“Okay.”
Then there is someone else in the house. I hear him as Devin tells him to go to the store. He won’t leave me now, even just to get the prescription and supplies Lexie must have insisted upon.
Startled cries echo throughout the room as the pain envelops my very being.
Devin struggles to get the medication out of the bottle when I shoot up to a sitting position, screaming at the top of my lungs. What I’m sure he isn’t expecting are the cries of fear coming out of me. No amount of medication can placate this.
Forgetting the pills, he pulls me into his arms as the screams subside. It seems that all that I need is his embrace to keep the demons away. Cries then forgotten, I drift again into the darkness. Devin soothes me with the love and adoration he feels for me, even though we’ve been fighting recently. All that has transpired is forgotten now. His main concern is my well-being.
Day makes way for night, and the cycle begins again. Finally the feeling comes to me that now is the time to get up. Blinking at the light, I feel a weight on my chest, making it difficult to breathe. Panic seizes me until I realize there is an arm draped across me that is causing the pressure.
“Devin?” I feel hoarse as the word leaves my mouth, and I choke back the dryness, swallowing several times to get some much-needed moisture back into my mouth. I try again. “Dev?”
I hope he hears me soon, because I’m not sure how long I can keep trying to talk. Just as I’m about to try again, I see eyes spring open to look at me.
“Thank God,” he whispers into the day or night.
I’m not even sure which it is at the moment.
“Hi. Thirsty.”
Smacking my lips together, I try to moisten them, but it doesn’t seem to work.
“Okay, baby. One second. Let me get you some water.”
Then he turns away to speak to someone else.
“Lexie, Clara’s awake. I’m grabbing her some water.”
“Okay, take it easy. Small sips.”
Where the heck am I? Back at the hospital?
Looking around the room, I realize that I’m not back the hospital, but instead, in my condo. What the heck? Last I remember, we were on our way to the house. What happened? And when did Lexie get here?
“What happened?” I ask.
Lexie makes her way into the room, shushing me as she approaches the bed.
“Wait for the water, honey. It’ll make your throat feel better. I know you have questions, and there will be a time for that later. For now, I just want you to relax while we take care of you.”
Looking around the room, I notice her checking my IV. When did I get that?
Then I notice Jason standing at the foot of the bed. Crap, that bastard.
I recoil from the sight of him.
“Jason, maybe you should leave. It looks like you’re making Clara upset.”
“Wait, let me say something now that she’s up. Then I’ll leave.”
“Make it quick, then, and don’t upset her.”
Jason comes around to the side of the bed as Devin helps me sit up slightly.
“Clara, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you two so hard. I should have listened to Devin, and allowed you in on the plan. I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive my stupidity. Please don’t take my mistakes out on Devin.”
Jason just watches as I sip the water Devin brings to my mouth. I want so much to tell him to stick it, but the remorseful look he gives me makes me decide otherwise.
“I forgive you for now, but I want the whole story as soon as I’m feeling better, and then I’ll decide from there, okay?”
Jason just nods and leaves the room.
Devin doesn’t let go of his hold on me as I sip most of the water down.
“I love you, Devin.”
Tears stream down his cheeks as he stares into my eyes.
“I love you so much, Clara. We have a lot to discuss, but right now, I don’t want you going anywhere, please.”
The rest we’ll figure out later.
Lexie checks me over more thoroughly as I begin to drift off again into the darkness, but this time her words ring in my head as I let go into the abyss.
“It’s okay, Clara. It’s okay. You’re getting better, so go ahead and sleep some more.”
***
“She’ll be out for a few more hours before she wakes up for longer next time.”
“Thanks, Lexie. Scared the shit out of me when she wouldn’t wake up. Took everything I had to keep from losing my mind.”
“I’m glad you called me right away. That infection could have killed her.”
“Crap, don’t tell me those things! I may never be able to leave her alone for five minutes as it is now.”
“Dev, there was nothing you could have done—well except not listen to Jason when it came to my patient.”
“This is not all my fault. I thought she was okay,” Jason says defensively as he reenters the room.
“No, you didn’t! I told you she needed more time! I also told you to leave her be until she was better, and then we could discuss all this.”
“Stop, the both of you!”
Lexie has had enough. These two men have nearly killed her patient with their stupidity.
“Devin, I told you rest. What part of that don’t you get? For such a smart man, you really are a moron sometimes. Rest means rest! It doesn’t mean drag your girl to the bakery in the middle of the city to play some stupid cat-and-mouse game with her attacker, so Stupid over here can try—and I mean try—to catch him.” Hands on her hips, she pins her brother down with her stare. “What is wrong with the both of you? Clearly I need to tell Mom to keep an eye on Clara if you two knuckleheads can’t do it yourselves.”
“No! Don’t tell Mom!” they both say in unison, as her words register in their male brains.
Containing her laughter, Lexie continued in a stern voice.
“Good. Now. Let. Her. Rest. And no more stupid stunts! At least until she’s healed, or you get her consent, idiots.”
“It was his idea!” Devin says harshly, pointing a finger at Jason.
“Boy, for someone who claims to love her, you’d think you’d work harder to say no to this one!”
Taking several moments, he finally says, “You’re right.”
Then Lexie leaves them both to go back into Clara’s room to check on her.
Jason and Devin look at each other, not talking, not hashing out words that don’t need to be said. They simply watch each other.
“She’s right, you know.”
“Shut up, Jason.”
“Let’s make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
Now curious about his brother’s intent, Devin cocks his head to one side, eyeing Jason from the corner of his eye as he waits for him to continue.
“I promise to not use you both again. Either of you, for that matter. I also promise to take into consideration everything you’ve said involving Clara and how we should—I should—talk with her about the plan.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, shithead, thank you for considering my Clara. Especially since she is involved and should be clued in as to what’s going on.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
Jason pushes the chair back, and it makes a scratching noise on the floor.
Devin shushes him, covering his mouth with a finger to his lips.
“Sorry. You really do love her, don’t you?”
“More than anything.”
“I’m happy for you, man.”
“Don’t be yet. I still have to win her back after what happened.”
“You will, and let’s face it: she loves you, too.”
“Thanks, I hope so in both regards.”
“Devin, she loves you. She’s just hurt.”
“And it’s all your fault.”
“Don’t you think I don’t know
that? I’m sorry, okay?”
Taking a much-needed deep breath, Devin eyes Jason for so long that he begins to squirm. Finally, Devin decides let him off the hook.
“Okay. We’re good.”
“Thank you.”
Jason turns to leave the kitchen, making his rounds around the condo before leaving to stand outside the building and keep guard over them all.
Smiling as his brother leaves, Devin makes his way back to Clara’s—their—bedroom to check on her. Lexie won’t be leaving this time until Clara is definitely out of the woods, and she clearly doesn’t want to leave Clara’s care in her brothers’ hands—either of them—until she is completely healed.
“Thank you, Lexie.”
“Whatever, my dear brother. I’m almost done here, then I’ll head off to bed. I assume the couch is vacant. Or will Jason be on it?”
“No, he’s outside doing surveillance for the evening, so you’re all set. The couch is all yours.”
“Why, thank you. I’ll be in the living room if you need me. Remember, I’ll be checking her around one.”
“I remember, just like yesterday, and the day before that. And the day before that, for that matter, too. Yep, kinda hard to break the routine now.”
“Yeah, except now she’s almost better. Thank goodness. Really, what were you thinking? She could have died. Dang it, Devin.”
Lexie clearly isn’t about to let this go anytime soon.
Devin just hangs his head.
“I followed Jason’s lead. I thought… Well, I just got nervous after the attack. Then she was doing so much better, moving around so well. I really thought she’d be okay.”
“Look, I know you’re the most upset about this, besides Clara. I bet she’s churning right now, hearing all this.”
“You think she can hear us?”
“Some of it. I know she can hear bits and pieces, here and there, but you better come clean to her over everything, or I’m telling you, no matter how much you love her, I know as a woman that it’ll be over before you know it. And then what? What’ll you do then? Live your life without her?”
“I can’t live without her! That’s why I did such a stupid thing. Trying to get that maniac out of our lives by drawing him out.”
“Devin Zander, where is your head? The police have been looking for the guy. God, he could be a serial killer, or did you not get that memo? This poor girl has been through enough. More than two boneheads like you and Jason could ever fathom. How could you invite that kind of terror back into your lives? You have a death wish, or something?”
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
“You know?”
“I know now, yes. After Clara didn’t wake up and you had to practically bring her back from the brink, again, I realized how stupid the whole plan was, and what we were really asking of her. God, what if he had come back and we couldn’t have stopped him? Then what?”
“She would probably be dead, Devin.”
“I know, okay?” He puts his head in his hands. “I get it. I’ll never ever do that to her, or me, again. Or anyone I love.”
“Stupid.”
Lexie is still shaking with anger from her brother’s ignorance of such a reckless act. And to involve someone he loves so much, putting her right in the middle of it, too. Her own brothers had been such boneheads. It was incredible she even came from the same gene pool as them.
Trying to regain some control, she leaves the room, too infuriated to talk any more. She makes her way to the couch and turns on the TV. Whenever things become too monotonous, the mindless television breaks down the stress and leaves little else to think about.
With heavy eyelids she watches someone complain about the weather outside some restaurant as they pound on the door to be let in from the bitter cold. The man on the inside of the establishment is shouting about how they had another few minutes, and he clearly is making those minutes count as he reads the newspaper with his feet up. But the two men continue to call his attention to unlocking the door.
Laughing at the humor of the situation, and how her brothers would probably have the same issue, Lexie drifts off into a sleep with dreams of days when these troubles no longer weigh so heavily on her family. She dreams of weddings and christenings, and how the worst thing that could happen would involve someone being locked out of the house.
***
“You fucking asshole!”
The shouting wakes Lexie from her position on the sofa.
“How dare you do that to me!”
“Clar baby, please settle down. Let’s talk about this before you overexert yourself again.”
“Oh, I’ll settle down once I clobber you, you son of a bitch!”
Lexie runs into the bedroom to try and stop them screaming at each other.
“Clara! You need to settle the heck down, or I’m going to give you a sedative!”
“Lexie?”
“Yes, now settle down right now!”
“What the heck is going on? Where am I? What are you doing here? Why am I in bed? How did I get here?”
“I know you have a billion questions right now, but I need you to settle down. I mean it about the sedative, too. I’m not kidding. You need to settle down now.”
Trying and failing to keep her voice from going up a few octaves, Lexie darts for her medical bag, only to see that Clara is back in bed and trying to get her breathing under control.
“Good. Now that you’re working on settling down, why don’t we start with this. How are you feeling?”
“Good. Tired. What’s going on, Lexie? Why are you here? Did something happen?”
“Clara, please. I need you to relax. You’ve been through enough, and I really need you to settle down so we can all talk about things.”
“Oh, I don’t want your son-of-a-bitch brother anywhere near me right now if I’m supposed to settle down.”
“Devin, why don’t you wait outside the room?”
“No way, Clara. Baby, please, I love you. Please let me stay with you?”
“Devin! Out! Now!”
“No, Lexie!”
“Devin Zander, get the hell out of here—now. If you love Clara, you’ll leave us alone while we talk about her condition.”
“Fine!”
He stomps out in a huff and slams the door behind him with so much force the nightstand shakes, rattling the objects on it.
“Okay, now I need to check you over, and get you to settle down before we talk about what happened and what’s going on.”
Trying not to ramble as she works her way around Clara, Lexie feels herself in the middle of these two people. One she cares so much about because he’s her brother, and the other one a woman who she is beginning to know and enjoy being around. She hopes Clara won’t be leaving anytime soon.
“Clara, what do you remember?” Lexie asks as she takes her pulse.
“I remember Jason driving me back to the house after Devin and I had a fight.”
“Do you remember what the fight was about, or how you felt when you got to the house?”
“I remember us fighting, and that your two brothers acted like idiots. I also remember my heart wouldn’t stop racing, and I just felt really tired and wanted to rest.”
“That’s good, Clara. Very good. How are you feeling now?”
“Now I’m just pissed off at your brother, and I want to clobber him with a frying pan.”
Tossing her head back in laughter, Lexie is tempted to get the frying pan herself and pull Devin back into the room.
“You know I may actually help you with that.”
“What happened, Lexie? Why are you here, and why am I back at the condo?”
“Well, first let me tell you that it’s actually been a week since you went to Devin’s house.”
“A week? You’re kidding me! What the hell happened to me?!”
“Calm down, please. Remember that I need you to calm down.”
Just then, Devin bursts through the doors and runs to
my side.
“Are you okay? I heard shouting. What’s wrong?”
“Jesus, Devin, have you looked this tired and worried this entire time?”
I just now get a good look at him, and he looks like the walking dead. His hair is a mess. His face, which is normally void of any facial hair, has a beard, and his clothes are all disheveled and ragged.
What’s happened to my man? No matter how pissed I am at him, he doesn’t deserve this!
“God, Devin, I’m sorry.”
“Oh, baby, what in the world do you have to be sorry about? I’m the one that’s sorry. I almost lost you, and I’m terrified you won’t be able to forgive me for being so stupid.”
Reaching for him as he collapses next to me, I decide that whatever has happened, had happened. I don’t care anymore. I love him too much to not get over this, and apparently he loves me just the same.
“Oh, Devin.”
“I’ll give you guys a few minutes. Just don’t get too upset.”
“Thank you, Lexie.”
“Devin, look at me.”
“I can’t baby. Just tell me what you need to say, and I’ll deal with it best I can, but don’t ask me to look at you while you do it. I can’t bear it as it is.”
“God, Devin, this week must have been a nightmare for you. Have you been with me the entire time?”
Uncertain of what to do, he darts his eyes to mine, obviously hoping not to see disgust or betrayal in them. To his surprise, what he sees is nothing short of love and affection. Also a bit of concern and wonder, as well. Moved with emotion, I can tell he is just waiting for me to say something, kissing my knuckles as he often does for comfort and soothing.
“My God, Dev, I don’t care how mad I get at you. You always know I love you, right?”
Bursting into tears and unable to hold back any longer, he collapses into my embrace, careful not to squeeze or hurt me in any way.
“Devin, I’m not going anywhere. I promise. I think I remember forgiving you before things got so fuzzy, so you must know that I could never stay mad at you.”
Just holding him while he cried, something I have never seen him do before, I decide that this is enough. I can get over the wrong he’s done and forgive him. After all, this kind of love doesn’t come around more than once in a lifetime and I’m not giving it up without a fight.
Heart's Desire (Game of Hearts Series Book 2) Page 16
