Shit! This isn't something I can do by myself. Shit!
"Okay."
"Okay? You don't have any questions for me?"
"I think she's in control freak shock, Doc. Having to depend on someone is not her style."
The surgeon turned back to me. "Well you will have to get over that one quickly. You will need all the help you can get. Is he who will be taking care of you?"
"Yes."
I didn't have a chance to say a word before Mike jumped in.
"Marissa, is he who will be taking care of you?"
He made sure to enunciate my name this time.
"I don't know. I had no idea it was going to be this much work."
"I explained all of this ahead of surgery."
Mike butted in again. "She will be spoiled rotten, Doc. I have my personal medic on hand for anything she might need as well."
"Then it sounds like you would be wise to stay with Mr. Harrison. I will let you all work out the details and will see you in four days. Take care. If you have any questions feel free to call the office exchange." And then he turned and walked out of the room.
Mike sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing my good leg.
"It's going to be okay, baby. I won't let anything happen."
"That's the problem! Four days with you and nothing can happen? It will be torture the whole time."
He laughed so hard it made the bed shake.
"You will live, I promise. Four days is nothing. It's the weeks after that that will be hard as hell."
"Weeks after that?"
"Oh, Daisy, let's just not worry about it right now."
He was still giggling when the crowd came barreling back in. Before anyone could say a word, Mike yelled, "Doc's orders, she stays with me!"
And it started all over again. This time it was Blythe, Talon and Hudson at my bedside.
"I'm going to miss you. Who else can I get to watch the Kardashians with me?"
"We can still watch it together. We'll just have to talk on the phone through it."
"You won't come back."
"Yes I will, believe me."
Talon reached over and brushed the hair off my forehead.
"I'm gonna miss you. I still feel like all of this is my fault."
"Oh, Talon, it's not your fault. You can't keep feeling like this."
"Dude, she gets to stay at Mike Harrison's house. She should be glad this happened."
Talon gave Hudson the most evil look I have ever seen.
"She just had surgery, asshole!"
"What's going on over here?"
Mike was in-between the two of them before I could blink.
"Whatever it is, it needs to stop. She doesn't need this shit in here..."
While Mike was berating them, Blythe leaned down closer to me. "He's a keeper."
I smiled thinking back to Sabrina's comment about me.
"I'm glad you think so."
"I'm sorry about earlier. I never should have judged him."
"It's okay. You were just looking out for me."
Talon and Hudson were now quiet and Mike moved to the other side of Blythe to get closer to me.
"You hanging in there?"
After he leaned down and kissed me, I begged for another one.
"Just one. We don't need the room to get jealous."
"Who's going to get jealous?"
Mike turned to face the room and everyone was staring at us.
"Point taken."
"Can I get in here? You all have been hogging her." Ash was pushing his way back to me through the crowded space.
Finally he made it and as soon as he was close enough, I threw my arms around him.
"I've missed you and the twins so much."
"You don't have to be a stranger you know. They ask about you all of the time. I know Mike has staked his claim but you are more than welcome to stay with us. Sadie is home and the kids would love having you back."
Tears welled up in my eyes again. I hadn't realized how much I missed him and the twins until I saw him.
"You’re not over here trying to persuade her, are you lover boy?"
"Get out of here, Mike, this is our conversation."
"Nice try but you already have yours now get away from mine."
"Yours? She's your girlfriend? You're ready to tell the world you are taken?"
Imagine that. The room got extremely quiet with everyone staring straight at me. Why me? It was his question to answer!
When he didn't say anything, Heather screamed, "Mike! Answer the question."
He snapped back at her. "Everybody get out. NOW!"
I wanted to leave with them. He was majorly pissed off and I didn't want to hear his excuses. Once everyone was out, Mike closed the door after them and then turned to face me.
"Do you have any idea how hard that was?"
"How was that hard? It was a simple yes or no question."
"You make it sound like I could have answered them."
"You could have."
"No, I couldn't. I have never in my life asked a girl to be my girlfriend and I'm not going to assume that you'd say yes. You may have confessed how you feel for me but it's a whole other thing to say you're ready for the world to know about it. You need to think long and hard about the fact that they're going to attack you. The media is going to want to know who you are and what you’re about. It means you're about to be a celebrity yourself. Do you want that? I mean, I know you want me and nothing in the world feels better than that, but are you sure that you're ready for all that's coming?"
I guess I never put any thought into that part. He was right. It's not like he's Brad Pitt or even close to that kind of level of stature, yet he was still in the media's eye. But even with all of that attached, he was still everything I have ever wanted.
"I will take whatever comes with you if it means you're mine."
He was still standing across the room, with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Are you sure?"
"Well if that's how you are going to officially ask me, you really need to step up your romance factors."
In two seconds he was at the foot of my bed.
"Is that right?"
"Yeah, that's right. I told you before, you're going to have to work for me. It’s time to dig deep and work your ass off."
He laughed and then came to the side of my bed and dropped to one knee.
"Don't you laugh at me, okay? All right, here's your romance. Daisy, you're the very thing that makes my life feel complete. For the first time I have hope that a happily-ever-after can happen for me too, and it's because I have you. Nothing could make me happier than for you to officially be my girl."
I smiled but had to have some more fun with him. Times like these don't happen often.
"Is that it? I didn't hear you ask me yet."
"Oh, you want formal, huh? Okay."
He got up and walked around the room looking for something. I had no idea what he had planned and then, "I will be right back" came out. The door opened and he was gone. What the hell was he doing?
A few minutes later he walked in with a piece of paper folded into a triangle and handed it to me.
"Open it."
I unfolded the corners and sure enough, inside was written out:
Will you be my girlfriend?
Check yes or no
○Yes
○No
I laughed wholeheartedly. He was the cutest man in the world.
"Where's the pen?"
"Oh, shit!"
He looked so proud until I pointed out the one thing he forgot. I watched, still laughing as he raced back out of the room. The door opened again but it wasn't Mike coming back through it.
"Is it safe to come back yet?"
"Sure, come here."
After seeing Ash I realized how much Sadie and had been my everything with me being so far from home.
"Ash didn't mean to piss Mike off."
"Please go tell you
r husband that I love him and he could never do anything wrong in my eyes."
"Oh, honey, he's not perfect, no man is."
"But somehow you and him make it perfect."
"You will have that someday too, just be patient. So, what did he say?"
"I got it!"
Mike raced back through the door holding up an ink pen, not expecting Sadie to be standing there.
"Obviously I missed something. I'll just go and tell everyone you need a few more minutes."
She walked by Mike and slapped him in the arm playfully before she left the room.
He walked slowly over to me and handed me the pen.
"I have never been so nervous before." He wasn't serious in the slightest.
"Oh, shut up."
I checked “No” just to be a brat, folded the note back up and handed it to him. He jerked it from me and opened it, only to drop the piece of paper to the ground.
"If you weren't injured I would tackle you right now and tickle you to death."
"But I am, so, you can't."
I stuck my tongue out at him to push his buttons.
"You are so much more to me than you know, Daisy."
"Well, now that I'm your girlfriend you can show me just what you mean."
He smiled and then gave me a kiss I will never forget. "My girlfriend."
"Yes, Mike, you have your first girlfriend."
Chapter 15
The time came for me to be released from the hospital quicker than I thought it would. It seems hospitals only keep you as long as they have to, which was a whole forty-eight hours from when I got to the emergency room. Let’s just forget how scared the patient is to go home with her new boyfriend, I mean don't they know priorities?
Mike had his friend Chris meet us to insure that I was comfortable on the ride home. What I meant to say was his house. Nothing about that ride made me feel like I was going home. I barely knew Chris other than he was Mike's medic and Kate's friend. I'd seen him at Brooklyn and Anthony's events but we had never had a conversation other than the casual hello. Now Mike basically sicced him on me.
"Mike! I'm fine. Will you stop already?"
We hadn't even gotten to his house yet and this was the fourth time he pulled the car over to check on me.
"You shush. Chris, is her leg okay? That last turn I took a little sharper than I should have."
"She's fine! Keep driving and just get us there already."
It was hard sitting in the back seat. Truthfully my leg hurt like hell after that turn but telling him would only lengthen the journey.
"Don't snap at me, asshole. I'm just worried about her."
"Well she would be better if you would just get there so we could get her out of this damn car."
"Boys, stop fighting."
As soon as he pulled onto the road he quickly pulled back off.
"What the hell is the problem now?"
"Get out."
Obviously he wasn't talking to me. I couldn't get out by myself if I tried.
"What?"
"You're driving, now get out."
Chris grabbed the door handle saying, "This is just fucking stupid."
Mike was already out of the driver’s seat and climbing in the back with me before Chris made it around the car.
"I'm sorry, Daisy. I can't sit up there with you back here by yourself."
"Mike, I just want out of this car."
"We'll be home soon, baby."
And there was that word again: home. I wanted my mom and dad more than anything in that moment. I hadn't even called them yet to tell them what happened. I knew they would be on the first flight out here if they knew I was in the hospital. Telling them after I got to Mike's just seemed like the best choice.
Chris finally pulled the car into the garage about ten minutes later. Mike made him grab my lower half while he held my upper body, as they carried me into the house. Talk about feeling helpless.
"Surely there has to be a way for me to get there without you carrying me."
"Shhh, you will be in bed in no time."
"Quit shushing me!"
Chris stayed quiet but his expression clearly read "This is bullshit."
After bumping into three different corners I was finally set down in a bed. The softest most comfortable bed on the planet, I might add. Every pillow Mike stacked for me to rest against smelled just like him. Chris went and grabbed more from another room and used them to prop my leg up.
"All right, she's here. I'm going home and getting some rest. I wrote down the schedule for her meds and left it on the counter. Don't forget to stay on top of this. If she goes longer than four hours between each dose she will be in horrible pain. Got it?"
"Got it."
“Okay, I’ll come by tomorrow and check up on her therapy."
"I know it's late, sorry, man. I’ll talk to you in the morning about how often you will be here with her."
"Sounds good. See ya later, Marissa. If you need anything just call me."
"Why would she need you? I'm here."
Mike was so caveman about this whole thing it cracked me up.
"Thanks, Chris, but I doubt I will want for anything with him around."
He laughed knowing I was right and then he and Mike walked out of the room leaving me alone. I looked around and couldn't believe where I was. Mike's bedroom!
The bed frame was black with huge masculine posts on all four corners. The bedding was a soft grey that matched the darker shade on the walls. It was definitely a man’s room. No signs of a pale yellow that would fit perfectly with the colors he already had going. That would be the addition of a woman's touch.
A huge flat screen TV was mounted on the wall opposite from where I was sitting, so after a while I got bored and wanted to turn it on. I looked on the nightstand next to me for the remote but nothing was there. I found a drawer I could barely reach but somehow I managed to crack it open hoping it would be in there somewhere, wrong again. Condoms, lube, you name it it was in there but no remote.
"What are you doing?"
I jumped back, closing it as fast as I could, like a kid getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"I was looking for the remote."
"Well, it surely isn't in that drawer but I guess you figured that out already." He said, smiling.
"Yeah, I sure did."
He walked over and sat down next to me on the other side of the bed, grabbing something off the other nightstand on his way. Sure enough he had the remote in hand.
"I sleep on this side."
"Oh."
I wasn't sure how to feel about the stuff I found. I knew he had a large past of sleeping with women but finding evidence of that fact sucked. Being here all of a sudden felt weird and wrong.
"Look at me, Daisy."
I hadn't realized I was staring down at my own hands in my lap until he called for my attention. Looking up at him reminded me of all the times I prayed he would see me. His eyes twinkled in the low light of the room when he said, "I'm happy you're here. Not under these circumstances but just happy I get to have you."
"Can I be honest?"
"Sure. I can't say that's what I thought you'd say back but go ahead."
"I don't want to sound like I don't appreciate all that you're doing but I hate that I am imposing like this."
"What are you talking about? I wanted you here before you ever hurt yourself. It's like it's my birthday or something."
He scooted over to me and put his head in my lap.
"See, this way we can watch TV and you can rub my head at the same time. Win, win."
My hand went to his head without thinking while he was still staring up at me with those gorgeous eyes.
"Doesn't it bother you that I haven't showered?"
"Not one bit. Now, your breath, on the other hand, is something totally different. I have braved through the whole day so I think you should reward me."
I started pushing him off me but he wouldn't budge.<
br />
"What do you think I could possibly do, Mike? I'm crippled."
"That you are. Maybe sleeping next to me will just have to do."
"I can't really cuddle, you know."
"But I can cuddle you."
He turned on the TV and in seconds he was asleep. I thought about asking him to grab my phone so I could call my parents but never could I disrupt such a beautiful sight. I continued to rub his head until I couldn't keep my eyes open myself.
***
"Ouch! Oooowwwwww! Oh my God!"
I opened my eyes just as Mike was jumping off of me half asleep and falling to the floor. I continued to scream as he stood up and looked at the clock.
"Shit! I'm so sorry, Daisy. I'll go get them, hold on."
He ran for my pain meds as I lay there in horrific agony. Hell, it hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. It didn't take long before Mike was running back into the room with a glass of water and my pills. I couldn’t wait to have the pain stop. I was so close to getting my relief too, before Mike nailed his foot on the door frame. The glass went flying in the air while the water came right at me, soaking the sheets in the process as Mike went tumbling to the floor.
"Fuck!"
He was rolling around holding his right foot as I sat there helpless. My pain was unbearable but I couldn't help but laugh at him.
"Get up! You need to get me those pills or I'm going kill you when I'm better, I swear it."
He struggled, pushing himself up by using the end of the bed.
"You're lucky I like you or I would make you wait longer. Don’t laugh at me. That hurt."
"I can't imagine the pain you're in right now. I'm sure it's probably like having your knee cut on. I mean that's got to feel bad. Come on now, Mike, this really hurts."
"I'm sorry, babe, I know it does. Hold on, I'll go get you more water."
He hobbled out of the room and was back seconds later with another glass. I took the pills and threw my head back as the tears rolled down my cheeks once I closed my eyes. The throbbing going on in my knee was the worst pain I have ever felt. His weight sunk the mattress letting me know he was on the bed and making his way to me, but there was no opening my eyes to see him.
"I'm sorry, Daisy, I should never have fallen asleep. How hard would it have been to set an alarm or something? I feel awful, baby."
He brushed my tears away with his thumbs as they fell. I didn't want to cry but the pain gave me no choice in the matter.
Fighting Fate Page 17
