Chapter 25 #2
“I agree.” My voice doesn’t even sound like my own, probably from the smoke inhalation.
“Aspen?” Ryder’s hand slips into mine. “Say something again. I might be fucking hearing things at this point.”
“Hi…” It’s all I manage before my throat is too dry to speak. I look to Flex, his genuine smile warming my heart. I love that he’s here for Ryder.
“I’ll go grab you some water while you two catch up.” He disappears out the door, leaving me with a very much here and alive Ryder. A sob escapes my chest, clawing its way up my throat as I take him in.
“I can get the doctor.” He stands to move, but I hold tighter to his hand, beckoning him to stay with me. “Talk to me, baby girl. What do you need?”
“I’m so sorry about our fight,” I whisper as loud as my voice will go right now.
“We don’t need to talk about that shit. I’m just so happy to see you. You saved my life, Aspen.”
“I don’t remember much about what happened after I arrived at Dulip. Is it…”
“The restaurant is gone, but it can be rebuilt. I’m more concerned about you.”
“What happened?” I look to my left arm, bandaged heavily and unable to move.
“I don’t know how the hell you knew, but you arrived at Dulip and ran in to pull me out.”
“John. I saw him. He said something. You weren’t picking up. I thought…” I can’t contain the overflow of emotion at the memory of thinking I might lose Ryder. Every harsh word and argument seems so petty in the light of what we both stood to lose.
“If you hadn’t run in to save me, I’d be dead right now.”
“Don’t say that.” I keep a hold of his hand as the thought shudders through my entire body.
“It’s true. Right after we got out, the kitchen exploded. I would have been in there if you had waited for the firefighters.”
“I couldn’t…”
“I know, baby girl. Don’t ever do something like that in the future. If it comes down to me or you, I’ll always choose you.”
“And I will always choose you, Ryder Stevens.” He leans over, pressing his lips to mine in a fervent kiss.
“It’s just me and you, baby girl. Got it?”
“Yes, Sir.” Pain scratches at my skin, my nerve endings raw. “How bad are my wounds?”
His face sobers. “Second-degree burns to your left arm and a small patch of your shoulder. There will probably be some scarring, but you’ll recover full flexibility of your arm.”
“Are you okay?” I don’t care about myself. I just need to know that Ry is okay.
“Don’t worry about me. I have a concussion, and my knee is going to be fucked for a while, but nothing that won’t heal. They wanted to admit me for observation, but there was no way I wasn’t going to be at your side.”
“If the doctors think you need—” He silences me with a kiss.
“I need you, Aspen. You’re all that matters. The restaurant. The club. My life. They don’t make sense without you.”
“John?”
“Is in jail. He wasn’t exactly stealthy. Flex has already pulled all the camera footage we need to put him away for a while. How did you know?”
“I saw him in the lobby of my building. He knew about me being an escort. He called me Danielle. I don’t understand why he took such a dislike to me.”
“The police said he confessed that his wife had looked similar to you. He had a breakdown after she died in a car accident.”
“That’s awful.”
“I still don’t know how you knew to come to the restaurant.”
“He said my favorite flowers are Dulips.” It sends a shiver down my spine at the memory of his twisted smile.
“Fuck. I should have been with you. You weren’t even supposed to be there. If I hadn’t pushed you about the escort thing, you’d have been safe in our apartment.”
“And maybe John would have targeted you at the club. You were in danger no matter where you were.” His shoulders sag, the strong planes of his face marred by sadness and anger.
“I can’t believe you ran into a burning building for me.”
“Why? I love you. I don’t care about any of the other shit. I’m not going to be an escort again.”
“Are you sure?” There’s hope in his voice, and I can’t blame him for that.
“Even if I wanted to, I’m scarred for life now. No one would want me on their arm.”
“I do.”
I hate seeing the pain that mars his perfect features. “You don’t need to stay with me tonight. Go home. Get some rest.”
“One of the guys will bring me a change of clothes. I don’t want to leave you.” That’s what he says now.
“I just want to rest.” I turn my face away from him, the burn on my shoulder protesting with the smallest of movements.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Before I protest, a nurse appears in the doorway. “Hi, Aspen. I’m Theresa. It’s time for your dressing change.”
She takes a step toward me, and I see Ryder’s jaw tighten. It tells me everything I need to know. This is going to hurt.
“Ryder, you should go.”
“I’ll be here to hold your hand.”
“I don’t want you here for this.” I’m not ready for him to see my burns. I’m not sure I’m ready to see them.
“Baby girl…”
“Ruby.”
“Aspen.”
“Leave.” Without another word, he stands to leave, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“I’ll be right outside.”
The second the door closes behind him, I heave a sigh of relief. The nurse moves to my side.
“I’m going to give you some pain meds now. They’ll make you a little groggy.”
“Probably for the best.”
“Yes.” There’s pity in her gaze. I can’t even imagine what I must look like.
“How bad is it?”
“You’ll likely have some scarring, but you’re lucky it wasn’t third-degree burns. It could have been a lot worse. I hear you were the hero of the day. You saved your boyfriend’s life.”
“I’m no hero.”
“Your friends say otherwise.”
“Is Jude here?”
“Your best friend?”
“Yes.”
“She went down to the cafeteria to get something to eat. She should be back any minute. Would you like to have her in here with you?”
“Yes, please.”
“Are you sure you don’t want your boyfriend to come in? It’s important to lean on your support network as you recover.”
“I don’t want him seeing the burns.”
“He seems…”
“Perfect in every way. Yeah, he is.” There’s a sadness sitting heavy on my chest.
“He really loves you. I can tell.”
“That was before this.” I nod toward my bandaged arm.
“And he’ll love you after. He doesn’t strike me as a shallow person. Besides, you are absolutely gorgeous. A few scars won’t change that.”
“Maybe.” The effects of the painkillers are starting to kick in, and I let my eyes close.
A few minutes pass by before Jude comes into the room.
“Hey, bestie. Why is Ry outside?”
“Because I don’t want him here.”
“Why? Did he upset you? Do I need to hurt him?” She stands at my side, taking my hand in hers.
“He’ll see the burns.”
“And? He doesn’t give a shit about that. That man has been beside himself since the second you got out of the restaurant.”
I can’t explain my worries to Jude. She knows nothing about the lifestyle, that Ryder likes to watch, or that I have been working up to letting him fuck me on the voyeur floor of Venom. He’s not going to want that stuff with me now that I’m scarred.
I’ve been working so hard to build my confidence these past few months. I wanted to open myself up to give Ry what I know he needs. And not just for him. I’ve been eager to push out of my comfort zone. Now, it just seems impossible. Why would he want to show my body to anyone?
“Are you ready?” The nurse’s voice sounds distant. It must be the meds.
“Yes.”
Jude clutches my hand as the nurse begins the process of removing my bandages. The pain is immediate, like a searing hot poker to my arm.
“Fuck,” I cry out.
“I’m here, Aspen. Just focus on my voice. Tell me what you’ve been cooking lately. You’re so cloak and dagger about your new…”
“Jesus Christ. It fucking hurts.” I can’t hold back the tears that spill from my eyes.
“You’re doing so well, Aspen,” the nurse offers me the empty compliment.
My body is shaking as she removes the last of the bandages, and I can’t help but scream.
It’s then that I hear a bang on the wall outside my room.