Page 17 of Broken Bonds

Lionel takes a couple more sips from the water bottle and for a moment he doesn’t seem to know what to do with it, so I go ahead and take it from his hands. When our fingers touch, I can feel the electricity run through me.

It’s there, it’s not gone.

Lionel looks at me startled. I’m sure what just happened surprised him too, however, he says nothing, turns his attention to the doctor, who is now busy with his arm. The doctor asks him to make a few movements, first with the whole hand and then just the fingers.

Although slowly, Lionel complies with the instructions.

“Everything seems fine, Lionel,” says the doctor. “But you must continue to rest, at least for today. Depending on how you feel tomorrow, you need to get up and take a few steps, at least around the room. If all goes well, we’ll transfer you to a room, and then hopefully, you’ll get to go home.”

“Excellent!” Mrs. Kral shrieks, putting her hands to her chest, then steps around the two nurses to kiss Lionel on the forehead after she turns to the man in the white coat. “Doctor Wong, may I speak to you for a moment in the hallway?”

“Yes, of course,” answers the doctor. “As soon as I finish here, I’ll be with you.”

She stays in the room, but closer to the door.

The doctor gives the nurse directions to redress Lionel’s wounds before following Mrs. Kral into the hallway.

Ten minutes later, the nurse has taken care of the bandages, and for the first time since this mess happened, I’m finally alone with Lionel. Well, with a conscious Lionel.

“What are you doing here?” he asks me, and those words hit my chest like a wrecking ball.

Hard.

I slowly approach the foot of his bed, feeling quite uncomfortable and very small.

“I was shocked when I found out you were here.”

I look him in the eye, his expression is harsh. Cold. Distant.

Is he upset that I came? What did he expect me to do?

“Lionel, there are so many things I don’t understand, like why did you lie to me?” I scold him in a low voice, while he continues to watch me in icy silence. “I had to find out through the news that you were here, instead of Dallas like you told me. Then imagine my shock when I got here and met your mother.”

He looks at me for a long minute, cocking his head, like he’s studying me. He looks so different, he looks at me differently. If I wasn’t sure it was him, I might think he was someone else.

“You don’t understand,” he finally says. His voice is as hard as his gaze. Although he looks tired and hurt, he’s a man in control, it doesn’t matter that he’s bedridden in the hospital. “I have no idea who you are, so I advise you to get out of here before I call security.”

I keep my mouth open, not knowing how to answer. Damn, the air has left my lungs, so not a word would come out even if I wanted to.

“Lionel?” It’s the only thing that comes out of my lips.

“Get out!” he says without raising his voice but in a forceful tone. Unwavering.

And it makes my body tremble.

Out of all the reactions I thought to face, this was the last one I expected.

One of the scenarios that crossed my mind was that he would be upset. After all, our relationship was a secret to his family.

But wanting me to leave and denying he knows me, never in my wildest dreams.

This is the worst feeling.

“Lionel, what’s going on? What are you saying? It’s me, Stella, your wife.”

He opens his eyes, surprised by my statement. I’m only telling the truth. I didn’t look for this, it was him who kept insisting I go on a date with him in the first place.

And, above all, I wasn’t the one who lied.

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