Chapter 38
THIRTY-EIGHT
Everything hurts. That’s the only thing I can feel as my eyes blink open and close. That, and the lights burn.
I must be in hell, because I’m pretty sure something sharp is up my cock. Each inhale feels like being stabbed, and each exhale feels like being choked. This is pure agony. The only rational conclusion is to assume I died and went to hell.
Whatever sins I’m going to atone for better have been worth it, because the pain is intense.
“Ben?” The voice is low and familiar. I was not expecting this next part of my torture to be so painful. “Asshole, I know you hear me.”
Using her to make me suffer is truly unfair. Though I’d take it, if only so I get to see her face again. I hope they got her eyes right.
My eyes snap open, searching for the demon version of her in the far too bright room.
I thought hell was supposed to be all fire and brimstone, but this feels sterile and clean. My head tries to turn, and the agony radiating from my body increases. If they are going to use her form to make me pay for my sins, I’m going to enjoy every fucking second of the pain.
Her face comes into view toward my right.
Soft, caramel hair, just to her shoulders, sits in mellow waves.
One side is tucked behind her ear, while the other side falls forward as her head is bent toward me.
Her pouty lips are a light pink and pressed into a thin line as her sky-blue eyes glare at me.
She is wearing a yellow top and a little black skirt that shows off her pale legs. A hoodie that looks a lot like one of mine sits over her shoulders.
She looks too beautiful to be a creature of hell. I’m honestly kind of impressed. Everything I learned from the brief time my mother tried dragging me to church painted God as all powerful, but if the Devil can make her look this real, I’m not sure we are praying to the right deity.
“Can you speak?” she asks. Her voice makes my head swoon. Literally, it feels like it’s been turned to mush. I can’t help but smile. “What are they giving you?” She shakes her head, and brown locks go every direction, creating a sparkle effect in their wake.
“I don’t know, but whatever is in my cock needs to be removed before I get a fucking boner, from a demon bitch no less.”
“I thought you didn’t want to refer to me as a bitch anymore?”
“That’s her, not you.”
“You think I’m not real?” She raises an eyebrow.
“I’m in hell. Of course, you aren’t real.”
Her eyes roll and she moves to perch on the side of the bed beside me.
“Hate to break it to you, Ben, but you are very much alive. Until I decide how I’m going to kill you, that is.”
I blink, taking in the fuzzy background behind her, but not letting my eyes wander from her.
“Where the fuck am I?”
“A hospital, you idiot. You went and got yourself shot, trying to be a hero. It’s kind of pathetic really. Most guys buy the girl they love flowers, but not you. You get yourself beaten up, stab yourself and almost die to prove you love her.”
“Well not almost die.” Wes’s voice fills the room, but I still don’t let my eyes leave her. I’ll stare at her the rest of my life if she lets me. “He did code twice, so technically, he did die.”
“Leave it to you to try to make his heroic act seem more impressive,” Prue says, shooting him a glare.
My hand reaches for her. I desperately want her eyes back on me.
I groan as more pain shoots through my body.
“Stop moving so much,” she snaps. “You have like a million different wires connected to you and an incision the size of my forearm.”
“Then don’t look away from me,” I say, biting my cheek as I let my hand graze her leg. The pain is worth the way her body feels under my fingertips.
“How are you feeling?” Wes asks. I’d look at him but I’m never taking my eyes off the beautiful girl that sits to the side of me.
“I have a tube up my dick. I’ve never felt better.”
Prue rolls her eyes again, but grins. Obviously, she doesn’t mind me suffering a little extra, given everything I did.
“Hey!” Wes exclaims. “Good to know your brain didn’t suffer any lasting damage.”
“Was that a concern?” I ask, studying Prue’s face.
“Only a little.” She shrugs. “Your heart really did stop twice.” She blinks back tears and I squeeze her thigh, ignoring the pain once again. “He almost shot you in the heart. Two inches lower and you’d be dead.”
I laugh and then groan in the agony that has made a home in my body.
“It’s not funny,” she says, shifting her leg away from me.
“Don’t move,” I groan. “Please.” I soften my voice and she moves back, lifting my hand and placing it back on her leg. “Thank you.”
“It is a little funny,” Wes adds.
“You always defend him.” She shakes her head.
“Baby, he had a point-blank shot and missed. That’s hilarious in my book. The fucker couldn’t even kill me.”
“He should’ve never had the opportunity to try.”
“Is he in jail?” I ask.
“Yes. Judge denied bail due to his father’s connections. Attempted murder is quite the charge,” Wes says.
“He deserves to spend the rest of his life in a cage,” Prue snaps. “I hope he gets stabbed in there too. Icing on the fucking cake if you ask me.”
“Speaking of cake.” I smirk. “When can I fuck you?”
Her cheeks pinken as her eyes spin in circles. She is playing it off like she is so annoyed by the question, but I know her better than that.
“You’re going to have to earn that.”
“Is a gunshot wound not enough?”
“Enough for kidnapping me, handcuffing me to a bed and abandoning me in San Francisco? Not sure there are enough bullets in the world to make up for that.”
“Ha.” I laugh, grunting in pain. Why do I keep forgetting that my body is in agony? “Lucky for you, it looks like I’m a masochist.”
“On that note,” Wes pipes in, “I’m going to go. Just stopped by to drop off some food for Prue. You know she hasn’t left your side for a second.”
Prue shoots him another glare, and I dig my fingertips into her thigh until her eyes come back to me.
“I meant what I said. Don’t move.”
“God. You are such an asshole.” She rolls her eyes again.
“I’ll be back later,” Wes says, patting my foot. “Hopefully, you’ll be in one piece.”
“Not likely,” I say, grinning like a crazy person.
One should not be so happy to be in the amount of pain I’m in, but I’m fucking ecstatic. I didn’t die. Charles is in jail and Prue is by my side. What reason do I have to be unhappy right now?
“How are you?” she asks, once the door shuts.
“Like really? If you’re in a lot of pain, I can ask the nurses to bring you something.
They said sky’s the limit when it comes to pain management for all your wounds.
I mean it was iffy if you’d even wake up.
They didn’t even know if you’d be able to function. ”
“I’m fucking fantastic.”
“Ben, you should see your chart. It’s a miracle you’re even alive.”
“You’re the only miracle I see.”
“God,” she groans, shifting her leg away from me. I reach forward, digging my fingers into her leg. She definitely is a little bit of a demon. “Sorry. I keep forgetting.” She moves back. “It’s just what you did was incredibly stupid.”
“But effective.”
“Not worth it. I’m not worth it.”
“Prue, baby, you are worth far more than one gunshot wound to the chest.”
“You’re insane.” She sighs. “I should have them transfer you to a mental hospital.”
“Probably.” I nod, instantly regretting it. “Your piece of shit ex has some really boney elbows.”
“You have a concussion.”
“You have a concussion,” I groan back, letting my eyes close for a moment as I try not to vomit.
“You need more pain medicine.” She starts to move, but I grip her thigh again. “I’ll be right back.”
“No. You aren’t going anywhere.”
“So, you get to abandon me, but I have to stay put?”
“Yes,” I say. “But rest assured, baby, I am never abandoning you again.” I let my eyes open to look at her again. “As long as you let me, I’m staying by your side.”
“Let’s be honest. Even if I told you to go, you’d never leave my side.”
“Not true. If you tell me to go, I’ll go and finish the job your ex-boyfriend started.” I smirk.
“Does that make you my new boyfriend?”
“Woah. Hang on for just one minute. No one said anything about being your boyfriend. I don’t do commitment, you know,” I joke.
She hits my arm, sending sparks of pain through every corner of my body and a loud groan from my lips.
“Oh. My. God. I’m so sorry, Ben.” She quickly leans closer, checking where her hand hit me for any signs of damage. “Are you okay? God, I’m such a bitch.”
“No.”
“What do you need? How can I help? I’ll go get a nurse.”
“No. I mean you aren’t a bitch,” I say softly. “I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life trying to make up for calling you that, aren’t I?”
“It’s just a word, Ben.”
“A word he used.”
“I don’t mind it coming for you.”
“I much rather call you mine.”
“I do like that better.” She smiles.
“Me too.”
“Say it,” she says firmly.
“You’re mine.” I laugh.
“And you’re mine, right?”
“Yes, Prue. I’m yours.”
“Good.” She grins, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my head. “But if you ever get shot again, I’m going to kill you.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“I love you, Ben.”
“I love you too, baby. I love you too.” I chuckle.
I never thought an asshole like me would ever fall in love, but at last here we are.