Page 82 of Broken Bonds

“Let me help you get to the shower. It’s going to be your last for a while, hun.”

Fear gripped me as I remembered my surgery and the weeks of pain and self-loathing I would experience after. But I pushed it down, forcing a smile to my lips once again as Amber helped me from my bed.

Half an hour later, Amber helped me to the edge of the stairs. “Ryan, come here please.” My brother turned around to look up at us from the couch, his eyes darting between Amber and me, then to Ace, who had jumped up at Amber’s voice. Before Ryan could stand, Ace came for the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

And then, the man I had been thinking about nonstop for the last few days stood in front of me, his messy, jet-black hair covering his beautiful, piercing blue eyes that scanned my whole body before hovering over my lips. Then, our gazes locked, and his eyes searched mine desperately for answers to questions I didn’t know.

I couldn’t pull my gaze from his. I was stuck in a trance until I heard a throat clear behind me and then a cough from Amber as she gained my attention, breaking our eye contact. Ace’s eyes shifted to her and then back to me, uncertainty in their depths. “Let me help you down,” he rasped.

“I called Ryan, not you.” Amber was quick to throw salt into the fresh wound. Anger flashed across his face momentarily, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw his outstretched hand clench. And then, as quickly as his anger came, it disappeared, and his eyes were back on me, all his attention focused on my face.

“Celine, can Ipleasehelp you down the stairs?” His voice was pained, the ‘please’ a soft whisper only meant for my ears.

Not able to find my voice, I nodded, letting him pick me up, and I handed my crutches to Amber, who scowled at Ace’s side profile. The strong scent of Ace’s cologne invaded my senses, and all my fears of him leaving evaporated when his strong arms wrapped around me.

He didn’t speak when we sat in the back of my mom’s Suburban, but usually, nobody did. The radio filled the silence with random songs and a report about the upcoming rainy week. I kept my hands fisted, my nails biting into my palms the whole way to the hospital.

Because even though he’d come running to touch me, now Ace was putting distance between us again.

Ace

Ryan put his hand out, stopping me from entering the small hospital room while they prepped Celine for surgery. A nurse glanced at us as she walked by but didn’t stop.

“What do you want, Ryan?” I snapped. My nerves were already frayed. Too much was going on, and I didn’t know how to cope. I just wanted to focus on the one thing Icouldcontrol today, and that was being there for Celine before she went in for surgery.

“This isn’t going to work, Ace, and you know it,” he quietly bit out.

My upper lip curled as I glared at him. “And why isn’t this going to work?” I sneered.

“Because you can’t keep her safe—not like I can.” I was getting real fucking sick of this argument. He could keep her safe, but twice now, he’d allowed something terrible to happen to her. He hadn’t kept an eye on his little sister, and she ended up in an accident that almost cost her the use of her legs. And then again, he’d failed her when he let his parents send her to the beach house instead of insisting he go instead. “You ignored her for days. You can’t do that in a relationship, Ace.” He crossed his arms over his chest, anger furrowing his brow.

His words brought me pause. Ihadstayed to myself, not reaching out to her. He was right. But she had enough on her plate. She didn’t need all my baggage on top of it.

“I kept her safe, Ryan,” I growled, my words low. “I carried her for fucking miles. I held her while she cried at night. I did everything and more, and along the way, I developed feelings for her. You can’t make me stay away!” I finally shouted in Ryan’s face, rage boiling in my tense muscles.

He jabbed a stiff finger into my chest hard enough to hurt. I knocked his hand away. “She’s my little sister. I’ll protect her from twisted fuckers like you!” he shouted back.

“Language,” a doctor reprimanded us as he walked past while glaring at Ryan, holding a clipboard to his chest.

“I won’t be told what to do by you,” I snarled at the guy who used to be my best friend. But I didn’t recognize him anymore.

Turning away from Ryan, I stormed into the small room to see Celine tucked into the small, white bed, her hands clenched into small fists.

I’m here, princess. I’m here… for now.

Celine

I kept my hands in fists until I was minutes away from surgery. Mom and Dad were outside talking to Dr. Alex as he walked them through what would happen in the next few hours. Amber was sitting on the couch, alternating between watching me and playing on her phone, when Ace and Ryan entered the room, tension radiating off the two men. Ryan took a seat beside Amber, who turned her head in his direction, a hushed whisper leaving her parted lips.

Ace sat beside me, and I felt his tension leave the room all at once—like I was the personal cure to his stress. His eyes bore into my face as I stared at the ceiling, anxiety and nerves filling all my thoughts. He grabbed both of my balled fists, pulling each finger back and bringing my exposed palm to his lips, kissing the red flesh tenderly.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered, his blue eyes on my hands, specifically on where my nails had bitten into my skin.

“If it isn’t?” My voice was barely audible to my own ears.

“You’re strong, baby girl.” His words were soft and convincing. I just wished I believed him. I was terrified.

I swallowed thickly. “What if I can’t walk again?”

---