Page 113 of Whispers of Fire

“Wanna know why I’m lettin’ you off the hook?” he asks, tiltin’ his head slightly.

“Sure,” I nod, cause I have no fuckin’ idea where he’s goin’ with this.

“She wrote to ya this mornin’. Thought it didn’t have battery, but, anyway, I read it and, well, figured she was old lady material after all. I just needed ya to kill her father to settle our affairs but, yeah, I get why you did it, brother.”

I’m fuckin’ speechless. Wonder what my angel wrote to pierce thought his stone heart, but fuck, I’ll take it.

Without making a fuss cause we’re not that type of folks, I raise my hand and he shakes it back.

“Glad to have you back, VP,” he says, punching my shoulder.

What a fuckin' relief.

“Glad to be back, Prez.”

Chapter 20

Vox

The blip of the machine measurin’ her heart fills the room. We’ve been at the hospital for three hours and Rose had a bunch of doctors and nurses around her for the first hour before falling asleep from the painkillers.

Nearly lost my mind when they wouldn’t let me stay with her cause I wasn’t family, but they quickly changed their tone when I firmly told them I wouldn't step a fuckin’ inch away from her before knowin’ she was okay.

Fuckin’ killed me to hear it, cause she’s my old lady and in my mind she’s already as much my wife as I am her husband.

I just plan on making it official once she’s ready after the shitshow they made her go through. All she has to do now is rest, and I plan on taking care of her and showing that she can always rely on me to do so.

Actually, I plan on doing this for the rest of our lives, but I haven’t gotten the chance to tell her yet. Bought the ring in a pawn shop the day after we first danced in my living room.

Even back then I already knew.

But it’s too soon and it actually doesn't really matter now since I don’t plan on leaving her sight for the next hundred years to come.

Doc told me she’d recover but her voice would stay this way. Never minded her being mute. Rose and I have our own way to communicate, and besides, I’m still taking ASL online classes, and I plan on being fluent by the end of the year.

I’m sitting on the chair next to her bed. They’ve put her into a blue hospital gown. Her hair has dried and her breathin’ has slowed down. Can’t help but stare at her masterpiece of a face, wondering how I got so lucky to find an angel like her. She moves slightly, opening her eyes as if she had slept for days. Such a sweet face, I can’t wait to wake up to it every morning of my life.

“Hey, Angel.” My voice is low and raspy, my worries disappearing slowly as I watch a tired smile appear on her face. Takin’ her hand, I stroke it with my thumb. She looks better but still weak. Probably won’t be able to sign yet.

“Gonna give you a heads up, tap once on my hand for yes, twice for no.”

She taps once. Good. It works. Gotta be creative with my angel here. After telling her what the doc told me, I clench my jaw, hoping she’ll agree to what I planned for us.

“After what happened today, I want us to move to Seattle and give you a fresh start.”

It's at the opposite side of the country; she'll be free there, free to be who she wants to be. I sigh, trying to remember the words I repeated in my head for hours sitting on this chair.

“Even knowin’ who I am and what I do, and fuck, Angel, don’t feel like you have to do anythin’ you don’t want to do.”

Fuck, why is this so hard to say?

“Do you want to move in with me?” I squeeze her hand cause fuck, I just jumped off of a cliff and I don’t fuckin’ know if I’m gonna land in one piece. I know it’s frustrating for her to only answer me with taps, but I need to know.

Can’t wait another second. Cause today was fuckin’ hectic and now that she’s rested, perhaps she changed her mind on me, on us.

I won’t stand in the way of her happiness; whatever she wants, I'll give it to her. Even if I have to pay the price of watching her from afar. My eyes stare at hers, a warm smile illuminating her face as I feel her finger tap once on my hand, then squeeze it back.

“Fuck, for a moment I thought… never mind.” I shake my head like a fool.

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