by Leaona Luxx
“We shall see. How about a wedding and baby all in the same day?” I want to marry her now.
“We shall see.” She lifts from the seat to kiss me on the cheek.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I have so much to be thankful for this year. After making love to Thayer once more, she falls asleep in my arms. When this day started, I never thought I’d be here with her. And as I fight sleep, it’s only because I’m afraid this will be a dream. And I don’t want to wake up.
I hear a noise. Then again. It’s enough to rouse me from the deep sleep I fought so hard against. The dogs begin to stir as my feet hit the floor. My truck is in Thayer’s garage because we need to have hers towed, so no one knows I’m here with her.
Stepping into the hall, I hear the noise again and this time, so does Thayer. She’s by my side in no time. I motion for her to gather the dogs in the bathroom, hoping they’ll stay quiet so I can see what’s happening here.
The sound is coming from her dining room. She has French double-doors there, something I’ve always hated. They’re not safe, so easy to break into. As Thayer stands at my back, the glass in the door is shattered. An arm comes through the door. This fucker is about to die.
Thayer steps back into the hallway as I get against the wall. The minute the guy steps through the door, I punch him in the back of the head. He falls to the ground, and I jump on him. As I wrestle him on the floor, I feel the cold metal before I realize what’s happened.
I’ve been stabbed. Sitting up on my knees, I grab my side as the blood begins to pour from the wound. Eric jumps to his feet, kicking me over and continuing his assault. The cold metal hits me time and time again. Knocking the breath out of me.
I try to fight him off, finally getting a solid punch in, and he falls back. I kick at him, struggling to my feet. Once standing, Eric rights himself. I kick him as hard as I can in his face. Blood flies as he hits the floor again, me falling with him. The last thing I see is Thayer coming up behind Eric. I hear the buzz as my sight grows dim.
The lights go out.
The blood covers my dining room floor. It’s everywhere. I kneel beside Hardy, holding dish towels on every puncture I see, praying. Eric lays over in the corner, still twitching from the taser. Between Hardy and me, he’s not going anywhere until the police get here.
Hardy’s eye flicker to mine, speaking volumes without words. I try to talk to him and keep my eye on Eric. “Come on, baby. We didn’t fight this long and this hard to lose now. I love you, Hardy. Come on, baby, stay with me.”
I begin to hear the faint sound of sirens. One, then two. So many sirens, I lose count. By the time the emergency personnel burst through our door, I have as much blood on me as Hardy does. As calm as possible, I explain to them what’s happened. I seriously consider killing Eric with my bare hands.
As they furiously work on Hardy, I grab my phone and purse. Following them to the ambulance, I’m escorted around to the front seat. I want to be with Hardy but he needs them. They can save him. By God, they better save him.
On the way to the hospital, the siren screams, mirroring how I feel inside. Trying to remain composed, I call One. There’s no way I can call my parents and stay collected. I don’t manage to do it with One either. The second he answers the phone, the tears begin.
“Eric. He broke in. Hardy’s been stabbed multiple times. I tasered Eric. I need you.” Sobbing between each word, the paramedic reaches over to hold my hand. I gladly take it.
“We’re on our way. We love you both.” How many times can I say my brother is amazing?
I stand back as they pull Hardy from the ambulance. Staying closely by his side, we enter the hospital together. The paramedics take a different door, directing me to the waiting room. When something touches me on the shoulder, I turn to stare into a horrified face.
Chord looks me up and down before dragging me into his chest. It’s in that moment I realize that I’m shaking uncontrollably. My tears soak his shirt as Hardy’s blood smears the rest of his clothes. Chord picks me up, carrying me to a chair. He holds me while I totally lose my mind.
While Chord holds me, he gently rubs my back. In the distance, I hear my family begin to show up. One bypasses me to the nurses’ station. He lets them know who’s here and that we are his only family. Dad walks over, taking me from Chord. My tears fall even faster, if at all possible.
After a while, Lea takes me to the restroom along with my nieces. An assembly line is formed to get me cleaned up. Lea washes me up as best she can while the girls bring in clean clothes and take out the bloodstained mess in a bag.
As she cleans my arms, my hands are twisted under the water. Red tinted, it splashes everywhere. A sparkle in the light gets my attention. My engagement ring. I begin to rub my hands together over the ring until it’s completely clean. The two-carat, antique-style floral square-cut diamond, shines new under the water.
Back in the waiting room, I still have yet to say anything more. There’s talk of shock, but it’s not shock I feel. I’m mad as hell. But the first words I speak again will be to him. Wrapping my arms around myself, my nephew Lath, comes over to add warmth to my side. I need it so.
One continues pacing the floor, holding Wren on his side. Mom is holding a sleeping Harlyn. Two detectives arrive, wanting to ask me questions. One pounces and by the time he finishes with them, our Dad has Wren and Aksel has his dad. My nephews are kinda badass. Just like their father and their grandfather.
An hour drags into two. We’re all beginning to climb the walls when the door finally swings open.
“Hardison Turner?” a gentleman asks as he removes his paper hat. I jump to my feet, as I’m joined by half of the waiting room.
“I’m his fiancée, Thayer Hamilton. This is his family.” I stumble through my introduction as I take his outstretched hand.
“Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Turner has sustained twelve stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. He’ll be in the Critical Care Unit for the next few days while we monitor him. I’m not sure how but every wound missed vital organs. One person can stay with him.” Before he leaves, he pats me on the back. “It’s my understanding that you applied pressure to as many wounds as possible. Good job. Without a doubt, you saved his life.”
“He is my life,” I respond quickly.
He explains that we can go see Hardy once he’s settled. I pace the floor until they come get me. One goes with me this time. After he leaves, the family will come back, two at a time. No way can I keep this brood away from him. The kids, let alone my parents, would riot.
My brother holds my hand tightly as we amble the halls of the CCU wing at the hospital. I’m nauseous, feeling slightly faint. As my head bobs, my brother grabs my hand, his arm wraps around my waist, righting me. My legs feel like a baby giraffe’s.
One pushes the door open to a series of sounds. Beeps, whooshes, and buzzes fills the room. Lines and tubes are everywhere. In the middle of all the chaos, lay my heart. Hardy is wrapped in the middle like a mummy, one big bandage. There is a tube in his mouth. I already miss his lips.
My brother pulls me closer. For the second time in my life, I’m scared. I’ve lost this man once. I’m positive I won’t survive if it happens again. He looks so fragile. This strong, muscle-bound man looks broken. For the first time, his outside matches his inside.
Dropping into the seat beside him, I take his hand, gripping it, praying he returns it. Nothing. Falling to my knees, I lay my cheek against his hand. It’s so cold, nothing like Hardy. It’s as if he’s not even here. Tears collect on the back of his hand and begin to run down his fingers as I lose all control of my emotions.
One places his hands on my shoulders to help pick me up from the floor. Sitting once again, I scoot closer to his bed. I’d rather climb in with him. Why did this happen? Why now? Eric never said a word, he just kept going after Hardy. It wasn’t until Hardy knocked him off the second time that I realized there was so much blood.
“Thayer, talk to him. I could hear ever
y word when I was out like this. Hadlea was so surprised when I told her things she had said or done when I was critical after the shooting.” He rubs my back in a soothing up and down. Encouraging me, even as his voice breaks.
“Hey, babe. I’m here, always. I need you to fight as hard now as you did at home. I know you were doing your best to protect me. Please, fight. Fight to open those gorgeous eyes of yours. I need to hear your voice. I need to know we’re going to be okay.” I kiss his hand and each of his fingers.
I have no clue what comes over me, I stand and begin to look his entire body over. I look at every bandage or scratch on him. Seeing the blood under his nails makes me nauseous again, for no reason other than the fact that he’d lost so much by the time the paramedics got there.
By the time I reach his head, I begin to kiss his face. Anywhere my lips can find prime real estate, I kiss it. The corner of his eyes, his forehead, his high cheekbones that I would kill to have. His nose and the very edge of his mouth not covered in tape or apparatus.
Nuzzling his ear, I whisper how much I love him. That we all love him. The fact I can’t make it without him and the sooner he can wake up, the better we’ll be. I beg him to open his eyes or to squeeze my hand. It’s ridiculous but everything I can think to say, I do.
Settling in the seat beside him again, One talks with his best friend. Letting him know how much he loves him. How proud he is of him for protecting me, and that I’m a certifiable badass now, like Lea. I know Hardy is agreeing with him about it.
The rest of the family filters through, each showering this man with love and affection. Tears and kisses flow; he would be so surprised he’s getting this much attention. No doubt he’d be embarrassed. If he can hear all of this, he’ll never doubt how much he’s loved ever again. This is his family.
The last person through the door isn’t a surprise but his reaction is. Chord. He is utterly shaken for Hardy. Their friendship has grown over the last few months, but I had no idea he had actually stayed with Chord quite often. Their bond is obvious as Chord stands beside Hardy’s bed, and his tears fall. He even kisses him on the head before saying, “I love you, brother.” Making my heart ache.
Refusing to leave Hardy’s side, our family rallies around us as they start bringing anything that I need in shifts. Lea begs me to leave him long enough to shower. Although, she and the girls cleaned me up as best as they could last night, I really do need to wash off the blood properly.
“I promise you, if he so much as flinches, I’ll scream for you. Go shower,” she says, winking at me.
“Did you leave One?” I glare at her when I ask.
“No. But, well, no. I’ll watch the door, change your clothes. Maybe the sight of your naked ass will wake him up.” A tiny giggle escapes my lips.
“Maybe I should give it a good shake?” I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“That’ll get him up.” She stands by the door, blocking it.
“One said he heard every word any of us said when he was critical,” I say to her, but I’m really questioning it.
“That’s what he says. I faded in and out. Why?” she asks in a soft voice.
“I have a few things I want to say to him. I know they said he’s doing relatively well. It’s just a waiting game for him to wake up, but I still have things to say.” I drag my jogging pants up my legs. It’s nice to have my own clothes on again. I appreciated the kids running to buy me some last night, but my clothes smell like Hardy.
“Well then, you should say them. Malone and I share everything now. It may have just about killed, him but he showed me how important it is to share everything.” She giggles at her words.
Lea kisses us both and leaves before long with the promise that someone will be bringing dinner soon. My family takes care of each other so well. Another reason to thank them when this is over.
By midnight, I sit here holding his hand, unable to sleep. I really had hardened my heart toward him. Why I even considered marrying Walker is beyond me. I knew there would never be another soul to match Hardy’s. His heart is my heart. He is my home.
“Babe, I know you’re sleeping. It’s been almost twenty-four hours since I last heard your voice. I saved your voicemails on my phone, don’t make me resort to listening to those. It’s what I did while you were gone.” I take a breath, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before continuing. “I can’t explain why I agreed to marry Walker. I’m sorry. I knew you would find your way home eventually.
“The thing is, when my eyes found yours that first day we met, I knew we’d be together forever. My heart attached to yours in that moment. Love is so odd. We can hate someone so easily, but when we love them, we can forgive them just as easily. Even when we hate what they did or how they made us feel, just because we loved them first.
I do believe I loved you first. No. There’s no argument, I loved you first. Although, you win at loving me best. You do, Hardy. You love me better than anyone on earth. I fell in love with you for all the things you did, things you didn’t realize you were doing. I’ve never had anyone believe in me the way you do. Hell, I even love when you call me ‘hun’.” I chuckle lightly.
“So many times, people laughed at me for wanting to go into the landscaping business. You didn’t blink an eye. I often felt you doubted us because of me. The realization hit that you never had a doubt in me, but that it was your past playing the role in your vision of yourself to which the unbelief grew.”
After that night, my heart grew wary. I know such injuries take time, but a week later, we were still there, waiting for a sign. Hardy had very little change. They continued to tell me it was to be expected. This was normal. They began weaning him off the sedation; it had been to keep him under an induced coma. to heal properly.
If his test comes back good later today, they’ll remove the vent. I can’t wait to kiss his lips. They’ll probably be dry when it gets removed, I wonder if I have any lip balm in my purse. Oh, hand lotion. I’ve rubbed his hand raw, we need that also.
Now that a few of his bandages are off, I decide to sponge him down. “This is hot, babe. I gotta say, I think we need to make this a regular activity. Sponge bathing is fucking hot. I miss seeing your abs by the way. Can’t wait until they take this shit off too.”
About the time I get him close to naked, a nurse walks into the room to check his vitals. Her eyes cut to Hardy more than once before she begins to openly ogle him. Bitch about to get slapped. His arms lie at his sides, defined by both the muscles and the ink on them. His legs are cut and the bandages fall just above his pelvis, leaving his ‘v’ clearly visible. I clear my throat to get her attention.
“Very nice looking man you have here.” She grins at me.
“I know, that’s why he’s mine. We’re engaged.” I flash my ring in her face. She fake smiles at it, leaving just after.
A few hours later, Hardy’s vent comes out. I’m not sure what I expected, but there was no change in him. He just lay there, still. Around one in the morning, overcome with emotion, I begin to cry. I knew it was too much to ask, but I really had hoped that when his vent was removed, he’d come out of this. When he didn’t, that’s when I really became scared. Hours later, I’m frightened beyond words.
Laying my head across him, I rub my cheek on his hand. Once again, crying until the tears run down his fingers onto the sheet. I fear for our future. I’m afraid he’s never coming back to me. The memories of him leaving eat at my resolve.
“You know you’re wrong, I loved you first, hun,” his words startle me, and I rocket from my seat, knocking it over.
“What? What did you say?” I beg to hear his voice again as my eyes fill.
“You just want to hear me say it. I loved you first.” A small grin plays on his dried lips.
“Loved me first?” I ask as I kiss his face all over.
“I loved you first, hun. By the way, you do know I have lips for that.” His delicious words make me bite my lip.
“Not until I se
e those beautiful eyes of yours, handsome.” Hovering over him, I try to keep from leaning on his stomach and chest. Slowly, he works his eyes open.
“Now, kiss me before that nurse gets back in here.”
“She can come back all she wants, but she’s not getting you, you’re mine.” Softly, I press my lips to his.
“Such a badass. You may be spending too much time with Lea. We can’t be getting married and having a million kids already.” His smile grows larger making his eyes crinkle in the corners.
“Well, I was thinking, wedding by Christmas, pregnant by Valentine’s Day,” I say, pressing my lips to his once again.
“Are you kidding? I thought you wanted to take this slow?” A perfect ‘v’ forms between his eyes to mirror the concern in his voice.
“Not at all. Matter of fact, sir, we could do the wedding and kid all in one night, if you’re up to it?” I suggest before I lean in for another sweet kiss. His hand is in my hair, pulling me into those lips of his.
“I loved you first.”
I ring the nurses’ station. Hardy’s room becomes a veritable chaotic scene. Doctor after doctor comes through, nurses moving and changing things. His eyes never leave mine, nor does his hand. He’s poked and prodded, examined and looked at. We share smiles and winks as everyone around us dissipates.
Never did we think after all we had been through that life would throw us such a curveball. To almost lose the love of your life once, should be enough to last a lifetime. But to do it twice, should give us extra credit for time served.
Helping Hardy into jogging pants and a t-shirt was a highlight for sure. His wicked grin at me on my knees in front of him had me wet. But seeing him bite his lip when my cheek grazed his cock as I pulled his pants up, drove me insane.
Standing, I sit him on the edge of his bed. Bad idea, he pulls me against his bare chest. My hands run over his biceps as we stare deeply into one another’s eyes. Pressing our lips together, I moan with satisfaction.
“A wedding by Christmas and even if I do sound like your brother, a baby?” He looks into my eyes, and I nod my head in agreement.
