“Jessica, please,” his voice lowered almost to a whisper, in my mind it was his attempt at not allowing the world to hear what a thoughtless asshole he really is, “calm down and I will tell you what the doctors have told me. Or, if you like, I can go find one for you now to explain what you have been through,” when I opened my eyes again, Reighn stood over me, his hands crossed across his chest, a dejected look on his face. Good, I’m glad that he looks so hurt. My mind was mocking him.
“Just tell me, please, I need to know that the…” I looked up at Reighn suddenly and could feel the adrenaline push through my veins at the thoughts that were racing through my mind. His eyes met mine and settled there, waiting for me to continue, to finish my sentence. I quickly changed the subject. “My head is killing me, and what the hell happened to my leg?” It was a feeble attempt to switch gears. Something told me, by the look on his face, that Reighn Abrams knew more than I wanted him to.
“Well, for starters, your femur was completely shattered. They had to put in some rods to hold it together while it heals, which they said could take quite some time for you to recover. If you don’t feel it yet, you will eventually notice that you have a few broken ribs as well. There isn’t much they can do about that but keep them as stable as possible while they too heal. Your head is hurting because you have a pretty bad concussion,” Reighn lowered his gaze to me after he stopped explaining everything to me briefly, they burned into me for several seconds before he continued, “oh, yeah, the good news is that the baby made it through.” When he said it out loud, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I was overjoyed, of course, that the baby had somehow weathered that storm but at the same time was horrified to know that Reighn had found out without me telling him. Despite me hating him at that point in time, he deserved to find out from me, not from some doctor or nurse who just happened upon the information.
“I was coming to tell you, you know,” I was a little put off by his tone and the look on his face gave me the impression that he was upset I hadn’t told him, “but that’s when I walked in and saw you about to have your way with Sandra.” I almost spat that last part out at him, my words hanging in the air between us before falling to the ground and slithering away. That only served to darken his mood and he scowled at me for a moment before realization washed across his features and his face instantly softened.
“You don’t understand, Jessica,” he was pleading with me and to me, it had a nice ring to it, “I was trying to get her off of me. When you walked in, she had pushed me down into the chair and forced herself upon me, not the other way around.” I wanted to believe him, with every fiber of my being, I wanted to, but I could not get the image of her leaning in to kiss him out of my head.
“For someone who was so unwilling, you sure had a raging hard-on,” I returned pointedly, my anger lashing back at him for attempting to hand me a line of such bullshit. I may be a little naïve but certainly am not a complete idiot.
“Give me a break, Jess, she had me pinned down and was rubbing her cunt all over my crotch. It’s an involuntary response, you know, I can’t help it if my body reacts the way it’s supposed to,” Reighn was doing his best to convince me that it was Sandra Fieldman all along and not the old dog that lived inside him learning some new tricks. Part of me wanted to believe him, the other part of me knew that he was a man after all and men who are set in their ways are impossible to fix. Even if it was initiated by my co-worker, I could easily see him going along for the ride and blaming nature for it in the end, which is essentially what he was doing right at that moment.
“Look, I’m not going to argue about it. I saw what I saw, and it was so upsetting, I could barely function and here I am, in a hospital bed, my bones shattered and crushed. I’m not saying that part is your fault, I should have known better than to drive so upset,” I was starting to feel exhausted, although only an hour or so had passed since I regained consciousness. It was probably completely normal, and it did give me a good excuse to go back to talking about the other matter at hand. We couldn’t avoid it forever, that was for sure.
“What about the baby, Jessica? How long have you known about that and kept it from me?” I again did not like his tone. To me, it sounded like he was accusing me of keeping secrets and I had just barely found out for myself. The nerve of him, acting like I was intentionally withholding information. For what purpose? I wasn’t the manipulator in the room, that was his job.
“For your information, I just found out myself. I found out that morning at my doctor appointment when I went to get my birth control shot. When I left, I headed straight to Threads because I knew you were there getting ready for your photo shoot. I was coming to your dressing room to tell you the news when I saw you two together,” I was seething and starting to work myself up. It was obvious when my blood pressure shot up and the nurse appeared once again to check on me. She scribbled a few notes on a small notepad before returning it to her front pocket and ducking out of the room. When she returned, she held another syringe in her hand and followed the same routine as she had the last time. The medicine worked quickly, and I was soon settling in surrounded by a warm, drug-induced haze.
“We can talk about that later, I’m sure there will be plenty of time. For now, my Jessica, just rest and get well. I am sorry for what you saw, even though it wasn’t what you think it was. I know that sounds cliché, but I swear to God, it’s the truth and I will prove it to you someday soon. Let’s just get you past this and we will field that later,” Reighn was being genuine, I could see it in his eyes. Under normal circumstances, perhaps he would have continued his barrage of questions, but considering where I was and what I was having to endure, he had mercy on me and did not push. Especially since it seemed every time he brought something else up, it served as a reminder to what I had seen in the dressing room and caused me to start getting upset again. Reighn took his seat next to me, found my hand with his and held it gently in his palm. I let the drugs carry me down and the world faded away.
My sleep was fitful, at best. Plagued by dreams of smashing glass and metal. Screams inside my mind, which I am sure were from my own mouth as the car I was inside rolled several times before coming to a stop, rubber side up. Each time, I would wake with a start, drift back off and the cycle repeated itself. It was not a restful sleep, but it was much-needed so I tried repeatedly to go back down. Finally, the last time I jolted awake, I gave up. I was surprised to be greeted by the face of Sandra Fieldman, a plastic smile plastered to her face as she looked down at me. Initially, I was revolted by her presence and wanted to press the nurses’ button and summon help to get her out of my room. It wasn’t until I saw Reighn walk up behind her, blocking her in so she could not escape, that I began to wonder why she was there.
“What the hell do you want?” I barked at her, my eyes burning into her. She flinched a little and her face softened, an apologetic look made its way across her features. Something told me there was more to her visit than just coming to make sure I was doing ok. It was partially her fault that I was there in the first place, so maybe she was genuinely concerned, but I doubted it. I looked on, waiting for her to answer my question.
“I wanted to come and apologize to you in person, Jessica. It’s my fault you are here, and I need to explain to you that Reighn is not really the one to blame,” I stared at her, motionless and silent, waiting for her to continue, “I was the one that went after him in the dressing room. He tried to get me off of him and was in the middle of outright rejecting me when you walked in. I know what it looked like, and I am truly sorry. I was trying to set him up, trying to prove a point to you: that he was, is and always will be that same old dog. It was crossing the line of good taste and I really am sorry that you ended up here. It was never my intention to hurt you like that.” Sandra stopped and waited. Her words brought some relief, but I was still doubtful. “You really do have a great guy here, Jessica. I was wrong about him, he does love you and I am sorry for
trying to make it seem like he did not really care about you. Reighn doesn’t deserve to be chastised, he was an innocent pawn in my shameful game and I hope that my confession will lead you toward forgiving us both.” She said nothing more, nodded at both of us and turned to take her leave. Obviously finished doing what she had come there for, confessing her true intentions, she slipped silently out the door and disappeared.
Reighn approached my bedside, squeezing himself in between the rail and the equipment that monitored my vital signs. He reached toward my hand and, contrary to the last time he tried, I did not withdraw it. Squeezing slightly, he lowered himself into the chair that still sat at my side, his eyes never leaving mine. He had gone out of his way to bring Sandra to me, to confess what she had done and knew that, once she saw the state I was in would feel guilty enough to do just that. She could not let him take the fall for her actions, he would not allow it. Her words repeated in my mind: he does love you.
“Reighn, I, well, you can’t really blame me, can you? Consider it from my perspective. How would you have felt if you walked in and I was in a compromising situation with another man? You would have been just as reactive, especially considering your past. You have not always been the nicest guy after all, and you know it. I am glad she came and told me, though. At least I can put that to rest and focus on other, more pressing matters.” I patted my belly as I said the last statement. Reighn smiled at me and put his hand over mine, joining me in embracing the idea that we were going to soon be parents. I was not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot, but I would push through, knowing that he was at my side and would help me every step of the way.
Two weeks passed before I was finally released from the hospital. Reighn had arranged for an in-home care service to come assist me and insisted that I stay at his condo. There was more room at his place to maneuver a wheel chair around and I had everything I needed in one place. What he didn’t have, he stated he would gladly go get or have delivered. His reasoning was sound and his logic undeniable. It would be hard to be away from my best friend, but I knew that she would come visit me and occupy her time with other things, as she always did. After I agreed to the plan, Reighn made all the arrangements and his condo was ready to receive me upon being discharged from the hospital.
The driver pulled up to the curb where I waited. Reighn was standing next to the nurse who was behind me, pushing me closer to the vehicle. Both Reighn and the driver worked diligently to get me out of the wheelchair and ease me into the seat in the back of the limo. I had to sit sideways, my leg elevated across the entire back seat, since I was now sporting a fancy full-leg cast that went from my hip all the way down my leg and enclosed my foot. They had explained to me that it was necessary to immobilize the entire leg, not just the area that was broken, to allow for faster, more uniform healing. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and was quite a pain in the ass to deal with. Luckily, Mr. Abrams was at my full disposal and stopped at nothing to help me do anything I needed. Once they closed me inside and the wheelchair was folded and placed neatly into the trunk, Reighn joined me in the back of the limousine and we were off.
As instructed, the driver wove through the surface streets slowly, taking care not to hit any large pot holes and avoid rough patches of road to the best of his ability. A short time later, we pulled up in front of the high-rise where Reighn lived and came to a stop. Reighn jumped up from his seat, springing into action and retrieving the wheelchair from the trunk. Once it was unfolded and at the side of the limo, he put on the brakes as he had been shown before we left the hospital and turned his attention back to me. It was difficult for one person to get me out of the back of the vehicle, so his driver assisted, hoisting me from the seat and pulling me cautiously toward the outside. I wrapped my arm around Reighn’s neck and used him as a crutch as he and the driver helped me into the wheelchair. When I was safely inside, Reighn took the brakes off and turned me toward the entrance, asking the driver to bring up my things over his shoulder as he pushed me inside the building.
The elevator was ready to receive us by the time we crossed the lobby, doors hanging open as if it knew we had arrived. Reighn wheeled me inside and pressed the button to take us up to his floor. When the doors slid closed, the car jumped slightly before carrying us slowly up. We greeted several people who were standing outside the elevator doors when the car came to a stop at Reighn’s floor. They parted like the Red Sea when Moses freed the Israelites from Egypt, allowing us to squeeze by. I heard Reighn thank them as we passed and made our way down the long hallway to his door where it dead-ended.
Inside the condo, Reighn had rearranged the furniture since the last time I was there, and I noticed right away. I could almost picture him with his tape measure out, making sure there was a fifty-four-inch clearance around any piece of furniture that could serve as an obstacle to me. It was a nice gesture and it made me smile to realize all the little things Reighn had done to make my life more comfortable while I recovered. He informed me that I was to ask for anything I wanted, anything at all, and he would find a way to get it for me. Because we could no longer go on our little excursions, I imagined that he was trying to make up the difference by offering to bring it to me. Having him there with me turned out to be more than enough and I was grateful that he had offered to keep me at his condo, allowing him to care for me better. I would have his undivided attention, with the exception of when he had to work, and I was all for it.
The first month was rough. Pain ripped through me more frequently than not, causing Reighn to jump to attention and scurry about, retrieving my pain medication and a tall glass of water so I could swallow it easier. Unfortunately, the doctor had been right, I had a long way to go and once the cast was off, the physical therapy would begin. They would have to remove the rods set in place while the slivered bones inside my leg healed before I could regain full functionality of my leg. On a side note, they said that eventually, I would be good as new. Of course, there was the matter of the baby to contend with. As the baby developed, he or she would get heavier, putting additional pressure on my joints, which could cause me more discomfort. It was suggested that I continue to use the wheelchair even after the cast was removed for that very reason. The way Reighn reacted when the doctor said it at one of my follow up appointments made me feel like he preferred me that way: helpless and needy. He was all for anything that kept me at his side longer.
By the time I was into my second month of recovery, I was doing quite well. They had removed the full-length cast and replaced it with a brace that kept my leg stationary while I moved around. It was lighter and breathed a little, so the skin underneath no longer suffered from the incessant itch that I had experienced with the cast on. In addition, the doctor had told me that I could periodically remove it and flex my knee a little, as much as my body would allow me to anyway. I liked the idea of taking it off and getting into a hot shower, something I had been unable to do for over a month. Reighn had helped me take sponge baths and would occasionally wrap my cast in plastic so I could submerge myself in the tub but being able to remove the brace and actually step inside the shower was a welcome switch.
I lay next to Reighn the night after the appointment, my leg propped up on several pillows, staring at the ceiling. Sleep was not coming easily that night and even closing my eyes and counting imaginary sheep as they jumped over their fictitious fence did nothing to help. Sighing out loud into the darkness, I squirmed a little to redistribute my weight on the mattress. As I attempted to find a more comfortable position, I felt Reighn’s hand on my leg. He touched me lightly, his fingers trailing gently across my skin, causing goose bumps to form in the wake of his touch. I held my breath when his hand started to move up my thigh and a bolt of heated excitement shot straight to my core, settling low in my groin where it ached.
When I rolled my head to the side, I met Reighn’s smoldering stare, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that burned into me. He leaned toward me, his breath
hot on my skin as he kissed my collarbone gently and trailed kisses along its ridge toward my neck. A shiver worked its way through my body and he smiled wickedly at me. When his lips found mine and his tongue ran across my bottom lip before he bit down slightly and raked his teeth across the tender flesh, I could not help but moan out loud. He took that as a sign and leaned closer, deepening our kiss and exploring my mouth with his tongue while his hand continued its path upward.
Reighn teased my slit with his long fingers, allowing the tips to dip inside me and tickle my clitoris. I squirmed where I lay, his touch too light to be anything more than a tease. Moaning softly into his mouth when he pushed one finger slowly inside me, I tried to tilt my pelvis to give him a better angle, only to be greeted by a hint of pain that shot down my leg. Deciding that it would be best if I just lay still and let him do what he wanted with me, I opened my thighs a little wider to allow him to touch me without any obstacle. He obliged, sliding another finger inside me and stroking me firmly from the inside, his thumb making slow circles over my clit. Reighn did not pick up the pace when my legs started shaking and my breaths started coming in erratic bursts, my chest heaving with the effort, he simply continued his slow, methodical stokes until I came undone around his hand. When I opened my eyes again, he was smiling at me, his hard cock in his hand was being treated to slow strokes as he watched me float back down from my post-orgasmic high.
“I think I have an idea, Jessica,” his voice was husky and low, a faint quiver found its way to the surface as he continued to stroke his length while he spoke, “do you trust me?” I nodded. I wanted nothing more than to feel him inside me right then but had no idea how that would work. If I couldn’t even push up on his hand with my pelvis without repercussions, I had no idea how I could withstand having him thrusting inside me. Reighn guided me to roll carefully over onto my side, placing a pillow between my knees and elevating my injured leg on the pillow. He reached around me and found my breast with his hand. Kneading it softly, he circled my nipple with his finger and thumb and gave it a tug, causing it to harden instantly. He ran his hand down my stomach and found my core, my muscles tensing a little as he started to rub my clitoris again.
Make it Reighn (A Threads Inc. Saga Book 1) Page 21
