Declan now knew why Gray looked so happy to be going to Starbucks to juggle coffee cups. He would probably go to the one in another state just to buy a little time away from his wife. “She’s a little . . . difficult.”
Even Ava looked at him with disbelief. “Difficult? Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. This is a whole new you, brother. I can’t believe how serious you are about this woman. I’m surprised and strangely impressed.”
“How about inspired?” Mac muttered under his breath. Declan was pretty sure that either Ava hadn’t heard his reply or chose to ignore it.
When Gray and Brant made it back with the coffee, everyone settled back in their seats and talked comfortably while CNN played on the television beside them. When Julie came back in, Declan was surprised to see it was after midnight. He had to wonder if he had dozed off at some point.
Julie stopped beside his seat. “Are Ella’s parents still here?” When he shook his head, she looked relieved. “I can sneak you back for a few minutes. She’s still asleep, but you can see her.”
Eagerly, he jumped to his feet and gave her a smile of gratitude. “Thanks, Julie, I really appreciate it.” He followed her down another corridor into the ICU wing.
“She’ll be here for a few days until she’s moved to a regular room. It’s what we call the penthouse of the hospital,” she joked.
The first thing that struck him when he walked into the room was how small Ella looked in the bed. She looked childlike and he felt every protective instinct in him come roaring to the surface. He would lay his life down to spare her from what she was going through now.
How could someone do this to her and then drive off and leave her there? What if another car had struck her before someone could help? Not only had they hurt her, they had left her lying in the f**king road like she was worthless. That was what haunted him the most. His sweet Ellie, hurt and him not knowing for hours. What if he never had the chance to tell her how he felt? What if she had died thinking he wanted nothing from her but sex? If he had manned up and came home on time, things might have been different. In the back of his mind, he knew how things would have played out. He would have broken it off with her, been at home licking his wounds, and miserable as hell without her. Wouldn’t it be worth it though if it would have saved her from where she was at now?
The door clicked as Julie walked back out and he gazed down at the woman he loved. Tears tracked down his cheeks and his vision blurred. He felt no shame at his loss of control. After finally letting himself love someone, he could accept that in order to be strong, you had to open yourself up to being vulnerable. Ella was his strength and his weakness. She was all things to him and he would never stop trying to be all things to her. He dropped in the chair next to her and took her hand before laying his head on the bed beside her. He kissed her palm and felt peace at the steady pulse beneath his fingertips.
***
Ella blinked several times trying to clear her vision. She felt like she was trying to see through a thin film over her eyes. After several attempts, the room started to come into focus and confused her even more. Where was she? This wasn’t her apartment and it wasn’t Declan’s. She looked down and saw the dark head resting against her arm. It took some effort as her limbs felt so heavy, but finally she was able to lift her hand and stroke Declan’s hair. It was always so soft, almost like a baby’s. He groaned under her touch, starting to stir. She studied her hand against his head with an almost detached curiosity. Why was there a tube taped there? Her thought process was so slow that it was hard to form any kind of rational thought.
Declan groaned at the weight of her hand against him and suddenly bolted upright. When he saw her looking at him a huge grin split his face. “Ellie, baby! Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” she croaked. Her throat was dry and felt rusty. “Water?” she asked.
He pushed the button for the nurse, still grinning at her. “Hang on, baby, someone is coming. How are you feeling?”
“Where . . . what?”
He picked her hand back up, moving gingerly around the IV. “Honey, you were in an accident, a hit-and-run.”
She searched her memory, trying to remember what he was describing. “Your flowers,” she whispered.
Clearly not understanding, he leaned closer, “What, baby?”
“Someone made me drop your flowers . . . so sorry . . . your tulips.”
Declan felt a kick to his gut. She had gotten hit by a car, but was apologizing to him about flowers? Was her injury making her delusional?
He stroked her uninjured cheek. “Just rest, Ellie. You are going to be alright.”
“Bought you flowers, something hit me . . . I . . . dropped them.”
Holy f**k! She was in the hospital and she was upset over dropping flowers she had bought for him? If he hadn’t already admitted to himself that he loved her that would have surely brought him to his knees. “Ellie,” he whispered near her ear. When her eyes fluttered back open, he said, “I love you, sweet girl. I love you so damn much.”
“Love you,” she muttered before she drifted back off. As far as first declarations of love went, it was brief, but he knew it was a moment that would be etched on his heart forever.
Chapter Twenty
Ella had been in the hospital for over two weeks and by now she was ready to climb the walls. She knew that she should just be grateful to be alive and she was, but being poked, prodded and woken at all hours of the night was getting old. Declan had been her saving grace. True to form, they had fallen into a pattern that revolved around love almost as easily as they had established one around friendship. He visited in the morning before work, then during lunch, and once he was done with work for the evening.
She had been vaguely aware of him telling her that he loved her before her first surgery, but he had done more than that since. He had showed her in so many ways. He dealt with her parents like a pro and, even though she would never admit it, she was pretty sure that her mother was actually starting to like him now. Her father and Crystal had been easier to win over. He had even brought Evan by a few times to see her and on their last visit, they smuggled in Happy Meals for all of them. A hamburger had never tasted so good. Declan also helped her shower, wash her hair, and was infinitely patient with her when she was feeling sorry for herself or frustrated by her body’s limitations.