Crystal gave her father a look of admiration before saying, “You go, Daddy.” Declan found himself smothering his first smile of the day at this quirky girl who reminded him so much of Ellie in that moment that it made his heart literally hurt.
Ella’s father stepped forward and extended a hand. “Declan, wasn’t it?” At his nod, he said, “Bob Webber. Could you tell us what happened please?” He was happy that Bob had decided to formally introduce himself since their first meeting had been under less than ideal circumstances. One quick glance showed Ella’s mother standing off by herself, clearly unhappy with her husband’s words, but wise enough to stay quiet for the moment.
Declan filled them in on everything he knew about the accident and Mac stepped forward to let them know that the police would be by to speak to Ella as soon as she was able to talk. He assured them that he was doing everything he could in the meantime to find out what happened and to locate the driver of the car.
The tension slowly lessened in the room as the Webbers settled into one side of the waiting room and the rest of them in the other. He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring off into space when someone tapped his shoulder. He was surprised to see Crystal sit down beside him. “It’s okay,” she smiled, “I’m not going to go all crazy on you like Mom.”
He gave her a smile in return, once again struck by how much she resembled her sister when she smiled. “That’s good to know. I don’t think I could handle another round this soon.”
“I’ll bet,” she laughed. “She means well most of the time, but she has no idea how to go about communicating with people. She is so caught up in what people think about her that it has taken over her life. I just know she is as miserable most of the time as she makes all of us. Poor Daddy, I’m so proud of him for finally sticking up for Ella today. He used to be kind of like Mom, but I think he has gotten burned out from all of the social climbing. He’d love nothing better than to be left alone in his workshop to putter around.”
Declan really looked at her for probably the first time, seeing a lot beneath the surface. “It must be pretty tough on you with Ella gone from home.”
Crystal sighed, and then looked down at her hand for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I was pretty jealous at first,” she admitted. “I was trapped in a marriage that was mostly miserable and I had completely bowed to the pressure of trying to be the perfect daughter. When Ella moved out and seemed to be doing so well, it finally hit me that instead of being jealous of her for finally getting a life of her own, I should take control of my own. I’m not saying it happened overnight, but I’m trying. I may end up in divorce court before it’s over, which of course means that Mom will never speak to me again, but I’ve got to live my life.” Her voice caught on a sob when she added, “Ella showed me that.”
He could feel a lump in his own throat as he thought of the woman he loved lying in surgery. That woman meant so much to the people around her. He had tried to fight it. He had railed against it, denied it, and just downright lied to himself—and her—but if he was honest, he was a goner from their meeting at Suzy’s house. When she had ended up sitting next to him at dinner, he had been hooked. She was so obviously ill at ease that he had felt all of his protective instincts kick in. When Nick had flirted with her to put her at ease, he had wanted to kick his ass. That night had begun a cycle for him. He had started seeking her out almost every day, first making it look accidental and later, as their conversations had gotten easier and increased in frequency, he had begun bringing her things like her favorite coffee or candy. Hell, he didn’t even know when the habit had started. He just knew she had become the focal point of his day. His Ellie deserved so much better than someone as fucked up as him, but if she would give him a chance, he would spend the rest of his life trying to become a man worthy of a woman like her.
Mac gave him a nudge when Julie walked back in the room. He jumped to his feet, trying not to look as nervous as he felt. Ella’s parents also walked toward their group hoping for some news. He couldn’t tell anything from Julie’s expression. When she gave him a brief smile before she started talking, he felt like sagging to the floor in relief. “Ella is out of surgery,” she began, “and she’s stable right now. They are confident that they found the source of the bleeding and repaired as much as they could. She will probably still need another surgery when she is stronger, but the goal today was to stop the internal bleeding.”
“When can we see her?” Ella’s mother demanded.
“She’s going to be out for hours now. It will probably be tomorrow. I would advise you all to go home and get some sleep tonight. She’s going to need you all during her recovery so you need to be strong for her.”
Declan knew there was no way in hell he was leaving the hospital until he saw her again. He was relieved when her parents seemed to be taking Julie’s advice and gathering their things. Her father walked over and gave him a piece of paper with his cell phone number on it and asked if he would call if there was any change and assured him they would be back first thing in the morning. Crystal also gave him a wave and he was pretty certain that both she and her father were leaving the hospital before her mother could inflict further damage. He walked back over to their friends. “You guys should go home for the night, too. Beth, I know Ella would be pissed off at me and Nick if we let you sit in these hard chairs all night.”
Beth clearly didn’t want to leave, but Nick was ignoring her protests and steering her toward the door. “Princess, I promise we will come back bright and early tomorrow and they will call us if anything changes. Your feet are swollen and don’t forget the doctor said you needed to keep them up as much as possible.” They were still arguing as Nick ushered her gently out of the door.
He convinced Claire and Jason to go next, knowing that they had a baby at home who needed them tonight.
After their departure, Suzy raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not pregnant and we don’t have a kid at home waiting for us. I’m staying right here and Gray has even offered to make a Starbucks run so we won’t have to drink this hospital crap.”
“Same here,” Ava added, while Mac and Brant nodded in agreement.
True to his word, Gray took everyone’s orders and went down the street to pick up coffee. Brant went with him to help him carry it all back. Suzy leaned forward after they left and said, “Man, Ella’s mother is a stone, cold bitch. I’m still pissed at Gray for not letting me tell her off.”
Declan now knew why Gray looked so happy to be going to Starbucks to juggle coffee cups. He would probably go to the one in another state just to buy a little time away from his wife. “She’s a little . . . difficult.”
Even Ava looked at him with disbelief. “Difficult? Yeah, that’s putting it mildly. This is a whole new you, brother. I can’t believe how serious you are about this woman. I’m surprised and strangely impressed.”
“How about inspired?” Mac muttered under his breath. Declan was pretty sure that either Ava hadn’t heard his reply or chose to ignore it.
When Gray and Brant made it back with the coffee, everyone settled back in their seats and talked comfortably while CNN played on the television beside them. When Julie came back in, Declan was surprised to see it was after midnight. He had to wonder if he had dozed off at some point.
Julie stopped beside his seat. “Are Ella’s parents still here?” When he shook his head, she looked relieved. “I can sneak you back for a few minutes. She’s still asleep, but you can see her.”
Eagerly, he jumped to his feet and gave her a smile of gratitude. “Thanks, Julie, I really appreciate it.” He followed her down another corridor into the ICU wing.
“She’ll be here for a few days until she’s moved to a regular room. It’s what we call the penthouse of the hospital,” she joked.
The first thing that struck him when he walked into the room was how small Ella looked in the bed. She looked childlike and he felt every protective instinct in him come ro
aring to the surface. He would lay his life down to spare her from what she was going through now.
How could someone do this to her and then drive off and leave her there? What if another car had struck her before someone could help? Not only had they hurt her, they had left her lying in the fucking road like she was worthless. That was what haunted him the most. His sweet Ellie, hurt and him not knowing for hours. What if he never had the chance to tell her how he felt? What if she had died thinking he wanted nothing from her but sex? If he had manned up and came home on time, things might have been different. In the back of his mind, he knew how things would have played out. He would have broken it off with her, been at home licking his wounds, and miserable as hell without her. Wouldn’t it be worth it though if it would have saved her from where she was at now?
The door clicked as Julie walked back out and he gazed down at the woman he loved. Tears tracked down his cheeks and his vision blurred. He felt no shame at his loss of control. After finally letting himself love someone, he could accept that in order to be strong, you had to open yourself up to being vulnerable. Ella was his strength and his weakness. She was all things to him and he would never stop trying to be all things to her. He dropped in the chair next to her and took her hand before laying his head on the bed beside her. He kissed her palm and felt peace at the steady pulse beneath his fingertips.
* * *
Ella blinked several times trying to clear her vision. She felt like she was trying to see through a thin film over her eyes. After several attempts, the room started to come into focus and confused her even more. Where was she? This wasn’t her apartment and it wasn’t Declan’s. She looked down and saw the dark head resting against her arm. It took some effort as her limbs felt so heavy, but finally she was able to lift her hand and stroke Declan’s hair. It was always so soft, almost like a baby’s. He groaned under her touch, starting to stir. She studied her hand against his head with an almost detached curiosity. Why was there a tube taped there? Her thought process was so slow that it was hard to form any kind of rational thought.
Declan groaned at the weight of her hand against him and suddenly bolted upright. When he saw her looking at him a huge grin split his face. “Ellie, baby! Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” she croaked. Her throat was dry and felt rusty. “Water?” she asked.
He pushed the button for the nurse, still grinning at her. “Hang on, baby, someone is coming. How are you feeling?”
“Where . . . what?”
He picked her hand back up, moving gingerly around the IV. “Honey, you were in an accident, a hit-and-run.”
She searched her memory, trying to remember what he was describing. “Your flowers,” she whispered.
Clearly not understanding, he leaned closer, “What, baby?”
“Someone made me drop your flowers . . . so sorry . . . your tulips.”
Declan felt a kick to his gut. She had gotten hit by a car, but was apologizing to him about flowers? Was her injury making her delusional?
He stroked her uninjured cheek. “Just rest, Ellie. You are going to be alright.”
“Bought you flowers, something hit me . . . I . . . dropped them.”
Holy fuck! She was in the hospital and she was upset over dropping flowers she had bought for him? If he hadn’t already admitted to himself that he loved her that would have surely brought him to his knees. “Ellie,” he whispered near her ear. When her eyes fluttered back open, he said, “I love you, sweet girl. I love you so damn much.”
“Love you,” she muttered before she drifted back off. As far as first declarations of love went, it was brief, but he knew it was a moment that would be etched on his heart forever.
Chapter Twenty
Ella had been in the hospital for over two weeks and by now she was ready to climb the walls. She knew that she should just be grateful to be alive and she was, but being poked, prodded and woken at all hours of the night was getting old. Declan had been her saving grace. True to form, they had fallen into a pattern that revolved around love almost as easily as they had established one around friendship. He visited in the morning before work, then during lunch, and once he was done with work for the evening.
She had been vaguely aware of him telling her that he loved her before her first surgery, but he had done more than that since. He had showed her in so many ways. He dealt with her parents like a pro and, even though she would never admit it, she was pretty sure that her mother was actually starting to like him now. Her father and Crystal had been easier to win over. He had even brought Evan by a few times to see her and on their last visit, they smuggled in Happy Meals for all of them. A hamburger had never tasted so good. Declan also helped her shower, wash her hair, and was infinitely patient with her when she was feeling sorry for herself or frustrated by her body’s limitations.
The nurses had fallen in love with him as well. For someone as standoffish as Declan had been, this suddenly social Declan was truly something to experience. He was always dropping off donuts or some goody for the nurses because he wanted to thank them for taking such good care of Ella. They turned a blind eye to the visiting hours policy where he was concerned. He came and went as he wanted, and they had no problem with it. He had even been caught several times in the bed with Ella when she couldn’t sleep. Instead of scolding him, the morning nurse had actually praised him for taking his shoes off first.
Ella was up and walking each day now. The doctors had been forced to remove her spleen when it ruptured and she had also undergone an additional surgery to repair the damage to her pelvis. She was now more like the bionic woman than she would have ever wanted, thanks to the plates and screws it had taken to stabilize her fractured pelvis. She was still walking with a limp, but it improved as her flexibility returned in small measures.
When the door to her room opened, she felt a smile tugging at her lips as Declan walked in carrying his latest contraband item. She was pretty sure the cup he carried contained her favorite white chocolate mocha and the bag in his other hand contained a cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting. The man certainly knew what she loved. He gave her an easy smile in return as he pulled her tray over to the bed and settled the coffee and bag on top of it. He leaned over and rested his lips lightly against hers. He dropped one more kiss on the tip of her nose before pulling back. “Hey, baby, how’s my girl today?”
“Going crazy here,” she pouted. “I’m ready to go home.”
“Awww, I know, Ellie. I might have some news that will interest you though.”
“Oh, please tell me you have some good office gossip,” she moaned.
Chuckling, Declan said, “Nope, sorry, I guess you will have to settle for going home tomorrow instead.”
“What! Oh my God, please don’t be kidding about that!”
“I’m serious, baby. Julie said that the doctor is planning to release you tomorrow, as long as you are still doing as well as you are now. He is supposed to be by to talk to you later this morning.”
She felt tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. Since her accident, it seemed like she cried whether she was happy or sad. One of the nurses told her that a traumatic event caused your emotions to be unsettled for a while and that sure was the case with Ella. She went through a box of Kleenex every few days. “I’m so happy,” she whispered.
Declan gently wiped her tears away and said, “Yeah, I can see that, Ellie. It’s going to be okay. Is there anything in particular that you need from your apartment? I’ll try to get everything this afternoon so we can go straight to my place tomorrow when you’re released.”
After some initial opposition from her parents, it had been decided that Ella would live with Declan until she was fully recovered. He had an elevator in his apartment, which would make it easier for her to come and go until she was healed. She had been worried about being a burden on him, but the idea seemed to thrill him. She had to wonder if he ever intended for her to return to her place. “I could use some of my clothing
and um . . . underwear.”
“You got it. Ellie . . . I love you.”
Ella melted as she did every time he said those words to her. Would she ever get used to hearing them? “I love you, too.” Oh crap, more tears. She didn’t think she had ever said those words to him without crying either. Ugh.
He mopped her up from her latest round of waterworks and handed her the cup of coffee he had brought. When she was finished, they took a walk in the corridors until she was tired and her limp more pronounced. When they returned to the room, Mac was waiting for them.
* * *
“Hey, guys. I figured you were around here somewhere. Ella, you look even better than you did yesterday.”
Ella smiled at the man she had grown close to in such a short amount of time. “Thanks, Mac. You’re early today.” He usually dropped by in the afternoon to check on her and bring her some new reading material.
“Yeah, I’ve got some news and I hoped to catch Declan here.” Declan sent him a questioning look and Mac nodded slightly. “They have the person who hit you in custody, Ella.”
Declan pulled her against him, bracing her as she started to tremble. “Who is the bastard?” He knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. Mac rubbed his forehead before releasing a deep breath.
“She’s just a scared and freaked out, seventeen-year-old kid. The police were close to identifying the car from the video cameras at the supermarket. Well, this morning the girl and her parents walked into the police station and she turned herself in. Said she just couldn’t take it anymore. She told her parents everything and they all came in together.”
Declan heard Ella release a ragged sob and he knew the feeling. Fuck! Since the accident, he had dreamed about the moment they would find the monster that had hurt Ella and now he felt even more helpless than before. His anger was all that had kept him going for those first few days. His need for justice and, hell, probably even revenge. Shit.
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