Page 34 of Claiming What's Mine

“Oh yeah, is being fine how you ended up with a black eye, a broken nose, two busted ribs, and a fracture in your cheek bone?”

“No,” I said with a grin. “Being fine is having you next to me right now.” Looking over at the small nightstand at my side, I signaled the nurse who was writing in my chart as she stood by the window. “Can you. . .” Nodding toward the table, she smiled and agreed, walking over and opening the draw.

Blue watched the nurse, her eyes following her as she reached into the draw. “What is she doing?”

Not answering, I waited for the nurse to pull the small bundle out of the draw and hand it to me. “I got you something,” I said, holding out the flowers I had been able to salvage.

Blue took the flowers, her eyes darting between the flowers and me. “You bought me flowers?” Her fingertips softly touched the mangled petals, causing one to drop free and fall onto her lap.

“He loves you.” I said, my voice playful and reminiscent of the day she plucked petals as we walked.

“You bought me flowers.” Repeating herself, her eyes steadied on the flattened buds. A single tear broke free, cascading down her cheek and dropping into her lap.

My heart sank and my palms became sweaty. The flowers weren't the same, they weren't even close to being as beautiful and incredible as when I left the store.

The bouquet was a mess, the delicate flowers now covered in dirty sneaker prints, torn at the edges and mangled.

“I'm sorry they're all broken, I tried to protect them, but it didn't work.”

Blue's lips thinned as she smiled, her tears falling one after the other. “They're beautiful, Jay, absolutely beautiful.” Leaning over, she pressed her lips firmly against mine.

“Then why are you crying?” Speaking against her lips, I refused to stop kissing her. Her lips were soft, her skin warm and dewy. I needed that kiss, the way it felt sent a breath of fresh air into my lungs.

Tracing her throat with the pads of my fingers, I felt her heart speed up as the thick vein in her neck began to throb faster and harder. Her chest was rising and falling quickly, her cheeks glistening from fallen tears.

“Because I'm ready,” she whispered into my mouth, her voice quiet and low.

Freezing, I flicked my eyes between hers. “For what?”

“I'm ready,” she answered again, her voice stretched out, her tone high.

“I don't understand.”

Her cheeks blushed as she tore her eyes away from mine shyly and stared at the ceiling. “Wow, are you sure you don't have a concussion too? I really don't want to say it out loud.”

And just like that I knew, I knew exactly what she was saying, but I wanted to be one hundred percent sure.

“You mean—”

Slamming her hand over my mouth, she giggled as she spoke. “I don't want to hear you say it either.”

Chuckling, my chest began to hurt as I took in big breaths of air. Gripping my ribs, I groaned, “Ouch, okay, no more laughing.” Rubbing my side, I slipped back down into the covers.

Blue leaned forward, kissing my forehead. “Alright, I'm going to go so you can rest. My parents think I went to the library to study, can't get caught hanging here with you.”

“Right, because your father still thinks I'm the Devil's child or something.”

Rolling her eyes, she gave me a big smile as she stood up. “How long are you going to be here?”

“The doctor said I'll probably be able to go home in a few days.”

“What about your dad?” she asked, tucking her hand into her back pocket. “What happens to him now?”

“I don't care, he can rot behind those bars.”

“You don't mean that.”

“Why wouldn't I mean that?” Angling my head, I veered my stare. “You said it yourself, he shouldn't have done this to me. Just like all the other times, he never should have done any of this. I'm his son, or at least I'm supposed to be. . .”

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