Page 166 of His White Moonlight
“We broke your trust in us with the decisions we made.We understand that.What if we decide together how to handle who drugged you and every decision that follows?”
Me: You might be willing, but will Bennett?I kissed him last night.
Her smile was sad and slightly pained.“I know, Sweetie.That’s why he’s not here.He thinks you’ll hate him more now.Do you?”
Again, I thought it over for a minute before shaking my head.
Me: I don’t hate him for giving me what I wanted at the time, but I’ll hate him if he reads into it or thinks it gives him power over me.
Mom smiled and got up to hug me.“You are so beautiful inside and out, Wrenly.Even after everything you’ve suffered, you’ve held onto that piece of yourself.I don’t know how, but you have.And I’m so grateful for your strength that allowed it.But I don’t want you to have to be that strong all the time.I want you to be able to lean on someone.To trust someone to support you unconditionally.Okay?I’m not saying it has to be Bennett.I hope it will be, but it doesn’t have to be.Just don’t close yourself off.Don’t lose that piece of yourself.”
I hugged her back and whispered, “I love you, Mom.”
She sniffled, pulled back, and quickly wiped at her eyes as she turned away.
“I’m going to tell the doctor you’re awake.”
As soon as she left, I got out of bed.My joints hurt with each hobbling step toward the bathroom.But by the time I finished using the toilet and brushing my teeth, things hurt less.Except my chin—I’d hit that floor hard—and I had some faint bruising on my ass.
I hope Bennett broke his nose.
When I left the bathroom, I saw a man in a white doctor's coat standing next to my hospital bed.
“You’re moving better than most do after the shot I gave you last night.”
“Yeah, I’m not thanking you for that,” I rasped.“That shit hurt.”
“Sorry about that.It would have hurt more to leave the drug in your system.”
I gave him a questioning look.
“The drug only had fifteen minutes to take hold.The heat you felt after the shot I gave you was the sped-up version of what you would have felt after an hour.Each hour after that, the pain intensifies until you’re successfully impregnated.”
I paused my trip to the bed, turned, and grabbed his hands.
“Thank you for the soul-burning shot.May I have another, please?”Talking hurt less than it had but was still tender.
He chuckled and helped me back into bed.
“Bennett hadn’t exaggerated your sense of humor.”
I frowned at the doctor.“He talked to you about me?”
He smiled.It was a nice smile, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes.He looked tired.Not sleepy tired, but life tired.
“We went to school together.Bennett, Konni, and me.My name’s Giovanni.You can call me Gio.Now, let’s get your vitals so I can report back to your mate.”
“Potential mate.”
He made a noncommittal sound as he used a light to check my eyes.He checked my throat, told me to try to rest it for the next few days, confirmed I’d bruised my jawbone, and was feeling my back when Bennett rushed into the room.
He stopped in his tracks and stared at Gio.
“Doctoring, Bennett.That’s all,” Gio said.
Bennett’s gaze shifted to mine.I saw worry and raw fear there and wanted to look away, but I knew that’d only make things worse.His hands were shaking, and his hair looked messily styled, which I knew meant he’d been running his hands through it.Blood dotted the collar of his shirt.
“Is that my blood or the other guy’s?”I asked.
