Chapter Thirty-Five #2
“No. I’m okay. Having you here is all the medication I need.” I take her hand and lace our fingers together against my chest.
“I cleaned everything, and groceries are getting delivered tomorrow. Kenzi is coming over tomorrow with my stuff too. I hope that’s okay? I figured if I’m going to be here for the next six weeks, I may as well bring everything.”
“Baby, you can move in permanently if you want.”
“How about we take things slowly for now?” she says softly. “We always rush ahead, then somehow end up taking a million steps backward. I want us to do this properly this time.”
“I get it,” I whisper. “I don’t wanna fuck this up either. So we’ll do this however you want, baby.”
I tilt my head slightly, and she understands instantly, leaning over to kiss me softly. There’s no desperation in the kiss. No frantic heat or lust. It’s gentle, sweet, and careful like she’s trying to love me without breaking me.
“I was so scared, Caleb,” she whispers against my lips. “When they brought you into the hospital all broken and covered in blood… I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m okay,” I murmur. “I hate that I put you through that.”
“No, it’s fine. But you did make me realize what I was throwing away.”
I desperately want to turn over and look at her properly, so I try, but pain instantly slices through me, and I groan.
“Don’t move,” she scolds gently. “Stay comfortable. Besides, I like holding you. Makes me feel in control for once.”
I smile faintly. “I like you holding me too. It’s weird… but I think I could get used to it.”
She kisses behind my ear, and I swear the tiny gesture sends warmth all the way down my spine.
“Still tired?” she whispers.
“Exhausted,” I admit honestly.
She pulls the blankets higher over us before snuggling carefully against my back.
“Then let’s sleep. Tomorrow’s a new day, and we can start on the rest of forever.”
I smile softly. “That sounded poetic. Maybe you should write songs.”
“I’ll leave that to you. Now close your eyes.”
She kisses my neck gently, and I shiver in the best possible way. Holding tightly to her hand, I close my eyes while she snuggles against my back as carefully as possible.
And for the first time since the accident, everything feels completely right.
***
Locked safely in Indi’s arms, I had the best sleep I’ve had since the accident. Being back in my own bed instead of a hospital one definitely helped too.
Now I’m stretched out on the couch watching reruns of Torchwood while Indi makes us tea in the kitchen. My side and abdomen still ache like hell every time I move too quickly, but at least I’m home.
“You know, the special effects in Torchwood are really bad now,” Indi says as she walks in carrying our mugs. “Like… painfully bad.”
I chuckle and take the tea from her carefully. “Yeah, but you can’t beat Captain Jack. Best immortal ever.”
She snorts and settles beside me. “Seriously, if people knew about your sci-fi obsession, you’d lose your hot rockstar status instantly. You know that, right?”
“Yep. Which is why only you know about it.”
She laughs softly before curling into my side, tucking her feet beneath her while I wrap my arm around her shoulders and rest my head lightly against hers.
God, this feels nice.
No drama, chaos, screaming fans, or paparazzi, just me and my girl watching nerdy television together.
“Did you know Torchwood is actually an anagram for Doctor Who?” Indi says randomly.
I look down at her with narrowed eyes. “You nerd.”
She grins proudly. “You’re not the only sci-fi lover in this house.”
I can’t help smiling wider. Honestly, she says the most random shit sometimes, and somehow it just makes me love her even more.
Onscreen, a Weevil is about to attack Captain Jack when the doorbell rings.
“I’ll get it,” Indi says, climbing off me and hurrying toward the front door suspiciously fast, like she already knows who it is.
I try turning to look, but the movement pulls painfully through my side. “Fuck,” I groan, grabbing at my ribs before quickly facing forward again.
“Geez, trying to kill himself already,” a familiar female voice says.
I know the voice instantly, but the pain fogging my brain stops me from placing it straight away.
“Leave him alone. You okay, Caleb?” Indi asks, rushing back over and rubbing my back while I close my eyes and focus on breathing through the nausea.
“Mm-hmm,” I grunt.
Indi sits beside me again, and I slowly open my eyes to see Kenzi dropping onto the couch opposite us.
“Sorry, big guy. You doin’ okay?” she asks, looking slightly guilty now.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Just turned too fast.”
Kenzi crosses her legs and points dramatically at me. “Right, so while you two idiots were apart, I had to put up with this one moping around miserably because she loved you so fucking much—”
“Kenz, stop.” Indi groans.
“Nope. He needs to hear this because this shit cannot happen again.”