Page 26 of Elusive Embrace

But the truth is no matter how many years Al gets it won’t be enough. In the end, he’ll be out and we’ll have to worry about him again. The thought of it churns in my mind like a relentless storm.

It’s early morning when someone pulls the curtain back that separates me and Nat from the rest of the ward.

“I brought you some clothes,” Ryan grins at me.

“How did you get in here at this time of the day?” I ask.

“Power of persuasion and connections. Tommy’s Operations Manager’s husband works here. Many phone calls were made so you can finally shower and change. I didn’t want to say anything last night, mate, but you stank,” he laughs.

I look down at the sports gear I’m still wearing. I was soaked with sweat when I came downstairs and found Al and Nat. No wonder I stink. I lift my shirt and take a sniff. Musky.

“I can’t leave her.” Nat’s hand is in mine as it has been all night. She has a severe concussion and nurses kept waking her to check on her through the night. But afterwards she would immediately fall asleep again.

“I’ll stay with her, I promise,” he says. He holds out a bag which I assume contains fresh clothes. “There’s also your phone and some food in there. Oh, and Egon and Venkman are currently cuddling with Buttercup. Rossi is not amused.”

“Thanks, Ry.” I keep saying thanks but I don’t think I can thank him enough.

I carefully get off my chair and take the bag.

“What about your foot?” he asks.

“Hurts like hell but it’s only a soft tissue injury. I was lucky,” I shrug.

The lovely nurse shows me to a shower and after I have washed myself and slipped on clean clothes I feel a lot better. I hobble back to our bay and find Ry in the chair next to Nat. He looks tired.

“How much sleep did you get?” I ask as I drag another chair over and drop in it.

“None so far. The police were around for ages and we had to settle the cats. After that, Jane and I talked for a long time.”

“Was it safe for you to drive?” I ask.

“Nick gave me a lift,” he explains. Nick is a member of Ry’s FMR unit. Those guys go through thick and thin together so I’m not surprised that someone jumped in to help out.

“What’s going to happen now?” he asks me.

“Don’t know. I assume they’ll revoke his bail, they better fucking do. And then we wait for the trial. I’ll speak with the solicitor later.”

Ryan nods. “What about you and Nat?”

“Friends. For now at least because she needs time to get over this. But I don’t mind waiting. I’ll wait forever if that’s how long it takes. She’s seeing a therapist now and that seemed to be helping until the wanker turned up again.”

“Maybe you should see someone as well?” Ry suggests again and he’s not wrong. I have thought about it. I know that myexperience doesn’t compare to Nat’s but talking to someone might help me to help her, and that would be worth it.

“I’ll look into it.” I pull the tinfoil packets from the bag and unwrap one. “Bacon butties!”

“Jane insisted,” Ryan laughs before slapping me carefully on my back. “I’ll leave you both but if you need anything or need us to give you a lift back just call.”

“Will do.” I reply through a mouthful of bacon. Ry laughs before slipping out from our little bubble. I swallow a few more bites of the food and then take a large gulp of water.

Nat’s hand is twitching on top of the mattress and I place mine on top of hers. As soon as I do she seems to calm and the hand movement stops.

“I love you,” I whisper so only I can hear it. One day I will be able to say it out loud to her again but for now it’s my secret.

Chapter 12

Halloween a year later

Natalie

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