Chapter 24 ~ #2
Flynn’s phone beeps and he quickly excuses himself. He addresses Devon and Helen. “I’m sure if you’re anything like your son, then I can’t convince you to leave but Alec, Mason and Rory need to rest.”
Flynn glances at me and I nod.
“Of course.” Helen ushers Mase back to his bed. He makes Maverick push his bed closer to Rory and I. Mav rolls his eyes but obliges to his brother’s wishes.
Jace and Davon bring some chairs over and everyone crowds around Rory, Mason and I.
I smile as Rory catches up with Helen and Devon who hang on to her every word. I’m acutely aware that Dom hasn’t taken his eyes off me since I woke up.
For a moment, I let myself pretend—something I don’t normally allow myself to do.
We’re not in a hospital.
We’re all okay. Mase, Rory and I aren’t injured and could have almost died.
Dom didn’t give up on us. I didn’t leave. I don’t have a hole in my heart that won’t ever be filled again.
But I have my brothers. I have the girl I would fight Hell and Heaven to protect.
Rory intertwines our fingers, that gold streak in her orange and yellow irises like a beacon tugging me back.
For once, I don’t ask for her permission to press a tender kiss on her cupid-bowed lips—the love in her eyes being enough.
Pretending over.
. . .
Rory ~
I’ve just reached six hundred when I hear a chair creak.
My eyes flick open as a shadow crosses the dark room lit only by a sliver of light coming from the window.
Bitterness settles into my soul as my bed dips, accommodating for the extra weight. Despite the hurt, I can’t find it in me to move away when Luc’s arm curls around me but I don’t roll to face him either.
I’ve had hours to mull over today.
Helen and Devon stayed until Jace kicked them out, telling them I need to rest. They reluctantly went home but made it very clear that they are coming back every day until we’re out.
Despite the drugs I’m on, that barrier between me and my emotions is wide open, leaving me vulnerable to the thoughts swirling around in my head. Totally unable to sleep.
I hadn’t done it for ages.
It developed over time as a coping mechanism to the pain but Lindsey and the guys helped me see how dangerous it was. But that feeling I got when I remembered the accident…it sent me straight back down to that dark pit where I could shut down those demons and race back up to the surface.
It scares me—not feeling anything. But my demons scare me more.
“Butterfly?” Luc murmurs, kissing the inside of my neck.
I don’t answer him so he tries again. “Come on, Rory. I don’t want to fight with you about this.”
He’s not sorry. He doesn’t even know what he’s done wrong.
“Rory,” Luc sighs, “I know how much easier it is to just not remember—to not feel when it gets hard but it does more bad than good.”
I pull out of his arms and get out of bed, being careful not to wake anyone. Luc follows me out of the hospital room in the hallway. I keep walking until we’re far enough away that we don’t wake any other patients.
Feeling exhausted, I lean back against a wall.
I interrupt him when he starts to speak. “Don’t you think I don’t know that?”
Luc’s face doesn’t give anything away so I keep going. “Don’t you think I know how bad it is? I haven’t done it for six months—the last time being when I couldn’t deal with the pain during one of my impromptu beatings. I don’t give a shit that you called me out on it. Honestly, I’m glad you did!”
Luc starts in confusion, “Then why–”
Finally I can’t take it anymore. “Because you kissed me!” I have to remember I’m in a hospital and lower my voice.
I hiss, “You used my feelings for you against me.”
It seems to hit him why I’m so upset with him.
“Rory,” Luc starts, pain in his eyes.
“No, just–just stop,” I finally tell him, holding up my shaky hand. Luc stops his advance towards me. Anguish swirls in those green irises, illuminated by the light above us.
“You took advantage of my feelings and used them to get your own way—to manipulate me,” I tell him. “We’re supposed to talk about things like adults. If you’d just talked to me, helped me, I would have come out of it myself. You weren’t supposed to–” I have to stop when emotion overtakes me.
Through my tear filled eyes, I see Luc rush towards me. I swallow and cast my gaze away when his hands slide to the back of my thighs, lifting me up. My legs subconsciously wrap around him.
“Rory, baby, I’m sorry,” Luc murmurs, his tone pleading with me.
“It scared me to see you like that. I know what that empty feeling is like and I hate that things were bad enough that you experienced it. I didn’t think about it but you’re right, I could have handled it better.
I shouldn’t have kissed you like that.” Luc apologises profusely.
“This is exactly what I was afraid of, Luc.” I swipe at the tears pooling. “That one of you would get jealous and kiss me or tell me you love me just to one up the rest. Not because you actually mean it.”
“That’s not why I did it.” Luc shakes his head.
“I know that but look how easily you just did it!” A spark of anger bursts up inside me. “You didn’t kiss me because you wanted to kiss me, you did it to prove a fucking point.”
“No, Rory,” Luc says sternly. “That’s where you’re wrong.” My back is pressed against the wall.
Anyone else would be scared of being pinned against a wall by The Slayer but not me.
“Yes, I used the kiss to pull you out of it,” Luc admits, lowering his mouth until it’s an inch from mine, “and yes, I shouldn’t have done that.
That blankness in your eyes scared the shit out of me.
I was terrified that this might not have been the first time you’ve done it with us and I just hadn’t noticed.
But if you think I didn’t want to kiss you, then that’s where you’re wrong because every damn time I look at you, I have to fight from kissing the fuck out of you, Rory. ”
By the time Luc finishes he’s breathing heavily. There’s a crazed, desperate emotion in his eyes.
His forearms are pressed against either side of my head. His body and my legs wrapped around his waist are the only things keeping me from melting into a puddle on the floor.
Those green eyes pierce into my soul.
My hands that I’ve been keeping to myself take residence on Luc’s chest.
“Rory.” This time his tone’s different. The desperation is still there but it has heat sparking up in me. I wet my lips, arching up, towards those hooded half-lidded eyes.
Suddenly Luc stiffens. His features grow dark, something primal emerging.
“Don’t move.” I barely hear the words Luc murmurs.
‘What?’ I mouth.
“Is he hurting you?” A small voice pipes up behind Luc.
I lean over Luc’s shoulder and lay eyes on the cutest little boy poking a gun into Luc’s back. My heart lurches. I start to panic, fearing he might accidentally pull the trigger but then I get a better look at it.
It’s a toy, I realise. Like a nerf gun or something.
He’s in his pyjamas, clutching a stuffed bunny as he peers up at me.
I remember that Luc can’t see that it’s a toy and probably thinks there’s a very real gun being shoved into his back.
“Luc, it’s just a toy,” I tell him. Darkness flickers into the dangerous, half wild glint in his eyes.
I cup his face in my hands. “Luci, baby, it’s not real. It’s a toy. He’s just a kid,” I murmur softly.
I stroke his cheek with the back of my fingers. He blinks and his confused green eyes lose the sinister edge.
“Miss?” The boy prompts, snapping Luc out of it completely.
I tap Luc’s shoulder and he slowly turns around, placing me on the ground. Luc’s eyes bug out of his head when he sees the little boy.
Sensing Luc needs a moment to deal with the fact that he was being threatened with a fake gun, I take the reins.
I kneel down so I’m the same height as the little boy. He has black glasses with brown, owlish eyes. He must be four or five.
“Hey, sweetie. No, he wasn’t hurting me,” I tell him.
“It looked like he was hurting you,” the boy says warily.
I look around and see there’s no adults around so he must have wandered off.
“Him?” I say playfully, pointing at Luc. “He’s a bit softie,” I stage whisper to the little boy who giggles.
“What’s your name, honey?” I ask him after I reassure him that Luc was most definitely not hurting me.
“Benjamin Faulkner but Mummy calls me Benji,” the little boy picks up my hand and shakes it.
Awww. He’s so cute.
“Well, is it okay if I call you Benji?”
He nods.
“Okay, Benji. My name’s Rory,” I tell him, “and that big teddy bear over there, his name’s Luc.”
Luc kneels down beside me. “Hi, Benji,” he rumbles, shaking Benji’s little hand.
Suddenly there’s fingers on my forehead. “What’s that from?” Benji asks, pointing at my stitches.
“Ummm.” I look across at Luc who shrugs unhelpfully.
“I was in a car accident.” I decide to just tell the truth.
“Does it hurt?” Benji tilts his head, looking at me.
“No, sweetie.” I shake my head. “Not even a little bit.”
“What are you doing out here, Benji?” Luc questions the little boy.
Right. It’s the middle of the night.
“There was a funny noise and it kept waking me up so me and Fox went for a walk but then I couldn’t find my way back.” Benji holds up his stuffed bunny rabbit.
He…he named his bunny…Fox.
“That’s a rabbit,” Luc tells the boy.
I have to stifle a laugh when Benji narrows his eyes on Luc.
“His name is Fox,” Benji tells him matter of factly.
Luc looks at me incredulously and I don’t hide my grin.
“How about we try and find your parents, Benji?” I rise up. Benji’s hand curls around two of my fingers.
“I don’t have a dad,” Benji looks up at me, “only Mum.”
My heart breaks for the little boy who doesn’t seem bothered about not having a dad.
“Mum said if I wander off, I’ll be in trouble,” Benji swings our arms as we walk.
“I’m sure your mum will just be happy that you’re safe,” I tell him.
“She also said ‘sixty nine’.” Benji looks up at me, like I’m supposed to answer that.
“Uhhh.” I blink at Luc who has the same mortified look on his face.
“She said I had to remember that,” Benji continues talking, unaware of the horrified looks on mine and Luc’s faces.
My eyes slide over one of the room doors before they snap back. Eighty-four. The room numbers are two digits.
“You mean the room number, Benji?” Luc questions, realising what I’ve figured out.
“Uh-huh,” Benji says before telling me we should skip.
I shake my head, meeting Luc’s relieved eyes.
So, Luc holds Benji’s other hand and we skip down the hall where we nearly run into a lady that’s coming flying out of Room 69.
“Benji!” The woman falls to the floor and hugs Benji tightly.
“Mum!” Benji wiggles in his mother’s arms.
“You cannot run off without telling me,” she scolds him, looking more relieved than angry.
“I had to take Fox for a walk,” Benji tells his mother. “And I took a weapon.” He brandishes around his nerf gun.
“Okay,” she sighs. “Next time you want to take Fox for a walk, you have to wait until morning and you need to tell me before wandering off.”
Benji nods. He grabs my hand, tugging on me.
I sense his intentions and kneel down so he can whisper, “I told you I would be in trouble.”
I try really hard not to grin and just nod, solemnly.
Luc holds out his hand to Benji’s mum and helps her up off the ground.
She thanks Luc, peering curiously at me still holding Benji’s hand.
“Uh, hi,” I say awkwardly. “Benji found us in the hall and told us your room number so we thought we’d walk him back.”
“Her name’s Rory, Mum,” Benji tells his mum. “And he’s Luc. I thought Luc was hurting Rory but Rory told me he’s a teddy bear.”
Alarm and concern fills her eyes at that.
“The biggest,” I say lightly, enlacing my fingers with Luc’s. Luc kisses my temple, not saying anything, most likely having seen Benji’s mother’s expression.
She seems to relax when I smile up at him, leaning my head back on his chest.
“Nice to meet you Rory, Luc. I’m Sara, thank you so much for bringing him back.” She picks up Benji, resting him on her hip. Benji yawns and leans against his mother.
“It’s no problem,” Luc tells her, playing with the ends of my hair.
“Rory,” Benji mumbles, his eyes close. “Will you come meet Elsie?”
“Elsie’s sleeping, darling,” Sara tells him. “I’m sure Luc and Rory need to get back to their room just like you, mister.”
Benji’s bottom lip wobbles and I hurry to stop the waterworks.
“How about, Benji, we come see you and Elsie in the morning after brekkie?” I glance across to Sara to check if that’s okay.
“Can they, Mummy?” Benji perks up.
“If Luc and Rory don’t mind.” Sara looks between us.
“Of course, not.” I smile reassuringly.
We wave goodbye to Sara and Benji who’s nodding off in his mother’s arms.
Luc and I make our way back to the room. We quietly sneak in and slide into my bed.
I curl up into Luc’s side and he pulls the blankets over us after kicking off his shoes. I rest my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat under it.
He kisses my forehead and I sigh, closing my eyes.
I’m almost asleep when Luc’s chest starts vibrating. My eyes pop open and gaze blearily up at him.
“What?” I mumble.
“Sixty nine,” Luc whispers, silently giggling to himself.
Oh, god.