threatened to pull her into dreamland, but before they did, she whispered, “I love you, Jason.” He opened his mouth to speak, but she stopped him. “You don’t have to say anything. I know we both started this relationship out of…out of mutual desire, so I don’t expect more than that from you.” She lowered her head and quietly finished, “I just don’t want to go another second without telling you how I feel, that’s all.” Then she lay back in the bed and closed her eyes. Within seconds, she was asleep.
Jason’s heart nearly stopped when he heard Emma hoarsely declare her love. He just sat, watching her sleep, thinking over her words. He hadn’t realized, until she’d spoken them, how badly he needed to hear them. After a short time, he got up and left the room. He had a few things to do.
Sometime later, Emma awoke. She knew without looking that Jason was gone. She was alone in the cold hospital room, and she had no idea if he’d ever be back, if she’d ever see him again, or if her words meant anything to him at all. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was eleven in the morning; she’d slept the night away. Her head felt better. She wasn’t as groggy either. She used the button on the bed to put herself in a sitting position. That was when she saw them. Flowers, balloons, get-well wishes—they were everywhere. She smiled and knew that Marquetta and AJ must have been somehow behind the gesture of love. Emma moved her neck from side to side, and when there was no pain, she started thinking maybe she could try getting to her feet. She felt silly being in the hospital just because she’d hit her head. How wimpy was that?
She moved her IV out of the way and lowered the bedrail. Tossing the covers aside, Emma gently turned her body and touched her feet to the cold hospital floor. When she tried standing, a shaft of pain shot through her head. “Ouch,” she groaned and closed her eyes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Her gaze shot wide at the annoyed tone. Jason scowled down at her. She thought of the words she’d given him, the three little words that meant more to her than anything, and she snapped, “I’m getting up, what does it look like I’m doing?”
“Get your butt back in that bed,” he bit out.
“No,” she shot right back.
“You will get back in that bed, now.”
Because her head hurt too bad to fight with him, she did get back into the bed, but not before saying, “Only because I don’t feel like arguing with you.”
Jason helped her, fluffing her pillow and covering her back up. Once she was comfortable again, he asked, “Now what made you think to do something so foolish?”
She turned her head away and mumbled, “I feel silly lying here like this.”
Jason turned her face back towards his and used a gentler tone, “Why, baby?”
“Well, I only hit my head on the desk. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that you are seriously injured because of that ass. He could’ve killed you.” His voice turned rough, “The doctors didn’t know what to expect. Brain injuries have a vast range, apparently.”
She thought of the worry that he’d been put through, waiting for her to wake up, waiting to see if she would wake up. She felt ashamed for thinking only of her own pride. “I’m sorry, Jason. I suppose I was feeling so good that I just figured I was fine enough to leave.”
He took her hand in his own and intertwined their fingers, “Don’t be sorry, baby. I’m just glad you’re okay. We’ll find out when you can go home once the doctor makes his rounds.”
At the word home, Emma’s first thought was of Jason’s big strong arms holding her through the night. She knew that without him, her bed would never feel the same again. Still, she’d declared her love, and he hadn’t said anything back. Not a good sign. Emma closed her eyes to avoid looking at him. He probably felt sorry for her. Terrific. That thought
Jason’s heart nearly stopped when he heard Emma hoarsely declare her love. He just sat, watching her sleep, thinking over her words. He hadn’t realized, until she’d spoken them, how badly he needed to hear them. After a short time, he got up and left the room. He had a few things to do.
Sometime later, Emma awoke. She knew without looking that Jason was gone. She was alone in the cold hospital room, and she had no idea if he’d ever be back, if she’d ever see him again, or if her words meant anything to him at all. She looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was eleven in the morning; she’d slept the night away. Her head felt better. She wasn’t as groggy either. She used the button on the bed to put herself in a sitting position. That was when she saw them. Flowers, balloons, get-well wishes—they were everywhere. She smiled and knew that Marquetta and AJ must have been somehow behind the gesture of love. Emma moved her neck from side to side, and when there was no pain, she started thinking maybe she could try getting to her feet. She felt silly being in the hospital just because she’d hit her head. How wimpy was that?
She moved her IV out of the way and lowered the bedrail. Tossing the covers aside, Emma gently turned her body and touched her feet to the cold hospital floor. When she tried standing, a shaft of pain shot through her head. “Ouch,” she groaned and closed her eyes.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Her gaze shot wide at the annoyed tone. Jason scowled down at her. She thought of the words she’d given him, the three little words that meant more to her than anything, and she snapped, “I’m getting up, what does it look like I’m doing?”
“Get your butt back in that bed,” he bit out.
“No,” she shot right back.
“You will get back in that bed, now.”
Because her head hurt too bad to fight with him, she did get back into the bed, but not before saying, “Only because I don’t feel like arguing with you.”
Jason helped her, fluffing her pillow and covering her back up. Once she was comfortable again, he asked, “Now what made you think to do something so foolish?”
She turned her head away and mumbled, “I feel silly lying here like this.”
Jason turned her face back towards his and used a gentler tone, “Why, baby?”
“Well, I only hit my head on the desk. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is that you are seriously injured because of that ass. He could’ve killed you.” His voice turned rough, “The doctors didn’t know what to expect. Brain injuries have a vast range, apparently.”
She thought of the worry that he’d been put through, waiting for her to wake up, waiting to see if she would wake up. She felt ashamed for thinking only of her own pride. “I’m sorry, Jason. I suppose I was feeling so good that I just figured I was fine enough to leave.”
He took her hand in his own and intertwined their fingers, “Don’t be sorry, baby. I’m just glad you’re okay. We’ll find out when you can go home once the doctor makes his rounds.”
At the word home, Emma’s first thought was of Jason’s big strong arms holding her through the night. She knew that without him, her bed would never feel the same again. Still, she’d declared her love, and he hadn’t said anything back. Not a good sign. Emma closed her eyes to avoid looking at him. He probably felt sorry for her. Terrific. That thought
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