“I want you,” Kellan whispered.
Kellan hadn’t told Reese about the potential job opportunity yet. She knew she needed to take some time to think it over before she filled her in. She didn’t want to get Reese’s hopes up. When she’d arrived at Reese’s, the woman hadn’t given her much time to tell her anything. She’d had her against the front door the moment Kellan had closed it behind her. They’d managed to make it to the bedroom without bumping into anything before Reese practically tossed her onto the bed.
Kellan searched with her right hand until she could slide it into Reese’s pants. Reese slid up a little to allow Kellan access. As Reese stroked her, Kellan found Reese’s wet center and cupped it. Reese bucked into Kellan’s hand and into the mattress beneath, as she turned slightly so her stomach was now to the mattress. Reese’s hips rocked up and down against Kellan’s hand while Kellan absorbed the intensity of Reese’s touch against her clit. Reese slid two fingers inside Kellan as her hips continued to move against Kellan’s hand. Kellan angled her own two fingers at Reese’s entrance. Reese shifted and slid herself onto them. Kellan waited for Reese to start moving again, and when she did, Reese’s fingers inside of Kellan picked up speed. Kellan’s orgasm was building, and as Reese took her pleasure from Kellan’s hand and her own hip-grinding, Kellan came on a particularly hard thrust.
Reese continued to move quickly against Kellan’s hand, but as soon as she realized Kellan had come down from her explosion, Reese lifted her own body up, forcing Kellan’s hand from her pants, and moved off the bed. Kellan wanted to say something. She knew Reese was close to coming. She needed to watch Reese’s orgasm take her away if she was ever going to settle down herself. Before she could utter a word though, Reese was at the end of the bed, tugging on Kellan’s shorts until they were on the floor along with her panties. Reese moved between her legs and sucked her into her mouth. They both moaned at the contact as Kellan spread her legs further. Kellan’s clit was so close to coming, she wasn’t sure how much more she could handle.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly to watch Reese take her with her mouth when she noticed Reese’s one hand on her right hip and the other between her own legs, moving back and forth. Reese was getting herself off while making Kellan come, and Kellan couldn’t handle it. She came when Reese sucked her fully into her mouth, and Kellan watched Reese’s trembling arm stroke between her legs. She couldn’t see anything more than the arm movement, but it was enough to take her over the edge. And over the edge she went, slamming to the ground of an earth-shattering orgasm while her right hand held Reese’s head in place. Moments later, Reese’s mouth tightened around her clit again, and her sounds told Kellan what was about to happen. Reese’s hips jerked feverishly as her hand continued its work. She came as she still sucked on Kellan’s clit. When Reese finally stilled with her hand still inside her own pants, she lifted her head, and still desire-filled eyes met Kellan’s blue ones.
“Is that what you wanted?” Reese kissed the inside of her thigh.
“Yes,” Kellan breathed out.
Reese slid her hand from her pants and stood. Kellan watched her go into the bathroom, heard the water in the sink running for a few minutes, and stayed completely still as Reese made her way back into the bedroom. She watched as Reese put her shirt back on and reached for Kellan’s to help her lower it back over her torso. She separated Kellan’s shorts from her ruined underwear, searched the bag Kellan always had on the floor of the bedroom to find their replacement, and tossed them to Kellan.
“Now, I’ll order us dinner.” Reese kissed her lips.
Kellan could still taste herself on Reese’s lips, despite her attempts to clean up. She couldn’t believe Reese had just completely blown her mind. Reese headed into the kitchen while Kellan stared up at the ceiling, still trying to get her heart rate to slow to something resembling normal. She heard a strange almost smacking sound followed by a loud thud coming from the other room.
“Reese?” Kellan waited for a response. “Reese?” She sat up. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked and sat up further. She tried to peer out from her position on the bed, but the kitchen was around the corner and Reese didn’t appear to be in the living room. She turned to the left toward the kitchen and saw Reese on the floor. “Reese!” She rushed to the kitchen where Reese was lying on the floor on her stomach. Her face was turned toward Kellan, and her eyes were closed. There was also blood on her forehead. “Baby!” Kellan kneeled beside her. She didn’t want to lift her head in case she’d injured her neck or spine. She touched the wound on her forehead, which appeared to be a cut delivered in her fall. She noticed a small bit of blood on the counter in front of Reese. “Reese! Wake up!” The wound on her forehead was still bleeding and somewhat heavily. She reached for a rag hanging from the stove and used it to staunch the blood. She placed two fingers on Reese’s neck and felt a slow pulse. It was too slow. “Hold on, babe. Hold on. I’ve got you. It’s okay,” she said those words of comfort to herself more than to Reese, who was unconscious and couldn’t hear her. “Reese, I love you. It’s okay.”
CHAPTER 26
Kellan hadn’t slept since Thursday night. It was now Saturday night. She also wasn’t sure she’d eaten anything more than the snacks Remy and Ryan had forced on her. She’d been told several times that she should go back to the house and rest. They’d let her know if there was any change. She’d yet to leave the hospital. Morgan had gone to the cabin to grab her clothes to change into. Remy had been by her side in the waiting room whenever they weren’t allowed in Reese’s room. Ryan had only left to bring food for them, knowing they probably wouldn’t eat it. Morgan had moved three plastic chairs together and made a bed for herself. She was currently attempting to nap while Remy and Ryan were speaking softly to one another. Kellan watched him comfort his girlfriend. Kellan missed Reese more in that moment. She needed her to help ease her own worries.
Reese had been in a medically induced coma since they’d brought her in. The doctors had run test after test to try to determine how this could have happened. Friday afternoon, they’d known the fall Reese had experienced in the kitchen had likely been caused by an infection she’d sustained when she’d cut her arm. They’d had her on antibiotics since she’d arrived. Kellan hated herself for not insisting harder that Reese see a doctor. The cut had been more than just a cut. She’d known that when she’d bandaged her up that night.
The cut had opened again and again. There was no telling what kind of bacteria could’ve entered, and because Reese didn’t feel the irritation that normally came with infections, she wouldn’t have known the signs. Kellan should have paid more attention. Hell, Reese should have paid more attention. She should have seen the doctor because only Reese knew her body and understood the reality of her condition.
The wound on her forehead had been deep and required several stitches, but her brain had swelled. The doctors wanted to keep her unconscious until the swelling decreased enough for it to be safe. In the meantime, Kellan, Morgan, Remy, and Ryan could only wait and pray. Kellan had never been a person who prayed, but she’d pray now if it meant Reese would be okay. She’d pray now if it meant she’d wake up soon with a smile on her face, telling everyone it was just a silly accident and she was fine. Kellan’s stomach lurched at her, begging her to eat something. She was certain the entire waiting room had heard the sound, but no one moved. She leaned her head back against the plastic chair and heard it creak.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Keira. She’d had a couple from Greene and Hillary earlier that day, asking when they could expect her tomorrow night. They wanted to bring dinner by her place and catch up with Emma and Joanna. She hadn’t replied because she didn’t know what to say to them. She’d texted her boss to tell her she wouldn’t be back on Monday after all because she wasn’t leaving Reese like this. The way she felt right now, she never wanted to leave Reese. She turned her phone off and returned her stare to the clock
on the wall.
“She’s back in the room now if you want to go in.” The doctor entered the waiting room. “Tests are done for a bit at least. Oh, one at a time right now, okay?” he added.
“You go first,” Kellan told Remy.
“I’ll just check on her and come right back.” Remy moved without waiting for a reply.
Kellan wanted more than anything to see Reese now, but Remy was her sister. They were twins. She knew how strong their connection was and that Remy had already gone through this once.
“How is she?” Kellan asked the doctor as he made his way over to sit across from her in a plastic chair.
“She’s the same. But we’re monitoring everything, and the moment something changes, I’ll let you know.”
“What’s going on?” Morgan woke up and sat immediately in her chair. “What happened?” Her eyes got big when she saw the doctor.
“She’s the same,” Kellan calmed her. “No change.”
“Is that good or bad?” Morgan asked the doctor.
“We still have–”
“Doc, tell me honestly. Don’t give me any bullshit. She’s my best friend and Kellan’s girlfriend.” She pointed at Kellan. “She’s Remy’s twin sister. We need to know.”
The doctor looked from Morgan to Kellan. She nodded as she held her breath.
“It’s not good news.” He lowered his head and lifted it a moment later with more resolve in his expression. “The swelling hasn’t gone down as quickly as we would have hoped. The plan is to keep her in coma for at least another day. If we don’t see any change, we’ll run some more tests and talk other options.”
“Like what?” Morgan asked what Kellan wanted to know.
“Surgery.”
“Brain surgery?” Kellan asked.
“We’d remove a part of the skull to help relieve the pressure. It’s called a decompressive craniectomy. It’s not the only option, and we’re not there yet. If we get to that point, I’ll have to discuss the options with Remy. She’s her next of kin.” he explained.
“Of course,” Kellan replied.
Remy would be the one making decisions for Reese if it came to that. Kellan had no say in any of it. She was her girlfriend and had only known Reese for a month. Was it less than a month? When had they met? When exactly was their first date? She couldn’t remember anything right now. Her only thought was of Reese lying there unconscious and possibly having to undergo a brain surgery. It seemed like only an hour ago that they’d been making love, with Kellan feeling optimistic about their life together.
“I have to go. I’ll stop by later if there’s anything new to report, okay?”
“Can I stay with her tonight?” Kellan asked.
“No, Kellan. I’m sorry. Honestly, I think it would be good for someone to take you home. All of you should get some rest.”
“I don’t think I can,” Kellan said.
“I’ll make sure she heads home, doc,” Morgan offered as she stood.
“I don’t have a home,” Kellan stated.
“Of course, you do.” Remy entered the room and headed toward her. “It’s with Reese.” She sat next to Kellan. “Go in and say goodnight to your girlfriend. Ryan will drive us all back to the house. Morgan will stay with us tonight, right?”
“Yeah,” Morgan agreed.
“We’ll all take care of each other until she gets better.”
“I’m cooking us all dinner tonight,” Ryan said. “We need to eat something solid.”
“I’ll call around to everyone when we get there and give them an update,” Morgan added.
“Good. We’ve got a plan. Right, Kellan?” Remy placed a hand on top of Kellan’s.
Kellan turned to look at her and almost couldn’t stand the sight of her. She looked so much like Reese that it hurt to see her.
“Right,” she acquiesced and stood.
“I’ll get the car and bring it around,” Ryan offered.
“Morgan and I will wait here,” Remy said.
Ten minutes later, Kellan was in Reese’s room. She made her way slowly to the bed. Reese’s eyes were closed. Kellan realized she hadn’t seen them in two days. She nearly cried at that, but the breathing tube and ventilator being used to control the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide going to and from Reese’s brain was what caused her tears to fall. The doctor had explained that blood carried fluid into the brain and also took up space in the head; it was important to optimize how much entered Reese’s brain. Too little would lead to a lack of oxygen, and too much would take too much space and raise the pressure. The buildup of carbon dioxide and lack of oxygen both caused blood vessels in the head to raise the pressure, too. It was all very medical and important, but to Kellan, this was her girlfriend. Her hair was matted against the white of the pillow behind it. Her hands were at her sides, and she looked so pale. Kellan sat in the chair next to the bed and took Reese’s hand. She leaned forward and kissed it.
“Babe, they won’t let me stay here tonight.” She squeezed Reese’s fingers and prayed Reese would squeeze back. “Morgan is very stubborn, and so is Remy. They’re making me go back to the house, but I’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning. If anything happens, the doctors will call. I’ll be right here, okay? I’m not leaving you. I won’t leave you.” She let her tears fall freely. “Reese, please come back. I’ve waited so long to find you. This can’t be the end of us.” Kellan wiped her tears from her face and stood up. “I love you.” She leaned forward and kissed Reese on the forehead next to the bandage that covered her wound. “I love you, Reese.”
◆◆◆
“You settled in?” Morgan asked as she sat on the side of the bed next to Kellan.
“I’m okay,” Kellan told her. “Thank you.”
“Sure.” Morgan stood. “I’ll say good night then.”
“You can stay in here. You don’t have to sleep on the couch.”
“I can’t, actually,” Morgan commented. “Reese and I used to date, remember? I haven’t been in this bed since then. I don’t really plan on sleeping in it again.”
“Oh.” Kellan looked to the side of the bed where Reese normally slept and clenched her jaw. “Is it weird that I’m in here?”
“No, it seems about right.” Morgan smiled an awkward smile. “It seems like such a long time ago that I was jealous of her because of you and somehow also jealous of you because of her. Doesn’t it seem like such a long time ago?”
“Given what’s happened since then, I’d say yes,” she answered.
“She’s my best friend in the world. She has been forever. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Last year, I thought I was going to lose my girlfriend, and that was hard, but the hardest part wasn’t that. It was that I was going to lose my best friend.”
“She’s going to be fine.”
“She has to be,” Morgan replied.
Kellan didn’t want to sleep for fear she’d miss news of Reese, but her eyes closed due to the immense exhaustion. A few moments later, she was out.
CHAPTER 27
When Kellan woke up, Reese was lying on her side of the bed, staring at her phone. Kellan’s eyes went wide because Reese couldn’t be here. She was in the hospital. Her first thought was that she was dreaming, but a second later she realized it was Remy.
“Hey.” Remy turned to see that she was awake. “I just called the hospital, and they said the swelling has gone down a little.”
“What? Really?” Kellan sat up slowly. “Are they taking her out of the coma?”
“Not yet.” Remy tossed her phone on the bed. “I sent Ryan to get us coffee and something to eat. Morgan is in my shower.”
“It feels weird, being here without her,” Kellan confessed.
“She’ll be okay.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Remy leaned back against the pillows and clasped her hands over her stomach in the same way Reese often did.
“Last year, when she got sick, it was bad. It was really bad there
for a few days, and I’d already lost my parents. I didn’t know what I’d do if I lost Reese, too. She’s told me many times that she thinks I’m so strong for going through all that and coming out on the other side, but I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s hard to explain how this twin thing works to other people; and, sometimes, I don’t understand it myself. I don’t feel her pain or anything but, sometimes, it’s like I can understand what she’s going through. Last year, I could sense things I didn’t tell anyone about. Reese doesn’t even know. I sensed she was going to be okay. I can’t explain it scientifically or medically, but I knew she’d recover.”
“And now?”
“Now, I sense the same thing. I don’t know how. I don’t know when, but I know she’s going to be okay.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right. I’m always right,” Remy joked and nearly jumped out of the bed.
◆◆◆
“My God! Kellan, are you okay?” Hillary asked her as Kellan sat alone in the waiting room at the hospital while they ran more tests on Reese.
Remy, Ryan, and Morgan had gone to the hospital cafeteria for dinner, but Kellan wasn’t hungry. She’d eaten the pastries Morgan had brought them for breakfast, and she’d had half a sandwich at lunch. That was about all she could stomach for the day. She’d gotten a few more texts from her friends and finally determined that she needed to give them an update about the fact that she wasn’t returning as planned. The moment she’d connected with Hillary, she’d revealed everything she’d intended to keep to herself.
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