Chapter 9
ALEK
Three Weeks Later
It's funny how my life changed in an instant.
One minute I couldn't fathom saying hello to her, and now Hope is living with me in my apartment.
Time's zipped by since Hope got out of the hospital. We're slowly figuring out how to navigate...whatever this is. On a positive note, she's no longer dizzy and can get around on her own. On the other hand, the brutal headaches are still an issue. Day by day, she's getting stronger.
Our routine's settled into a fairly comfortable pattern. I work from home and take care of feeding us both. She rests and listens to soft music while I work. If she has an appointment, I go with her because she's not cleared to drive for at least a few more months. At night, after I make dinner, I read to her. She's still on a strict no- screen routine while her brain heals.
Tonight, we've just enjoyed delicious takeout dumplings from my favorite Chinese restaurant in the ID, and finished three chapters from our current book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Her feet are in my lap as she reclines against the pillows on the couch.
It's weird how something as simple as reading out loud can feel so intimate. So right.
I close the book. The silence wraps around us for a moment.
"You know." I take her foot in my hand and press my thumb into her sole. "Hungry Llama's come through for us. I'm glad everything worked out, and my health care policy covers significant others. Your hospital bills and medical care are paid for."
Hope's eyes blink open. "Well, my 'significant other,’ thank you again for everything you're doing for me. Please let me know when I wear out my welcome and you want to kick me to the curb."
"That'll never happen." The words escape before I can stop them.
Her face pinkens. "Well, I know I say it a lot, but all of this… It's...really kind of you. And your mom popping by so you can work…I owe you so much."
"No. You owe me nothing." I feel a bit awkward because Hope living with me is a dream come true. She's everything I thought she'd be and so much more. "I truly love having you here. My mom thinks of you as the daughter she never had."
We fall into a brief silence, the comfortable kind. Not strained in any way.
"You know, I wanted to talk to you for months before you were assaulted, but I was such a coward," I admit, laughing at myself. "I spent each day trying to psych myself up. Right before your attack was the first time I found the courage to hand you a tip."
Hope's laughter joins mine, light and easy. "I remember thinking you were handsome, but I was late for work. Little did I know you'd come to my rescue minutes later."
I shake my head. "Guess I'm not exactly the hero type."
"No, you're exactly the hero type." The mood shifts slightly as a shadow of sadness crosses her beautiful face. "I miss singing so much. It's like part of me is missing when I can't perform."
Instinctively, I sit up, and my hand finds hers. "You'll find your way back once you're feeling better."
Our eyes lock, and the world pauses. Lost in the moment, I lean in and press my lips against hers. It's a soft, hesitant kiss, but it's charged with all the unspoken feelings I've bottled up, combined with the growing affection we've shared over the past weeks.
Hope moans and kisses me back. Threads her fingers through my hair. It lights a spark between us. An undeniable connection where everything else fades away, and there's only us.
Eventually, Hope pulls back and gazes at me, her blue eyes sparkling. "Alek. Wow."
"Yeah." I smooth her dark hair away from her face. "Wow."
Though there are a million questions still hanging between us, for now, this is enough.
It's like we're on the edge of something new. Something exciting.
I can't wait to see where it leads.