Page 22 of Now that I Found You
Chapter Nine
Callum
The sound of the door clicking as it shuts startles me awake. Turning my head, I find Ellie curled up asleep in the chair next to my hospital bed. She hasn’t left my side since I got out of surgery, and I’m relieved to see she’s finally able to rest.
“You scared the crap out of her, ya know? Out of all of us. She was terrified by the amount of blood you had lost that you were never going to make it out of surgery,” Brea says, as she leans back against the wall next to my brother, Mason.
Halle and Graham are with them, taking a seat on the couch on the other side of the room. They’ve been through their share of shit recently, so I know they understand the reality of how badly this could’ve turned out.
I nod. “I’m okay though,” I say, just as my brother glances up to look at me. He looks tired, but he’s being strong.
Ellie stirs, blinking her eyes awake as she sits up, reaching over to grab my hand. I smile when I see her sleepy face, as a small smile curves her mouth.
“How you feeling?”
“Better now,” I sigh, as a sharp pain stings my side taking my breath away.
“Are you sure? What’s wrong?” Ellie says, standing to check me over.
“Nothing, it’s just sore, baby. I promise, you don’t have to worry.”
I rub my thumb over the back of her hand, and I feel her relax some. There’s a comfort having all of our friends here with us. Ellie, Brea, and Halle talk about the news of Brea’s friend, Lissa, who recently moved to Arbor Creek. We all know there’s something going on between her and Brannon, especially after our trip to Chicago for our joint bachelor and bachelorette party, even though they are both too stubborn to admit it to anyone else.
Mason, Graham, and I talk about the Iowa football game. Graham and Mason are both animated as they recount the end of the game where Iowa came back, scoring at the last minute to beat Wisconsin.
When the nurse stops in later to check in and give me more pain medicine, they excuse themselves to head home for the night, reassuring us they’ll be by to check in with us over the next couple of days. Ellie hugs both Brea and Halle goodbye, whispering quietly to them, as they rub her arm reassuringly before they disappear out the door.
Ellie climbs back into her chair next to me, reaching out once again to hold my hand.
“You sleep okay earlier, sweetheart?”
“Not as good as I would if I had you next to me,” she replies, lacing her fingers in mine before running her fingers over my palm. She is lost in thought, and I suspect the fear of her losing me is back on her mind.
“You can climb up here, baby,” I mutter, trying to scoot over enough to make room for her next to me.
Ellie hesitates for a second, but her need to be next to me wins out. She stands and carefully climbs on the bed. Her head rests on my shoulder as she wraps her arm over my lower stomach, deliberately avoiding the bandages covering my side.
She smells like flowers, and that, combined with her warmth pressed against me, washes over me, cleansing me from the hallow and sterile walls surrounding us.
I sigh, leaning into her touch. “I can’t wait until we’re home.”
“Me either.” I sense there’s more she wants to say.
“How are you doing with everything?”
The silence surrounds us as she thinks about how to respond. It feels like several minutes pass before she finally replies, but it was probably no more than just a few seconds. The time weighs heavily on me, realizing how hard this has been on her.
“I’m better now that I know you’re going to be alright.”
“It’s going to take a lot more than some lunatic to take me away from you, Ellie.”
“I know you’d fight for me, for us. I just couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. I’ve lost so many people in my life, Callum. So many people.”
There’s a break in her voice, the emotions getting caught in her throat. I hate thinking about what she could be feeling right now.
“I’ve been thinking lately about how much I wish you could’ve met my dad and Grams. They would’ve loved you. It was hard to think about how they weren’t there for our wedding, but it’s times like this I wish they were still here to help me through. I couldn’t imagine if I lost you, what I would do.”
“You don’t need to fear losing me, baby. As long as I’m still breathing, I’m fighting every day for you. For us.”
“Just having you by my side gives me strength. I can do anything, as long as I have you. I think someday I’ll actually be able to move on from the past, especially when I think about all we have to look forward to in the future.”
“There’s nothing we can’t get through together,” I say, with every ounce of conviction in me. Ellie leans her head back and I tilt mine toward her, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. She reaches her hand up, running her fingers through my hair at the base of my neck, deepening our connection.
I wish we were back at home, in our own bed, fully healed. I want to kiss her the way she deserves to be kissed. Full of every ounce of passion and love I have for her.
She pulls back, breaking our kiss as she inhales deeply. Her chest rises and falls with every breath she tries to take, and I smile to myself, loving how her body responds to me. Even lying together in a hospital bed, her body knows my touch.
She rests her head back on my shoulder. After a few minutes, I hear her breath even out as the exhaustion pulls her under. Lacing her fingers with mine, I let the sound of her soft snores and the warmth of her body envelop me, soothing me into a deep sleep.
