Knights Who Stole My Heart : Knights Series Book 2

by Sonya Jesus

  “What were you thinking?” Connor accuses me. “Why wouldn’t you have gone home? I don’t understand you.” Well, that makes two of us right now. I don’t understand any of them, or why they are here. Especially not the three in front of me.

  “I have to agree with them, Princess,” Christian speaks up.

  “Do you do that a lot, Lia?” Mason asks in the same accusatory tone as Aiden and Connor.

  “Okay, that is enough.” Finally! Robins comes to my defense. “I am pretty sure Lia knows how stupid it was to go running around campus in the dark.”

  Uh, what? These guys are giving my brain whiplash. The one thing they all agree on is how stupid I was. I remove my hand from Robins’ grasp, no longer feeling that calming sensation.

  “Okay.” They all look at me. “Thank you for coming, now get out.” Each one sends off their version of a snicker or a grunt, and I know whatever conversations they had in the waiting room probably hit on this. None of them make a move to exit, and not one of them even acknowledge my request. “No one is going to attack me in a fucking hospital room! So there is no need for all of you to be here, especially if you’re going to stand there and scold me for being an adult.”

  “I’m not leaving.” Mason is the first one to speak up. “I’m not leaving until we find out who attacked you.” The rest grunt in agreement, and their agreement pisses me off.

  “This is ridiculous.” I throw my hands in the air. “That can take forever. Are you going to follow me everywhere now?”

  Aiden smirks, catching my attention.

  “No.” Absolutely not. “Do not even think about it.” Especially not him. “I don’t need you guys to watch out for me, okay?” None of them listen to what I’m saying. So, I give them what they are probably waiting for. “If I promise not to go roaming around campus alone?” I got all their attention. That’s what this united front is. “Okay, I promise.”

  “No more wells,” Connor demands. I nod in agreement.

  “No more strolls around campus,” Mason adds in. I nod in agreement.

  “No diner runs at four a.m.?” Christian confirms. Ugh. I had a thing for cake and milkshakes. That was kind of rough for me. I blow a long breath of air through my lips, tug tight on the covers and agree.

  “No more Breaker runs after 10p.m.”

  “After ten? That’s when I always get the munchies.” I look Robins straight in the eyes, making sure to let him know that I am contemplating hating him right now.

  “I mean it, Pooh Bear. You get the munchies, take one of the girls with you. I better not find you there alone, scarfing down chicken fingers.”

  I force a smile. All the bobbling heads in the room agree. I could really go for some of those right now. I groan and realize that I am pouting over chicken fingers.

  I close my eyes and shake my head. I cannot believe I’m agreeing to this. “Fine! You guys win.”

  A collective, “Good,” ends the conversation.

  I swallow a laugh. They honestly think I am going to go through with all of this? A curfew? I’m not a child, nor a Princess who needs to be guarded by five Knights or run around campus with a bunch of ladies following me.

  Anyway, what are they going to do when they find out I broke their stupid rules? Mason was never on campus. He had Katie to worry about. Aiden and Christian have crazy schedules with soccer. Robins has his own mechanisms of entertainment. And Connor? What is he going to do now? Sick Haley on me?

  They are all idiots, though very sweet for caring.

  My turn. “Any of you want to tell me why you are all here?”

  “Where else would I be?” Robins replies with distress in his voice. He looks off into the distance, but not once does he let go of my hand. Connor doesn’t even bother answering me, considering he was my sort of boyfriend. These two are self-explanatory, but that doesn’t explain Christian, Mason and Aiden Keys.

  I arch a brow at Christian, causing him to confess. “Natalie was, uh, with me.”

  The uh explained it all.

  “I drove Nat over.” He points to Aiden. “When he heard Natalie scream out, ‘I’m going to knife the fucker,’” I laugh and stop myself because of the headache, “He was the first one in the car.”

  Still doesn’t answer why he came.

  Mason’s up next. “Avery called me,” he admits, unsure of how I would take the information.

  My jaw clenches. “Avery called you?” He nods his head, “Why did Avery call you Mason?”

  This amuses Christian. “Well, that’s not true. Nat called Avery who happened to be hanging out with your boy Mason.”

  I want to knock the smug look off of Christian’s face. Why is he saying that? What does he know?

  I quickly change the subject. “Where are Natalie and Avery?”

  “Mel took them home to get you some clothes and feminine things,” Christian responds.

  Connor adds, “They were by your side all night.”

  Great friends.

  Someone knocks on the door, disturbing the atmosphere in the room. Everyone turns towards it. The door swings open, revealing Harper, who sprints forward and jumps on the bed. The guys scold her for hugging me so tightly. She lets go, lays down beside me, making Robins unfasten himself. She then motions for her boyfriend to come in.

  “Hey, Amelia.” He walks in slowly. I almost miss the softness in his eyes, because it is a fleeting moment. It’s quickly replaced with nothing. He adjusts his glasses and stands next to Aiden and Christian. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m alright.” I intend to be tough. “Did you bring Harper over?”

  Robins, who was still sitting next to me, answers, “Actually, he called the ambulance. He was on his way to the Rook when he saw me running and screaming.”

  “I heard the panic, and I went after him. I didn’t see who attacked you, though. I am sorry for that.” He checks the time and addresses Harper. “I have to go. Harper insisted I drop her off. But I’ll get to the bottom of this Amelia. I swear.”

  Chapter 24: VIP Hospital Room

  Lia

  “I’m fine!” I shout, refusing to put on the horrendous green gown that Weston’s holding in front of me. “Waving it in front of my face isn’t going to change my mind, Wes!”

  Weston sits on the hospital bed, his pitch-black hair shining almost blue underneath these horrible hospital lights. He rolls the gown into a ball and throws it onto the chair across the room. His emerald green eyes focus on me. I’m sitting crossed leg on the bed, poking at the tape on the inside of my elbow, deciding whether or not I should rip the IV out.

  “Stop that!” he whines in a very unprofessional tone. “Why are you so difficult?”

  “Because I’ve been poked and prodded enough! It’s not like I’m dying.” Maybe it freaks me out a little, but I didn’t need my sister and her boyfriend controlling my life. “It happens!”

  “If I let you go without running all the tests, your sister will fly here and she’s going through enough right now. She can’t exactly leave. You know that.”

  “I know.” I sit back, leaning against the pillows.

  Weston’s brows are raised in my directions. He understands my complicated family, because his is so much worse. “She just wants to make sure you are okay and taken care of.”

  “I can take care of myself,” I pout. “I don’t need three nurses, two doctors and you. Can you just send me home?”

  “I want to run a toxicology screen first, especially for tetradhydrazoline. Just to eliminate the questions. It could be what´s causing all your stomach aches, and nausea. ” He has his doctor face on, but he isn’t even a real doctor. This is ridiculous. “The results take a couple days, but, once I get the lab work back I’ll release you.”

  “Why do I have to wait? I’m fine. My blood pressure is normal, I’m breathing. Do your test and then send me home so I can sleep in my own bed. You tell Emmalyn I’m fine so she doesn’t worry. I tell Adrian you gave me the VIP treatment and doted
on me until you knew I was in the clear.”

  “You want me to lie to Adrian?”

  “Don’t act like it’s the first time.” I almost have him.

  “It could be serious.”

  “It isn’t. Even you told me it sounded like the beginning of an ulcer. Maybe, it’s really an ulcer. I haven’t been eating normally-”

  “You lost thirteen pounds in two weeks.” Thirteen? “Are you on any crazy diet pills?” There’s a hint of playfulness in his tone.

  I stretch my feet out and shove him further down the bed. “No! You are so annoying.” I tug on the on plastic tube pumping me with cold fluid. “Get this thing off me!”

  He crosses his arms in front of his chest, nodding no. He rises from the bed and pulls out a vial. “Not yet. I’m going to add something to help with the nausea and counter any other side effects. Charcoal, if it´s poisoning you should start to feel better soon.” He takes a small needle and fills the syringe with a grayish liquid. He disinfects the free port on the IV bag and injects the solution into it, mixing it a little, then writes on the bag with Sharpie. “This should make you feel better.”

  “Going home will make me feel better!” I glower at his need to be professional.

  “After the screening.” He comes next to me. “So, just to confirm I won’t find anything strange in the results? No drugs? THC, PCP, Excta-see?”

  I stifle my smile by forcing my lips together. “Save your corny jokes for vacation.”

  He chuckles. “Ok, I’ll send the nurse in. Do you want to see your friends out there?”

  “No! Tell them I’m okay and send them home. My head hurts too much to have to deal with all the worry.

  He disapproves, but agrees. “Okay, I’ll be back in a little bit.” He leans over and kisses my forehead. “I better not see your ass in here again. I had a date tonight.”

  I push him away playfully. “Then send me home and call her up.”

  “Maybe. Let´s give it a few hours.” He smiles at me before he sticks his head out the door and calls for the nurse. She helps me out of bed and hands me a plastic cup to pee in. She places the IV pouch in my hand, insisting I need to take it with me. Once I settle back in, she takes another vial of my precious blood and leaves me alone.

  I doze off and wake up at around four a.m. My stomach is killing me again. The room is dark accept for a light coming from the bathroom. I groan, turning onto my back. If I tell Weston I feel like puking, he will never let me go. I run my fingers over my stomach, curling my arms around it. My IV gets in the way. I sit up, throw my legs over the side of the bed and stand, feeling a little dizzy for a second. I hold on to the edge of the bed until things stop spinning. My heart pounds against my chest. I slow my breathing, working through the nausea and dizziness. I sit back on the bed when it doesn’t get better.

  I can’t believe I’m going to have to call Weston in here.

  “You’re up!” I jump, startled by the noise. “I’ve been waiting.”

  “Haley? What are you doing sitting here in the dark?”

  She laughs. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

  After finding the light switch, I flip it on. The bright light blinds me and I blink, adjusting to it.

  Haley sits cross legged, her elbows resting on her thighs and propping her head up, like she had been watching me in the dark. “How are you feeling?” she asks.

  “Umm, kind of shitty actually.” I prop some pillows up against the headboard to support my back. My stomach cries out in pain. I whimper, clutching my stomach, and putting on a brave face. I suck at pretending.

  Haley glances at the door. “Maybe I should call the nurse.”

  “No!” I grunt as a pain shoots through my stomach. The IV bottle, with anti-nausea medication, isn’t dripping anything. I find the little plastic control thing and turn the knob, increasing the drip. “I’m fine. It will pass soon.” My arm gets cold as the medicine enters my body.

  “If you say so,” she says flippantly.

  I tilt my head towards her, trying to stay as still as much as possible. Movement worsens the nausea. “Where are the rest of the girls?”

  I’m surprised she’s the one who stayed to take me home and not Mel.

  She holds her phone in her hand, probably texting updates and answers. “What do you mean? You sent everyone away. They came home a few hours ago.”

  Came?

  They told me what happened. When I heard you were here and waiting to be discharged, I didn’t want to leave you alone.”

  “Oh, that was nice of you,” I say, feeling like a bitch for treating her the way I did. “I’m really sorry for—” I inhale slowly, hold the air in and exhale, trying to calm the sudden rapid beating in my chest. I repeat this a few times until I can speak again. “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been treating you.”

  Why was there no beeping from the heart monitor?

  “Oh, don’t worry.” She looks up from her phone. “I’m over it.”

  “Really?”

  “Absolutely.” A sickly sweet smile escapes her. “The girls called me out on some stuff today. They weren’t particularly happy with me, but they were right; I haven’t been myself lately.”

  Guilt. “They don’t mean it. I might have complained about you too many times, and Natalie isn’t very good with dealing with her emotions. If she said anything it’s coming from a place of fear. I wouldn’t read too much into it. I’ll talk to them, if you want.”

  She tilts her head to the side, her eyes fixed on me. She doesn’t blink, it’s like she’s dozed off somewhere. “Sure,” she says with a high pitched voice. “Like you talked to Connor on your Anniversary?”

  “I’m sorry, Haley. I was confused and insecure.” I clear my throat and reach for the cup of water near-by, emptying it in minutes.

  Haley pops up next to me, pouring some more water into the cup and handing it to me. I sip, swishing the cold water around in my mouth, cooling the burning sensation in my throat.

  “Thanks.” I use my hands to lift me up a little higher. Patting the empty spot on the bed, I ask her to come to sit with me. “Sit with me until Weston comes and lets me go?”

  “Oh!” She giggles. “He was just in here.” She looks around the room as if he was still in there. I follow, searching the empty room. “He said you were free to go when you woke up. He´ll call you with the results.”

  I nod. Thank God. 24 hours is enough hospitalization time. “Thanks for waiting, you must be exhausted. Did you come by yourself?”

  She sits on the edge of the bed and hands me the glass of water. “Yes, but when I got here there were people waiting to visit.”

  I think the anti-nausea medicine is finally kicking in. I don’t feel like I’m going to puke. However, my gut is telling me it might come out the other end. I clench my butt cheeks and the feeling subsides. Despite the pain, I ask, “Who?”

  She frowns. “Connor was standing outside your door. The nurse wouldn’t let him in, though. I think they were having problems with everyone outside.”

  “Problems?” I take another sip. There isn’t enough water to put out the fire in my throat.

  She frowns. “Seems like you have a lot of boys who care about you. They didn’t want to leave.” Who the hell was she talking about? “Coach Reid’s wife called in a favor. Preston had to threaten the soccer suite to make them leave. They kept annoying the nurses because you didn’t want visitors.”

  The soccer coaches were here? “Aiden was here. I sent them all away; they were a little…”

  “Over protective?”

  “Annoyingly so,” I admit.

  “I can see that. I think some people still lingered behind. Coach Reid is still around somewhere, waiting for his wife to finish her shift. And Robins is sprawled out on the waiting room couch sleeping. This place is like a fortress! They put you in their more distinguished wing.”

  In an attempt to conceal my wealth, I mention. “My sister is dating one of the Chases. I guess that ear
ns me a little pampering after almost dying.” I smile.

  “This must be where the celebs come to have babies and stuff.” She runs her finger along the marble top of the night stand. I didn’t notice before. I guess the room is a lot nicer than a usual hospital room. “You have to have a barcode sticker just to get in the hallway and they weren’t giving out any more.”

  Wait! “How did you get in here then?”

  “I told them you called me to pick you up.”

  “You lied to them?” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone.

  Wait. Is that my phone? “Where did you get that?”

  “Yeah,” she hands it to me. “I found it.”

  “Oh?” I peek up at Haley.

  “Yeah.” She lowers her head and smooths the mattress with her palm.

  Why did that remind me of something?

  My thinking process is interrupted by a distinct heat in my abdomen. Ugh. My intestines are in agony. This isn’t an ulcer, it feels more like a stomach virus. “I’m going to be sick.”

  Haley jumps up quickly, allowing me to shuffle out of the bed, yanking the needle thing out of my arm. I sway as I try to stagger across the room, almost tripping over my own feet. The trip to the bathroom takes forever. I’m dragging myself, despite needing to run to the toilet.

  Haley wraps her arms around my waist, trying to hold me up and help me.

  I groan. I didn’t want her to see me having diarrhea. “I’m just going to the bathroom. You don’t want to go with me. Trust me.”

  “Let me help you,” she purrs as she quickens her pace.

  The faster we go the harder it is for me and I stumble forward, groaning in pain. My insides are in a slasher movie, hacking at my insides. My knees go weak, and gravity gets the best of me, but Haley never lets me hit the floor. I want to thank her, but it’s hard to breathe and talk at the same time.

  When we get to the door, I prop myself up using my hand, and nudge Haley. “Can you… can you… get Dr. Chase… Please?”

  She nods fervently before disappearing out of my line of vision. I drop to the floor just inside the bathroom. I can do this. I locate my target: the toilet, near the far-left corner between the wall and the cabinet. I can use the metal wheel chair accessible bars to pull myself up. My vision blurs as I get on my knees to crawl. I really need the toilet or something. I force my knees forward, dragging myself across the tile floor. I make it a couple steps before having to rest on my elbows.