Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“Whatever,” I mumble.
“Hazel,” Western’s gravelly voice appears, “shut the fuck up.”
He’s back.
I can’t see him from behind my curtain, but there is no missing his raspy, masculine voice.
I keep my eyes closed.
“Excuse me,” Hazel throws at him. “You don’t get to tell me to shut up when you’ve been cheating on me.”
“Didn’t cheat on you. We’re over.”
My curtain rustles, but I don’t bother opening my eyes to see Western. I know it’s him.
“You’re not seriously going to her? Western, so help me, I can make this ugly.”
He ignores her.
The ruffling of his boots alerts me that he’s beside my bed, and a moment later, his rough thumb comes out and slides over the bandage on my forehead before trailing down my cheek and stopping at my lips. I hold my breath, not wanting to look at him, afraid that I’ll cave instead of being angry at him, which I have the right to be. I’m not getting the full story here; I know I’m not.
Hot lips press against mine, and I inhale his musky scent. I don’t kiss him back, even though it takes everything inside me not to. His lips remain against mine for a moment, before pulling away, but he doesn’t go far. His warm breath tickles my skin.
“You’re mad.”
No shit.
“Sometimes,” I whisper. “I hate you, Western.”
He kisses me again. “You don’t hate me.”
When he pulls away this time, I open my eyes. He’s staring down at me, his eyes guarded. My face feels as though it’s swelling, and I’m struggling to see him properly. Wonderful, a black eye is exactly what I want right now. I exhale and just stare at him, our gaze long and lingering.
“If you’re kissing her, I’m going to lose it,” Hazel yells.
Western looks exhausted as he turns and jerks the curtain open. “I said, shut the fuck up.”
I can see her now, and if my face looks anything like hers, then it’s bad. Her eye is mostly swollen shut, she has a bruise on her cheek and forehead, and a few grazes. She looks like she has done a few rounds with some sort of wild animal, but really, we just took on the stairs. She glares at me without fail, though. Her eyes burning right through mine.
“Do not,” she grinds out, “tell me to shut up again. I’m about done with you, Western.”
“Don’t know why you came back, Hazel. I was done with you weeks ago.”
Her mouth drops open as he slides the curtain back over, cutting her off.
Ouch.
Harsh.
I can’t help the little smile that tugs at my lips, though.
She deserves it.
Western’s gaze moves to my smile, and he leans down again, kissing me once more. He has never kissed me so much, and I can’t act like I’m not enjoying it. “Fuckin’ evil,” he murmurs against my lips. “Rest. I’ll come get you tomorrow.”
“I can’t rest with her right there, yelling at me.”
“I can hear you!” Hazel calls.
I exhale.
Western reaches over and presses the nurse’s button. A moment later, one appears. “Can I help you?”
“Move her bed. She is bein’ harassed by the girl next to her.”
The nurse frowns, and Hazel yells. “Seriously? Are you fucking serious?”
“Ma’am,” the nurse says, stepping into Hazel’s section, “you cannot speak like that. You’re in a hospital.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
My eyes widen and a moment later the nurse has called security and Hazel is being moved. I can’t help the small smile that plays around my lips as I look to Western. He moves to my bed, reaching around the back of his neck and unclipping his chain. Then, surprising me, he leans down and puts his necklace on me. The cross. The one that obviously has meaning to him because he is never without it.
I don’t know what this means, but I’m certain that whatever it is, it matters.
My heart feels as though it just might explode.
“Rest.”
Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he leaves.
Watching the curtain close, I reach up and stroke the cross between my fingers.
Did Western just tell me I matter, without telling me I matter?
If so, what does that mean?
Closing my eyes, I’m excited to find out.
Maybe there is a future here for us, after all.
19
“You absolute cunt.”
The words jerk me awake from my dozing, vulgar and awful. They’re coming from Hazel, who is standing at my bedside with a newspaper in her hand. She slams it down onto my lap, and it takes me a moment for my eyes to adjust. What the hell is she in here, calling me a name like that for? I thought we were past the name calling when she got moved to a different room.
Head aching, I look at her, a scowl on my face.
“Excuse me.”
“He trusted you. He doesn’t trust anyone. This...this is what you were doing all along?”
What is she talking about?
“What?”
“You wrote a story about him. All along, you were just looking for information. You say I’m a terrible human, but you, love, are the worst of the worst.”