Page 5 of Kiss of Ruin (Brutal Empire)

Sofia’s phone begins to ring while Camila is talking about the best places, they’d research for my physical therapy rehab. She looks down at it and back up at her mom. “We have to go, the car’s here.”

Camila nods and stands up from her chair.

“You have to leave?”

Camila bends down and presses a kiss to my forehead. “We’ll be back as soon as we can?”

Sofia nods and squeezes my hand. “Promise.”

And before I can utter another word, they both walk out the door, leaving me alone in the cold, sterile looking space.

For all of the secrets Luis kept from me, I have never hated secrets more than I do at this moment. It’s as if, Nico doesn’t trust me. Then again, every time I thought I learned the final thing being kept from me, there would be one more ready to knock me on my ass.

The last time it put me here.

The worst part is that I really don’t know Nico. I know I love him, but that’s about it. I thought I loved Luis too and look at everything he kept from me.

How many more things is Nico trying to hide? And why didn’t he tell me Elena is still alive? Of all the things that could have kept us both safe, that was the one card he continued to hide.

There is no way to know until I talk to him, and I can’t do that without him coming here. I have no idea where any of my things ended up. Until Nico decides to show up, I’m stuck in the dark.

The morning turns to the afternoon, then the day to night. And the cycle continues for days. Days I spend alone wondering why Sofia and Camila haven’t returned. I have asked the nurses to call, but they cant get ahold of anyone.

It’s like they abandoned me here. Left me alone to figure it out on my own. It’s been so many days since anyone has been to visit me, I don’t even react when the door opens anymore. The hope that Sofia, or anyone had returned to stay with me died after the first few days.

The sun is shining through the window on the side of the room, when the doors opens and in walks my doctor.

She and the nurses are the only one that enter my room anymore. At least when there here, it gives me someone to talk to. The only other thing I can do is plan how I will get better. I need to be at home, watching over my family and I can only do that when I’m out of this bed and healthy.

“Good morning, Scarlett.” She opens the computer next to the bed. Many of the machines have been removed from my room. There’s still an IV attached to my hand, but the need for pain medication has greatly reduced over the last few days. Although it isn’t completely gone. “How did you sleep?”

“Not terrible, but not great.” The first two days the pain medication was high enough to put me to sleep. As they pulled back on the dosage, the noises permeated the silence in my head. “There seems to be more noise the last few days.”

She let out a small laugh. “Not more noise, just more awareness. I think we can do something about that. I’m happy with the progress you’ve made the last few days. Your body seems intent on healing as quickly as possible, and I want to help that along. If you think you’re ready, I would like to get you transported to the rehab facility this afternoon.”

“Already?”

She nods. “Yes. It could still be weeks before your body is strong enough to walk and even longer before you can do it unaided, however I feel that you have a very good chance at a hundred percent recovery.”

This is exactly the news I need after practically being discarded by my friends and family the last week.

“That sounds great. I want to get started as soon as I can.”

“Great.” She smiles. “I’m going to get the paperwork started. It might take a couple of hours, but we’ll make sure you are transferred today.

“Thank you for everything.”

She pats my arm and walks out the door. If there is one thing that I respect most about my doctor while I was here is her honesty and her respect for how I ended up in this situation in the first place. She didn’t ask and I didn’t divulge the details. How Nico kept the police from being involved is an absolute mystery to me.

I lean a little more heavily against the pillows. My attention to the conversation taking a bit more out of me than I expected. I return to staring out the window waiting for the sun to move through the sky. This time, however, I have something to look forward to.

The orderly who is delivering my lunch walks in a few hours later and I’m shocked at who follows her into my room.

Nico.

I barely acknowledge her presence since I can’t keep my eyes off the man I have dreamed about seeing since I woke up. He’s finally here in front of me. There are so many things I want to say to him. On one hand I owe him an apology for the mess I created, and on the other every question I thought of over the last few days is running through my head. Above all that, I want to tell Nico what he means to me, how much I missed him the last few days. That I love him.

I open my mouth to start when Nico starts talking first.

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