Chapter Forty
CHAPTER FORTY
MCKINSEY
I t’s been two weeks since fully emerging from my coma.
After I woke up, only to fall back under again, Dr. Faust immediately sent me for another MRI. The scan noted an increase in my brain activity. It was slight compared to those that were performed while I was still out, but it was enough to renew the hope and drive in the team of doctors assigned to my care.
Of which there are plenty.
I’ve had more therapy in the month I’ve been at this hospital than most people have in their entire lives.
Occupational, speech, physical, cognitive…
I’ve been slowly regaining my ability to move and communicate. I still have a lot of work to do, but Dr. Faust is extremely happy with my progress and believes the worst is behind me.
I thought Draven was going to kiss him when he surprised us with my discharge papers earlier this morning.
Fuck. I almost wanted to kiss him.
Unfortunately, getting cleared to go home doesn’t mean the fight is over. This was just the first victory in a long battle ahead of us. In addition to continuing my various therapies, I also need to resume chemo and radiation.
But that’s one of tomorrow’s objectives.
The only thing on my to-do list today is to enjoy the ride home in a sexy car with my even sexier man at the wheel.
Glancing at Draven—taking in his gorgeous profile with the Gettysburg backdrop I fell in love with long ago flying past his window—my lips instantly lift, and all thoughts of the long road ahead of us melt away.
Turning his head, his eyes catch mine. Winking, he squeezes my hand, which hasn’t left his since the moment we got in the car.
I feel giddy for the first time in a long time. I take in each tree, building, person, and everything in between as we pass by. Even the sight of the gravel road that leads to the clubhouse fills me with joy when Draven turns down it.
He only had one question for me when we left the city.
“Which house are we going to?”
It took less than a second to answer.
“Ours.”
I never imagined it would take me as long as it has to return.
I never imagined I would have missed it as much as I have.
But it’s not just the familiarity of the clubhouse I’ve felt the loss of…
My chest aches, thinking about all of the people I grew used to seeing regularly. Those who welcomed me into their family—even those who may have needed a little more time to do so. The people who were by my side as often as they could be over the last month.
They’re the same people who line the porch of the clubhouse when we pull up to it, standing beneath a large banner that says, “Welcome Home, McK.”
Tears prick my eyes the moment the scene comes into view. Every member of the Gettysburg Bastards is present. In addition to them, my mom, Alexander, Marissa, and Olivia are all front and center on the steps leading to the porch.
As Draven comes to a stop in front of them, I cover my face with my hands. I want to be embarrassed. I hate when people make a big fuss over me, and there has been more than enough of that lately.
But I don’t feel anything but love. My heart is full to the point of bursting.
“Draven, what did you do?” I both laugh and cry at the same time, wiping the tears from my face.
“Don’t look at me, Kins. I haven’t been home in weeks. This is all them.”
Exiting the car first, he opens my door for me then helps me out.
“Welcome home!” A collective greeting hits my ears the moment my feet touch the ground.
“You guys…” My voice is swallowed by another wave of emotion.
They walk toward me, pulling me in for hugs or offering me careful high fives.
“How the hell did you get a sign so fast? We didn’t even know we were coming home today.” Exasperation hits me as my mind does the math.
I know the club can do anything they set their mind to, I just hope they didn’t have to hold anyone at gunpoint to make it happen.
“We ordered it last week.” Olivia pulls me in for a hug, and I squeeze her as tightly as I’m able to. “We had a good feeling you’d be home soon.”
“All right, all right. Let me get her into the house.” Draven scoops me off of my feet. “I’m on strict orders to make sure she’s not overdoing it. Now that she’s home, I want to keep it that way.”
I’m met with another surprise when we get inside. Royce’s office has been transformed into a first-floor bedroom, complete with a queen bed and a dresser. Draven sits me on the edge of the bed before pulling a few drawers open to show me they’re full of my clothes.
“This is just to make things a little easier on you until you’re ready to take on the stairs again.”
I eye him suspiciously as he sits down next to me. It takes me two tries because I’m still working on strengthening my motor skills, but I eventually lace my fingers through his. He’s patient and lets me do it on my own, knowing it will only keep me moving in the right direction.
“What would have happened if I’d told you I wanted to go to my house when we left the hospital?”
With a cocky smile, Draven shrugs.
“I guess everyone would have had to hurry up and move all of this to the office in your house.”
“Mm-hmm.” I cock an eyebrow at the smug bastard.
“Maybe I would have tried to talk you into coming here instead. But I had faith you’d make the right choice.”
“You had faith, huh?” He nods his head as he leans in to kiss me.
“Smells like dinner is almost ready. I can set you up with a tray table at the sofa if you want. Or you can eat it in here.”
“Actually, there’s only one thing I want right now. And it’s to curl up in this bed with you and sleep for eighty-seven days… Or at least through the night.”
Draven doesn’t hide the delight from his face at my suggestion. I’ll never tire of the sight of his happiness.
“But you go eat, and come to me when you’re done. I don’t want you to go hungry.”
“Mmm, Kins.” Looking me up and down, his tongue darts out before he rubs his hand over his chin. “There’s only one thing I’m hungry for… But it’ll be a little longer until I’m allowed a proper feast.”
I haven’t felt the delicious twinge of lust swirling within me for far too long. It’s slight, but it simmers there now. I’m trying to take one day at a time, but I can’t wait for the moment Draven is able to rail me like a freight train again.
He pulls the comforter back then helps me under the sheets before crawling in next to me. Pulling me close to him, I immediately fall asleep.
I wake hours later, when the sky outside the windows is dark and everything in the house is quiet.
Everything except the sound of Draven’s thoughts.
I roll onto my back and turn my head toward him. He’s eyeing the ceiling with his fingers linked together over his chest.
“Hey…” Whispering, I break his concentration.
“Everything okay?” He turns onto his side, his eyebrows drawn with concern.
“I should ask you the same. You woke me up, your thoughts were so loud.”
“I’m sorry.” Closing his eyes, he sighs heavily. “My mind is just racing.”
“Want to talk about it?” Lifting my hand, I struggle to connect with his.
“No. It’s nothing good. I shouldn’t even be thinking it.”
“Tell me. Please?”
He runs his fingers over mine before finally giving in.
“I should be happy enough that you’re even here right now, and I am. More than fucking happy. But I’m struggling not to feel angry that there isn’t one day left in this world that we won’t spend fighting for your survival.”
This is a thought I’ve had almost every single day for the last week and a half.
I still have to go through chemo and radiation to ensure there are no additional cancer cells in my brain. Even with treatment, there is always a risk that the cancer could come back. And we learned that some people beat cancer once, only to be diagnosed with cancer due to radiation years later.
What the fuck is that nonsense?
Its honestly a relief to me that I’m not alone in my fear.
“I’m prepared to help you fight, Kins. I’ll do whatever it takes for the rest of my life to ensure you get to wake up every day. I’m just fucking pissed off we have to.”
“I don’t want you thinking you’re the only one who is angry. I’ve been struggling with it, too. On one hand, I’m grateful to be here. On the other, I’m furious, knowing this is going to fuck up the plans I had for my life—for our life.”
The light from the moon shines through the window, catching in Draven’s eyes as he nods.
“But, Draven, life isn’t guaranteed for anyone . It won’t do us any good to waste the rest of our lives being angry and scared. Instead, let’s treat each day as if it will be our last. I want to go on adventures with you, whether they be in the back yard or on the moon doesn’t matter in the least. I want to share all of my secrets and fears with you. I want to get lost in the passion of your kisses. I want to laugh together, cry together. I want to sleep curled in your arms every single night. And I want to fall madly in love with you over and over again.”
He cups my cheek in his palm and swipes away tears I didn’t realize had fallen.
“And on my last day on this earth, as long as I’ve had you to share my life with, I can die happy, knowing I was the luckiest woman in the world.”