Page 26 of Perfectly Wrong

“No promises, remember?” he said, his voice teasing but gentle. “The only thing I can promise is that I’m staying until you’re better, and don’t even think about kicking me out.”

He set me down and started undressing me. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I saw the worry etched on his face. I reached up and touched his cheek, and he kissed my hand. Our eyes met, and he gave me a small grin.

“Shower with me?” I asked softly.

“Obviously. You can hardly stand, let alone shower by yourself. And I’m not letting you fall.”

I must have drifted in and out during the shower. I had vague memories of Sam washing my hair and body, then wrapping me in a towel. The next thing I knew, I was back in bed, clean pajamas on, tucked in up to my chin.

“Thank you,” I whispered, holding his hand to keep him close. “Looks like you’re officially my hero. Always taking care of me.”

“I’ll always take care of you, Lena.” Sam brushed his fingers gently across my face. “Even when you shut me out for months, I’ll still be here, waiting for when you need me.”

It was a little unsettling to hear, but also incredibly comforting. In that moment, I couldn’t remember why we’d gone so long without speaking. All I knew was that I’d missed Sam Martin. I missed his laugh when I’d say something silly or the way his brow would furrow when he was concerned. I’d been trying to start fresh, build a new life away from the last nine years, but when Sam looked at me like I mattered, I realized just how much I’d been missing. With those thoughts swirling around, I fell asleep, feeling light and safe for the first time in a long while.

One day, Elena asked if I loved her. I could’ve sworn I saw a flicker of hope in her eyes, even though she’d never admit it. But I knew that if I’d said anything close to “I love you,” she would’ve walked away. And I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.

Love. What I felt for her went beyond that word. Love was strong, but Elena was everything. She was the feeling I didn’t know I was missing. Her laugh was my favourite song. I could give up singing forever, but I couldn’t imagine spending another day without her. I still couldn’t believe I’d spent my birthday away from her. I hadn’t gone far—just to my parents’ place—but I’d been too proud to call. It cost me a talk with my dad, and his advice threw me. I’d expected him to tell me to forget her, but instead, he said if Elena was what I wanted, I had to fight for her.

I knew the risks and the judgment, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was her. She was my everything. She knew how to calm my anxiety and keep me grounded. Her quick comebacks could drive me crazy, but they also opened my eyes to things I’d never thought about. It was like being slapped and kissed at the same time. I didn’t need anyone else’s approval as long as I had Elena beside me.

When she told me she’d jumped out of a second-story window to escape her ex, my heart clenched. All I wanted was to hunt that guy down and make him pay for hurting her. Even though I hadn’t known her then, the thought of someone that close to her made my blood boil. I wanted to hurt him, to make him suffer for every mark he left on her perfect body.

A soft sound escaped her lips, and I immediately moved closer. Seeing her like this—so fragile and worn out—killed me. I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat. I just wanted her to open those big, beautiful eyes and give me a smile.

“Lena?” I whispered. “How are you feeling?”

No response. She was deep in sleep, just like she’d been for hours. I wanted her to eat, but I couldn’t bring myself to wake her. Something was off, and I didn’t know what it was. I’d seen bad flus before—my sister almost ended up in the hospital once and slept an entire day fighting it. I hoped that was all this was. But it felt like more than just being sick. She looked drained, with dark circles under her eyes and weight loss that made her cheeks look hollow. Her hips weren’t as curvy as before. Something was stressing her out, and it was taking a toll.

This is all your fault, you left her alone, exposed to the world, my anxiety tried to whisper, but I pushed it down. Elena needed me, and I couldn’t fall apart now. I grabbed my backpack, took out my notebook and a pen, and settled beside her on the bed, leaning against the headboard with my legs stretched out in front of me. I started writing, not even realizing when I drifted off.

My chest felt tight, and it was hard to breathe. I opened my eyes, confused, and realized Elena was practically draped over me. Her head rested on my neck, her hair tangled across my face, and one of her legs was wedged between mine. My arm was pinned under her, making it almost impossible to get up without waking her. Well, impossible, really.

I touched her forehead and exhaled in relief. Her fever had finally broken. Now, I just had to convince my stubborn girl to eat something and talk about whatever was weighing on her. Talking would help her clear her head and focus on getting better. And I needed to know she was okay before flying to Jamaica to wrap up recording the last few songs for the album.

She murmured my name, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Good morning, beautiful,” I whispered when her eyes met mine. “Feeling better?”

She frowned, looking around as if trying to remember where she was. To my disappointment, she pulled away, shifting to her side of the bed and leaving my arms empty.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied hesitantly. “My head still hurts, and my throat’s sore, but I’m feeling better. I can’t remember much from yesterday, though. I remember talking to Matt on the phone, then you showed up… The rest is kind of a blur.”

I found my notebook and pen tucked under the blankets. I’d been writing when she fell asleep on top of them. Setting them aside on the bedside table, I turned to face her, propping myself up on my elbow. She was staring blankly at the ceiling, looking distant. I touched her cheek, and she closed her eyes.

“When I got here, you were talking to Matt about the meeting,” I said softly. “Then I made you take a shower to bring your fever down, and when you got back to bed, you crashed. You’ve been out for twelve hours straight.”

“Wow,” she murmured. “I didn’t even know I could sleep that long.”

“Who would’ve thought? Elena Vaughan, the most morning person ever, sleeping for twelve hours straight. I think you might be getting old,” I teased, and she stuck her tongue out at me before smiling—a real, genuine smile that sent warmth rushing through my chest. “Can I kiss you?”

She looked at me in disbelief and laughed. “You shouldn’t ask a woman if you can kiss her, Martin.” She gave me a mock serious look. “And besides, I’m still sick. I could pass it on to you, and that wouldn’t be good.”

“Right now, I don’t care about that,” I said, holding her wrists gently when she tried to move away. I just needed to know we were okay, at least somewhat. “I just want you.”

Her eyes softened for a moment, and I took the chance. As our lips met, Elena let out a small, contented sound that was the sweetest thing I’d heard in months. No hit song could ever compare to that.

I kissed her slowly, savouring the moment. Our tongues moved together, our breathing deepened, and I didn’t want it to end. If I died right then, I’d be the happiest guy in the world. It was pure bliss, just solidifying how she was everything to me.

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