Chapter 20
Twenty
IZZY
D arkness is the only thing I can feel, which isn’t unusual, as I have no sight. Usually, I can feel a sort of presence from people and things around me. Right now, there is nothing. Nothing but the memory of falling and how much I wanted to get to Cason. Nothing but the darkness. Just when I think I will finally wake and feel something, anything, it takes me under again. Then I’m awake again, scared it will be the same feeling, but breathing is more manageable when I hear something this time.
“You found two, right?” Cason asks.
Two? Two what?
“Yes, both are there, and both are really strong. She’s strong, brother. I don’t know how she survived that fall, but she did, and with very few injuries. The only thing we are concerned about is her head. She hit it hard. That’s why she isn’t awake yet. There was some swelling, but she is recovering. Hopefully, she wakes soon.” I recognize Grim’s voice as he speaks to Cason.
I want to scream. I want to reach out to Cason.
I’m awake. Talk to me; pull me out of this darkness!
But before I know what’s happening, I’m pulled under again.
“Is she going to wake up? Just tell me the fucking truth! It’s been three weeks, brother. Is she going to come back to me?” I hear Cason yelling with anguish in his voice, but I can’t do anything, say anything, or move anything again.
“Brother, calm your ass down. I get you’re frustrated, but if you don’t calm your ass down, they are going to kick you out of the hospital,” Grim tells him, and I hear a growl.
“They try to take me from my love, and I’ll shoot whoever walks in that door,” Cason says menacingly.
I can’t hear a reply or what happens next. I don’t want to leave Cason, but I can feel the threads of darkness clawing at me, dragging me under again, and once more, there is no fighting it.
The next time I wake up, everything feels different. My body feels lighter, like the darkness is completely gone, and nothing is weighing me down.
“mhhh….” I moan when I realize I can finally move my body. I test my legs first, then my fingers, and finally my arms before opening my eyes and seeing…
Oh, my God…
“Izzy, Izzy baby, are you awake? Fuck, baby, I can see your beautiful eyes. Can you hear me, love? Please answer me, Angel. Let me know you’re okay,” Cason pleads, his face close to mine. For the first time in my life, I can see him. Cason is not completely clear, but to actually see him, I fall in love with him all over again.
I see a tear leak out of Cason’s eye. I can see his face, his hair, his eyes, his beard. The tears start to well in my eyes.
“Angel, what’s wrong? Tell me, please. Are you in pain?” he asks me so sweetly. I shake my head no.
“I can see,” I whisper, and his face scrunches in confusion.
“What?” he asks me.
“I can see your face, Cason,” I say before bursting out into uncontrollable sobs, “And you’re more handsome than I ever thought possible.”
“Angel, please stop crying. You’re making me want to hit something. I'm so happy you’re finally awake. It’s been a month and a half, and I was murderous with the universe,” he tells me, leaning down and kissing every inch of my face.
“He’s not lying. We almost had to lock his ass up just to keep the population from taking a hit. He was pissed at doctors, pissed at nurses, pissed at the club. Hell, he almost shot someone for driving too close to his ass the one time we made him go home,” Grim says, walking into the room.
“Whatever,” Cason mutters, making me laugh through the remaining tears. I’ve finally calmed down a bit. Then, the memory hits me.
“Dread?” I ask, looking at Cason. He gives me a sad smile before shaking his head.
“He didn’t make it, Angel,” he whispers. I gasp and start crying again.
“We did everything we could, but the shot hit him in just the right spot,” Grim tells me, and I shake my head, not wanting to believe it. He died, saving my life. Cason and Grim both give me time to grieve. I know they are probably grieving, too. He was their brother in all ways but blood. I can’t believe this. Before I can get lost in my thoughts and guilt, Grim speaks.
“Alright, let’s check you over and make sure everything’s working correctly. You took one nasty fall,” Grim tells me before thoroughly checking me over. He makes sure my toes, fingers, legs, arms, and every other part of my body works before moving to my eyes.
“Did I hear you got your eyesight back?” he asks before shining a light in my eyes.
“I think so. I can see things close up, but if they are an arms-length away, it’s just shadows,” I tell him since I noticed it when Cason backed up to give Grim some room.
“Okay, well, it’s not unheard of for your eyesight to come back after a severe head injury like you sustained. It’s not common, rare, in fact, but not impossible. We will need to run some tests and closely monitor that. Over time, you might get more of your sight back, you might lose it again, or it may stay the same. We can’t say one way or another; only time will tell,” he says before turning to the monitors. It’s the first time I’ve actually listened to it, and I notice there are two heartbeats.
“What is that? Why are there two heartbeats?” I ask, looking between Grim and Cason. I know what it could mean, but I’m scared as hell to get my hopes up. I reach down to my belly, and there is a very tiny, almost unnoticeable bump there.
“Am I pregnant?” I ask, shaking, trying to keep the hope out of my voice.
“Yeah, Angel, we are going to have a baby,” Cason says, giving me an excited smile.
“The baby is fine? Nothing happened because of the fall, right?” I ask, suddenly panicked.
“Calm down, Izzy. As far as we can tell, the baby is healthy and strong. Strong heartbeat, and everything looks perfect on the ultrasound. You’ve got a strong little one on your hands. I’ll give you two a minute,” Grim says, smiling, squeezing my arm, and then turning and heading out. I turn and look at Cason.
“Come closer. I want to see your face again,” I tell him. When he gets close, I raise my hand, feeling, memorizing, obsessing over every little detail of his face. He smiles, and I see all the love he has for me in his eyes.
“What are you doing, Angel?” he asks with that signature smirk. I may have just now seen it with my own eyes, but I’ve heard it a million times in his voice.
“I’m memorizing everything about you. If I lose my eyesight again, I want to be able to picture your face for the rest of my life,” I tell him before leaning up and kissing the hell out of him.
He will forever be a part of me. We are growing as a family. I’m getting married, having a baby, and all with the man of my dreams. I got my eyesight back, and soon, we can break out of this hospital and go home. A home where we’ll be able to raise our babies together, in a house filled with love and support. Every bit of the pain and heartache I’ve suffered in my life led me to this point. To this happiness, and I’ll be damned if I let another person ever threaten to take that away from me.