Page 158 of Suck My Puck

Alanna is head of Public Relations for the Bashers and is excellent at her job. She’s constantly putting out media fires. And Ingrid is a social media genius, so I’m certain that the two of them will take care of this.

The nurse comes in and checks my vitals. “We’ll wheel you out of here soon,” she says to me before walking out of the room.

I glance around at everyone. “Thanks for being here. It means a lot.”

The medical team comes in. Everyone moves back to make room for them.

I look at Bella. I reach up and cup her face in my hand. “I want you to be the first person I see when I wake up.”

“You got it.”

“Love you, pretty girl.”

She kisses me. “Love you too.”

She steps away from my bed and the hospital staff wheels me out of the room and down the hall toward the operating room.

Chapter 55

Braden

When I wake up, there’s a sharp pain in my lower back and a dull ache in my hips. I shift and instantly groan.

“Easy there, champ,” a female voice says. “Try to stay still.”

It’s a struggle to open my eyes, I’m so groggy. Like I’m being jolted awake from a dead sleep.

I felt like this the one other time I went under general anesthesia for shoulder surgery a few years ago.

When my vision starts to focus, I see the nurse standing over me, adjusting the blankets on my hospital bed.

She’s speaking, but I’m so out of it that I don’t understand what she’s saying. It feels like the bed is moving. The gentle motion is so soothing that I doze off.

When I wake up, Bella’s beautiful face is the first thing I see.

“Hey, pretty girl.”

When she smiles, I see those dimples I can’t get enough of. She stares at me, her heart in her eyes. She cradles my cheek in her hand. “Hey. How do you feel?”

“Sore. Tired.”

She runs her hand through my hair. I hum at the soothing feel.

“Your phone has been blowing up with well wishes and texts asking how you’re doing,” Bella says.

“Tell them I barely made it out alive,” I joke.

She gently smacks my hand. “Oh my god, you’re terrible.”

I start to laugh, but then pain shoots up my back and hip. I groan. Bella sits down on the edge of the bed, right next to me.

I rest my hand on her hip and she holds up my phone, which is buzzing with texts. “Want me to message everyone for you and let them know you’re recovering in post-op?”

I nod. “That would be great. Thank you.”

She smiles down at my phone and swipes her finger across the screen, tapping away. After a couple of minutes, she stops.

“Um…” She looks up, her expression uncertain. “Your dad called you.”

---