroke Aiden's hair back, "do you want me to bring you anything?"

"No, baby, I'm good." He sends me a convincing nod. "I love you."

"I love you, A, I'll be back in twenty or something." I whisper to him and place a kiss to his forehead. Grabbing my purse off the wooden bedside table, I walk toward the door when Xavier brushes his hand past my forearm, seeking my attention. He licks his lips at the questionable look on my face.

"You should go to the second cafeteria, there's someone waiting for you there."

......

Summer has been an estranged person in my life for a long time, the same way I've been to hers. It's emotionally painful. Everything we knew of each other before blew up in our faces, and the best friend status turned into an acquaintance. It hurts, especially knowing that both of us are too much into our heads to take the first step into the path of solution and prioritising our decade long friendship.

For the past, long-period of time, Ethan's been the only source of communication between us, always initiating the conversations and digging deeper, tugging the words out of us, like a mom. Or just a matured adult.

Following Aiden's stay here, our contact decreased to an extent, which I found myself appreciative of. Both of them gave me the space and time I needed alone, respecting my limits and being there for me whenever or if I needed, which made me realise that I can't afford to continue this way with my childhood best friend or Ethan for the matter. Because as much as it affects Summer and I, it affects him two. Constantly thrown in the middle section of the issue.

Fervent heartbeat in throat, my eyes search around the large room. Even the cafeteria smells like bleach and citrus, which I find sickening. My little brothers insisted on staying outside Aiden's hospital room, too hyped up for the 'hot stuff', to eat with me. Behind the large sliding doors, Summer stands by the patio-railing, back to me as her front faces the skyline of the city.

I tread toward her, dismissing my original thought of getting food in my rumbling belly. When she turns at the sound of my steps, I feel my heart jump. My nervousness isn't completely irrational. Everything I was planning to tell her, ask her, leaves my mind when our eyes lock.

One second, we're standing in front of each other and the next, Summer has her arms linked over my shoulders, hugging me. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry." She whispers, shame lacing her words.

"Can we talk about everything?" I suggest questionably, palm rubbing her back. Pulling away, she grabs my hand and leads me to the rail, standing with her shoulders brushing mine.

We stand in silence, overlooking the lights. I try to form the bundle of words into questions I want answers to, but

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net