“All right, honey. Is there anything I can get you?”
Elle looked out her window, seeing the just-now-darkened sky. She took a deep breath. “Is he still out there?”
The nurse smiled at her. “You mean the one who’s been out there all day, real handsome?” She patted her hand. “He is.”
Elle swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Can you tell him…?” She trailed off.
The nurse gave a squeeze to her hand. “I’ll get him for you.”
Elle continued to stare out the window as the minutes passed. She could barely hear the door open and the footsteps coming to her bed.
“Elle, will you look at me?”
She couldn’t remember the last time she had heard his voice, the last time he had spoken her name. His voice still sang to her and stilled her soul, even after all that time.
Elle slowly turned her head so he could look at her. She heard his soft gasp then his small, contained growl. Then she did something she had trained herself not to do. For the first time in months, Elle gradually lifted her eyes to look at him. Even though she could only see well out of one eye, she noticed Nero’s changes.
His hair was long, his face scruffy, and dark circles under his eyes conveyed there was no telling the last time he had slept. She had never seen Nero any less than immaculate, yet right now, he looked as if he was wearing the same clothes he had worn when she had gotten here.
Elle suddenly didn’t feel good after seeing what Nero looked like. I did that to him. She now understood why Lucca had come to see her.
She watched Nero sit on the edge of her bed and she scooted over, afraid to touch him.
Nero sighed. “Elle, I’m—”
Elle quickly stopped him, speaking over top of him. “Why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’m being discharged in the morning. We can talk after we’ve both been home and had the chance to clean up.”
Nero shook his head. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Mr. Evans let me read your essay,” Elle whispered abruptly.
Nero didn’t respond.
“Please, go home and get some rest, then I promise we’ll talk.” Elle looked into his pain-filled eyes. “For me, Nero.”
Nero pushed back his long hair only for it to go back where it had been. “Okay.” Nero stood back up and looked at her damage. “Do you know who did it?” His voice had gone deadly.
Lie. “No, I don’t remember anything.”
Nero flexed his jaw. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” she quietly said as he walked out of the room.
Elle laid her head back on the bed, thankful she didn’t have to look at Nero any longer. She hated herself right now for how he looked. It was too painful for her to see the toll she had put on him. Elle knew she didn’t look so hot right now, but that was different. She could always deal with seeing herself hurt, but seeing someone else hurt and knowing she’d caused it was too much for her. Especially someone she…
Elle shook her head, realizing she had lied to him, even after she had gotten mad at Nero for all his lies. The truth was, she had remembered what happened, but Elle didn’t want Nero to know, too afraid he’d kill her.
It was Cassandra.
Chapter Forty-Six
Roll Out the Golden Carpet
“Just sign here, and then you’re free to go.”
Elle signed the paper on the dotted line. Where are my parents?
She looked at her nurse, holding a bag. “M-my ride’s not here yet.”
“Yes it is, honey. He’s waiting out front. Now, let’s get you dressed.”
Elle figured her mother hadn’t wanted to leave Dad alone long in the car, so she slowly got up and the nurse helped her change into a pair of her sweats and a t-shirt from home. Elle sat down in the waiting wheelchair. Ugh, I can finally go home. Needless to say, Elle was sick of hospital food, the constant monitoring, and the horribly-uncomfortable beds.
The nurse walked her down the hallway, into the elevator, and to the sliding doors. When the doors opened, Elle was greeted with a black Cadillac and dark-tinted windows. A brand-new Nero was there, leaning up against his car. Nero?
Nero opened the passenger’s door.
Elle wanted to say something to the nurse. She looked around. Crap, but then who would take me home? The nurse parked the wheelchair; however, Elle didn’t go to stand, still in awe of how in the world she was in the situation.
When the nurse didn’t go to move her because Nero was there, Elle had no choice other than to stand. She shakily stood up and felt Nero’s arms go around her waist. She looked up at him, wanting to protest, but that only made her body melt more into his. She saw the flash of need fill his eyes at the instant touch. Elle’s body remembered the night she and Nero shared, which felt like years ago. She wished she had never experienced the true pleasure because, if you never experienced it, then you never knew what you were missing.
Nero sat her down in the car, and she felt him linger on letting her go. He even buckled her seat belt, and all Elle could do was stare inches away from his refreshed face.
Nero had gotten his hair cut back to the shorter length she loved on him. He had even shaven his face, revealing his perfectly-tan skin and square jaw. His eyes were still slightly dark under them, but she figured one night of sleep wasn’t going to remedy them immediately. The scent of clean, fresh, hot male enveloped her, and it smelled just like she remembered. His clothes were also perfectly new and crisp.