22. Gabe
22
GABE
I throw my head back in frustration. “I want to leave.”
Chrissy giggles. “No, really? I would never have guessed that.”
She’s smiling ear to ear, and she’s been doing that since the night I survived the fire. I understand it, though, because after everything, I have a new lease on life, and I’m going to live it to the fullest.
I try not to smile at her, but it’s hard to do when she’s looking at me the way she does. “I’m serious. I want to leave.”
She rolls her eyes this time, but she’s still smiling. “Really? You threatened every doctor in the hospital, you got King in here to try and bust you out, and you tried bribing Bethany. I think I know you want to get out of here. The whole hospital knows you want out of here.” I walk over to the bed and take his hand in mine. “They’re doing the paperwork. You’re going to be able to bust out of here as soon as they finish.”
“I’ve been here for three days. It’s ridiculous.”
“Your fever spiked, and they wanted to keep you on the oxygen longer.” She picks my hand up and holds it between both of hers. “Look, you’re good now. You get to go home.”
“Not soon enough. I need inside you.”
She rolls her eyes. “Oh, that’s not happening.”
I’m sitting up before she gets the whole statement out. “Oh, it’s happening. It’s been three days, and that’s not going to work for me.”
“Gabe—” she starts, but she no sooner gets my name out than the door opens.
“Okay, we just need your signature, and you’re ready to go.” The nurse hands me the clipboard, and I start signing papers. I don’t read anything; I just want to get out of here.
The nurse gives me her spiel. “Now even though your lungs look okay, you still need to rest and not push it. The doctor signed off on you returning to light duty in two weeks, but he wants to see you in his office before then.”
I nod, handing her back the clipboard. “Okay, can I leave now?”
“Gabe.” Chrissy admonishes me and turns to the nurse. “Sorry, he’s ready to get out of here.”
“No worries, his friends were all the same way.”
Rick, Keaton, and Spence left the hospital two days ago, and besides some smoke inhalation, they’re doing well.
I refuse to ride out of the hospital in a wheelchair, so I walk out with Chrissy at my side. She puts me in her tiny car and then gets in the driver’s seat.
She pulls out of the lot and starts driving toward Whiskey Run. “Where are you taking me?”
She looks over at me and then at the road again. Her hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Where do you wanna go?”
I lean back in my seat. “I don’t care. You want to stay at my apartment or your house?”
I can hear the surprise in her voice. “You want me to stay with you?”
“Yes,” I answer simply.
She nods. “Okay, well, then my house, if that’s okay. Not that I don’t like your bachelor pad, but…”
Her voice trails off, and I have to ask to make sure she’s okay with it. “So you’re okay with this? With me staying with you?”
She reaches over and squeezes my knee. “Yeah, I want to be with you.”
I cover her hand with mine as she drives us to Whiskey Run. When she pulls into her driveway, she helps me out of the car, and I hate it. “I’m okay, honey. I got this.”
She shrugs and keeps helping. “I’m going to have King or one of the guys go by your apartment and bring you some clothes and stuff.”
We get inside, and she helps me to the bedroom. “You want to take a shower?”
I reach for her clothes. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
She pulls from my reach. “Oh no, mister. Shower and bed. No funny business.”
I reach for her again, and she lets me remove her shirt this time. She helps me by undressing herself and then helping me out of my clothes. She’s the one starting the water and waiting for it to heat up. She’s the one that helps me in and washes my body.
“I like this,” I tell her as she’s running the washcloth across my chest. She points to my hard manhood. “Yeah, I can tell you do.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “No, I mean I like it when you touch me, but I like this… I like having you take care of me.”
For just a second, I feel weak. Maybe I shouldn’t feel this way, but she just keeps washing me. “You took care of me the night Ledger died. Remember? That’s what this is about, Gabe. We take care of each other. That’s how this works.”
We finish cleaning up and get dried off. She orders me to bed as she quickly dries her hair. She tries to do it in the bathroom, but I want her with me, and I watch her from the bed.
When she’s done, she hovers next to the bed. “Do you need anything?”
I lift the covers. “You.”
She lies down next to me before I can tell her to remove her clothes. I hold her to me, and she leans back enough so we’re face to face. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
I say the first thing that pops in my head. “You're pregnant.”
She gasps and then seems to think about it. “No—well, if I am, it’s too early to know for sure.”
“We didn’t use anything. ”
She presses her lower body against mine. “I know. But that’s not what I was going to tell you.”
I press my hand to her lower back, holding her body against mine. “What is it, honey?”
“I love you.”
I smile and nuzzle my chin into her neck and whisper to her, “I know you do.”
She laughs and pulls back. “No, I mean, I love you. Like, really love you.”
“Baby, I know you love me. I was there with you when we made love… and that’s what that was. It was special… it was love.”
She agrees with me. “Yes, it was.”
I pull her up on top of me. “I need you, Chrissy.”
She doesn’t fight me, but she’s not just giving in either. “You have smoke inhalation. You’re supposed to be resting.”
I pull her T-shirt up her body, and she raises her arms so I can take it off. Her breasts are right there in front of my face, and I lean up to suckle her. She arches her back and moans as I move from one breast to the other.
I pull at the waistband of her shorts, sneaking my hand down her pants, palming her pussy. “You’re wet. You been thinking about this? ”
She nods. “I’m always thinking about this with you.”
I tug at her shorts. “That’s good to know. Take these off.”
She rolls to the side of me and takes her shorts off. I palm her ass. “Get up here and ride me.”
Her mouth drops open. “You want me to…”
I nod. “Ride me.”
She climbs up on top of me. My hands go to her waist, and I help her lift up to position herself. She wraps her hand around my cock and then slowly lowers herself onto me. “Fuck, you feel good, Chrissy.”
She whimpers as she starts to move. “You do, too.”
She moves her hips front to back, side to side, finding her rhythm.
“Yes!” I groan. “Chrissy!” I say pleadingly. “Look at me.”
She opens her eyes, and they’re a shade darker, filled with arousal. I hold her closer as her movements quicken. She’s taking me deeper, gyrating her hips, rubbing her clit on my pelvic bone. Her breath hitches as the orgasm starts to take over her movements. But still I demand, “Look at me. I want you looking at me when you come.”
Her eyes are wide, focused on me, and she grunts and groans, clamping on to me as she rides the waves of her orgasm. Mine hits me hard, and I pump my hips into her, claiming her again, with no worries of contraception.
She’s panting, sprawled over top of me, and I hold her to me.
“Fuck, you’re so perfect. I don’t deserve you, but I can’t let you go, Chrissy.”
She kisses me, not holding back any longer, and her kiss is filled with the promise of our future together. When she snuggles into me, she yawns. “You’re the best man I know. I don’t want you to let me go.”
“You’re going to marry me, Chrissy Aiken.”
She gasps and lifts her head. “You remember that?”
I lift my head and look at her. “Do I remember asking you and you telling me yes? Of course I remember that, and I’m holding you to it.”
She stares at me speechless, and I shake my head. “Don’t try and change your mind, honey. You told me yes, and you may already be pregnant with my baby. You’re marrying me.”
Her smile lights up the room. “I told you I would. ”
I lay my head back. “Good, and just know that it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. I’m about to make all your dreams come true.”
She leans her head on my chest. “You already have, Gabe. You already have.”