Page 109 of Enraged

“I know you love a good nap, but sixteen days is just excessive,” she teased. “It’s literally a different year!”

I laughed, the pain reverberating across my spine. “You know I’m an over-achiever.” Her lip quivered and all I wanted to do was kiss it away.

“How are ya, Loo?”

“I’m okay.”

“How’s Jace?”

“Good, I guess.”

You guess?

“You don’t know?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “I haven’t seen him since he was discharged from the hospital.”

Oh, shit.

“Have you been to visit me?”

“Every day,” my dad informed me from the doorway. “She comes before work, on her lunch break, and after work.”

I looked at Lena. “Is that true?”

She nodded.

Joining her at the bedside, he put his arm around her.

“Ask her what she did on Christmas Eve,” he prompted.

I looked up at her. “What did you do?” I asked curiously.

She rolled her eyes. “I slept in the rocker so Santa could find you. I knew I was on the nice list, and you weren’t, so I did you a solid.” She pointed across the room. “Once he got here, he felt bad that you looked like that, so he left you some stuff anyways.”

Dad pressed the button on the arm rail, adjusting my bed, so I could see what she was pointing at.

Oh, my goodness…

On a small table in the corner of the room was a small Christmas tree with a few wrapped gifts underneath it, alongside an overly filled stocking.

“Damn, it looks like I did make the nice list.”

“Only by association,” Lena pointed out. “I told you – that’s why I stayed.”

I rolled my eyes at her, but I felt like I was bursting as the seams.

I’m in love with her.

That realization was the only clear thought in my mind.

My dad interrupted my thoughts with some thoughts of his own.

“I guess I should call Cassie and tell her that you’re awake.”

I held up my hand. “Don’t bother. I’m waitin’ on a nurse to come in so I can officially add her to the visitation ban list,” I informed him. “She told Dr. Bowers that she was my fiancé.”

Lena looked at me guiltily. “I told him that she was your fiancé.”

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