49. alessia
49
ALESSIA
My heart drops. Embarrassment fuels my veins, and my cheeks redden with uncomfortable heat.
“I’m going to be in the lobby. Text me if you need anything.” Kane brushes his beard and walks out. He closes the sliding door behind him, and I open my mouth to try and stop him.
“Don’t leave me in here with her!” I scold him as I mouth the words, keeping my voice silent and tucked into my constricting lungs.
“I’m sorry!” He mouths back to me, whips his head forward with a shrug, and I flare my nostrils, placing my hands on my hips.
Oh, we’re going to talk.
Again, he walks away when I need him. The first time was when Daegan threw me over his shoulders. The betrayal times two!
“Listen, I’m going to make this quick.” I pivot on my foot slowly, rubbing my biceps cautiously.
She points to the chair, like she’s demanding me to listen to her. I can’t say I don’t feel bad because I do. Technically, they’re married, but if what Daegan said was true, they’re separated and are allowed to date until their final court date. He isn’t cheating. He never cheated.
“Listen, I didn’t know he was married.”
“Spare me the details, honey. I really don’t care. I cheated on him and left him for one of my co-workers. We’re going to our final court divorce hearing in just two weeks to finalize it. I’ve been with the other man this entire time, and he doesn’t care. Daegan moved on. I’m glad he did when I couldn’t help him how he needed to be helped, and for that, I take full responsibility.”
Oh, thank God. She’s not here to fight me.
“I—uh. Okay…”
“I didn’t know how to deal with the constant missions and the constant deployments. I was lonely, and honestly, I was not a very good wife to him. We were together for only a few months, and then we got married. I’m not justifying my decisions to betray him or calling him horrible things in the past when I saw him after he was tortured.”
So, Daegan was telling the truth.
“Why are you here?” I ask, biting my lips.
“I just wanted to ask you something.” She says, her chin pointing out and her long lashes fluttering confidently.
She bites her lips, crossing her arms across her chest. She’s in an all-white jumpsuit with jewelry all across her neck—expensive jewelry and perfume that can be smelled from two rooms down.
I shake my head politely. “Whatever it is, I don’t feel comfortable talking to you about Daegan. Especially since he’s not awake and?—
“I want to ask you to leave him.”
My heart drops.
“What?” I breathe.
“I regret leaving him. He might die, and it’s making me realize that maybe I can put up with this military lifestyle…or maybe I can convince him to leave the teams and be a civilian. My ex-boyfriend left me. I’m single again. Our court date is coming up, and for the first time since we left each other…I want to contest it.”
My mouth falls open slightly at her condescending words.
I breathe in deeply, and it barely releases the tension I have on my shoulders. “Ma’am. I…”
Who am I to tell her no? Who am I to tell her to fuck off? I can’t do that. I won’t be that woman who tells someone’s wife to give up on her husband.
Her once polite smile turns into a deadly grimace of disgust. Unmasking her true feelings toward me. “Just think about it. I’m going to be here when he wakes up because I have no doubts he will. I’m going to take care of him. I suggest you leave, Ms. Valentin.”
She walks by me, nudging her shoulder into mine, and I take her rude gesture with a grain of salt. I stand there, mortified with her and myself.
I stare outside the window, watching traffic fly by and people walk in and out of one of the other hospital buildings from across my room.
What do I do?
“Ms. Valentin! He’s going to make it! He’s still asleep, but he’s alive. He made it through surgery.” I turn around to see a bright Ari. She looks like she hasn’t slept all night. Sweat on her forehead, reddened cheeks like she’s been running a marathon, a pink cross necklace shines against the sun rays behind me, and she’s still in a surgery cap.
I burst into tears as I hug myself. I sob hard, not caring if she sees me like this. A wave of relief hits me hard, knowing he’s okay. He’s alive. He’s going to be okay. Ari runs toward me and crashes her body against mine. She hugs me tight, rubbing my back in circles.
“Is Mr. Hannibal your boyfriend?”
I don’t say anything. I can’t. I don’t know what we are. I’ve never really known.
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m married to a SEAL myself. Danny Rider is my husband and his team leader. He’s going back to work soon, and I know Hannibal is one of the men he’s in charge of.”
I let her go. I smile while tears continue to pour down my puffed cheeks. The white flag I’m about to start waving back and forth haunts me. I need to do the right thing. I must.
“Ari, do you have a pen and paper?”
She pinches her brows together.
“I have a notepad and pen.” She arches one brow, plucks a small pink notepad out of her scrubs pocket, and hands it to me with the Navy hospital brand pen.
I take the paper and pen in my shaking hands. “Perfect.”