Chapter 276
Elaine’s POV
By the fourth day in the hospital, I’m convinced I’m going to lose my mind. Not because I’m in pain.
Well… okay, I’m definitely in pain.
Getting shot hurts. Who would’ve guessed?
But that’s not the reason.The reason is Zane.
The man refuses to leave my side.
Refuses .
I’m starting to think he secretly bribed the hospital staff to let him move in permanently.
I wake up and he’s there, i take a nap and he’s there, i open my eyes in the middle of the night and he’s sitting in the chair beside my bed staring at me like I’m about to disappear if he blinks.
It’s sweet, it’s romantic, It’s also driving me absolutely insane.
“Zane.”
His eyes immediately lift from the document he’s pretending to read. The document hasn’t moved from the same page in over an hour.
“Mm?”
“You need a hobby.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“I have one.”
“No.”
I point at myself.
“This isn’t a hobby.”
His lips twitch.
“It is now.”
I groan.
A second later he reaches over, adjusting my blanket for the millionth time today. I swear if this man tucks me in one more time, I’m filing for a divorce.
A knock interrupts us, then another, then the door bursts open and suddenly my room is flooded with people.
“Oh God.”
Noah enters first, the man looks like he’s personally preparing for war.
His eyes immediately scan me from head to toe.
“You look pale.”
“Hello to you too.”
“You’re not eating enough.”
“I’m literally eating hospital food.”
“That’s not food.”
Caleb walks in behind him.
Thankfully.
Because Caleb is the only thing stopping Noah from becoming completely unbearable.
“Ignore him.”
“I am standing right here.”
“And yet I still said it.”
I grin.
Noah glares and Caleb pats his shoulder.
“No murders in the hospital.”
Noah mutters something under his breath.
I choose not to ask.
Lucas enters next and immediately I notice something.
Aria follows him, very closely.
Interesting…..Very interesting.
The moment they notice me looking, they immediately separate.
Which only makes it worse.
I narrow my eyes but Lucas avoids looking at me entirely.
Suspicious…..Very suspicious.
“Lucas.”
“No.”
“I haven’t even said anything.”
“I know that tone.”
I grin.
“Oh my God.”
Aria immediately starts laughing.
Lucas looks like he wants the floor to open up and swallow him.
“Leave me alone.”
“No.”
“Elaine.”
“No.”
“You literally got shot.”
“And?”
“Use your recovery time to recover.”
“Or…”
I smile sweetly.
“I can spend it annoying you.”
Aria snorts.
Lucas groans.
Success.
A few minutes later Grandpa arrives, the second I see him my smile softens….the man might be a freaking pain in the ass but his the only father figure I have.
He’s walking slower than usual, his eyes immediately find me and for a second neither of us says anything.
Then he reaches my bed.
“My girl.”
My throat tightens. Because his voice sounds emotional, really emotional.
I reach for his hand.
“I’m okay.”
His fingers squeeze mine.
“You scared all of us.”
The simple honesty in those words nearly makes me cry. So instead I lean forward and hug him carefully.
His arms wrap around me immediately.
For a brief moment I feel like a little girl again.
Safe, protected and Loved.
When he pulls back his eyes are suspiciously shiny but I pretend not to notic, he pretends not to notice too.
Then Ivy arrives next and all peace immediately disappears.
She bursts into tears before she’s even fully inside the room.
“Oh my God!”
I laugh.
“There she is.”
“You got kidnapped again!”
The room erupts into laughter, even Grandpa laughs.
Ivy points at me accusingly.
“Why does this keep happening to you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you have a sign on your back?”
I laugh harder but my side immediately protests and I wince.
“Ouch.”
Every man in the room straightens Immediately.
Noah stands, Zane stands, Lucas stands.
Caleb looks concerned.
I stare at them.
“You all need help.”
“No, you need help,” Noah says.
“You’re literally in a hospital.”
I roll my eyes.
Then three familiar faces appear at the doorway.
Tessa, June and Lila.
The moment I see them I smile. The three of them have become family without even realizing it.
For a second they just stand there, looking at me. Then Tessa suddenly starts crying.
Oh no.
“Tessa?”
The tears immediately start falling.
“I’m sorry.”
Confusion flashes through me.
Then realization hits, the car, the day she asks me to go get groceries with her. The conversation in the backseat, then her knocking me out unconscious with a handkerchief to my nose.
The beginning of everything.
“Oh.”
Tessa covers her face.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Tessa.”
“I didn’t want to do it.”
The words come rushing out.
“He threatened everyone.”
Fresh tears slide down her cheeks.
“He threatened June, threatened Lila, he threatened all of us.”
The room falls quie and I can hear how guilty she feels.
“I tried saying no.”
Her voice breaks.
“But he kept threatening everyone.”
My heart aches for her. Because I know exactly how terrified she must have been.
“Tessa.”
She shakes her head.
“I put that thing over your nose.”
“You mean when you practically chloroformed me in the backseat?”
A shocked laugh escapes June.
Lila snorts.
Even Tessa lets out a wet laugh.
“That wasn’t funny.”
“It kind of is now.”
“Elaine.”
I smile softly.
Then reach for her hand.
“You were scared.”
She looks down.
“I was.”
“You didn’t betray me.”
Fresh tears immediately fill her eyes.
“I did though “
I squeeze her hand.
“Thomas did.”
Silence.
Then she throws her arms around me carefully trying not to hurt me.
“I thought you hated me.”
My chest squeezes.
“Never.”
That only makes her cry harder, a second later June joins then Lila. Suddenly all four of us are hugging while everyone watches.
“Women are strange,” Noah mutters.
Caleb smacks him hard.
The room erupts into laughter again and hours pass like that, with us talking, laughing teasing.