Page 51 of Exposing Adonis

“Whatever.”

“Whatever.” I mocked, before walking out of the room.

I walked out of the room, letting the door swing behind me. I turned down the hall towards Cal’s room, but stopped dead in my tracks.

Dr. Chloe Laurant was hugging Lady Pippa Fox, crying into her shoulder. Pippa’s long, manicured nails were going through her hair as she hugged her close.

“I don’t think I deserve this,” Dr. Laurent’s voice was in agony.

“You don’t, Cabbage.” She said, her crystalline voice like a lullaby. “You’re lovely, and perfect. We’ll get through this.”

“It’s not right …” she wiped at her tear-soaked cheeks. “None of it is fair.”

Pippa’s eyes suddenly flashed towards me, and she wrapped her arms tighter around the doctor, as if she was protectingherfromme. “Come on, Cabbage. Let’s go somewhere else.”

She turned Dr. Laurent by the shoulders down the hall. She spared me one last glance. I expected her to turn around and look like Medusa. Instead, she looked terrified. Like I was Pandora, about to peek into a box.

Down the hall was Jason Rhodes, his arms crossed, staring at the two women as they walked away. Something was off about his attention. Alex wasn’t around. What was he doing here?

Chapter 23

Callum

Alex’snewherostatushad press hanging around the lobbies, waiting room and street outside. They were hungry for a photo of Alex, the hero, Chloe, the damsel, or any of us that took part in the rescue. The only person who could get in and out of the hospital was Lea, and that was because she was mobile, and her photo wasn’t on the Caledonia Security webpage.

Though, if I had my way, both her and her brother would end up on the payroll.

I worried about Cabbage. The strong woman she had blossomed into was slowly withering away to nothingness under the attention. She hung around, staring over Pippa’s shoulder in the hallways, hiding behind her like she was a child again. Like the days when we were all in St. Michael’s uniforms, and she’d clung to Pippa’s blazer with her little hands, hiding behind her hip.

We watched our own hospital from the TV as people announced the unprecedented amount of money being raised to rebuild Kemet’s Baas Medical Refugee camp.

Lea sat beside me in the crowded hospital room. I kept her hand in mine, as the lads of Caledonia Security and I discussed the next steps. Alex was staring out the window, down to the street below where the crowd, the same one on the TV, gathered. He had a serene smile on his face.

“Things are turning out well, all in all,” I mentioned, calling out to Alex.

He raised his head and nodded.

“We should probably get you out of here.” Alex was twisting each horizontal blind until each one was hanging at the exact same angle. Then, he twisted them again, taking care to wipe off any dust on the cheap, white plastic. “You can recuperate back in my home.”

Callisandra appeared on the screen, live, outside of a concert.

“Sophie Tudor and Jomari Rizal are taking the music world by storm. Their one-night-only concert to raise money for the people of Kemet has already broken records in ticket sales.” Callisandra looked quite bored, reporting on something as banal as a show. “There’s wide speculation that a second concert may happen at a later date.”

I turned off the television.

“How’s your brother doing?” I asked Lea, tugging her to me until she reclined into my side. More and more, I had insisted on close proximity, and I wasn’t above using my wound to get her there. They were weaning me off my pain killers, and nothing but her perfume could dull the ache at my shoulder.

The wound was healing, but I couldn’t put pressure on it or exert myself too much without the tugging pain deep in my side. My ribs were manageable, and I was sure I could mouth my goddess soon. I was getting itchy from withdrawals, needing the ecstasy of being inside her.

“I’ll leave right now if you don’t stop,” she said, the last time I tried to flip her onto her back, so I could take my rightful place between her legs. “I will not have you hurt yourself just to get your rocks off.”

Such lovely American phrases, my woman used. I tugged at her hair, pulling it back over her ear so that I could see that heart shaped face of hers.

I scoffed at the memory, knowing that her excuses were wearing thin, and that we were barreling forward towards something that would link us together.

“I’d rather take Lea back home, to Scotland.” I finally responded. “It’ll be easier to recover there.”

“Well, we can do a couple days at the mansion, while we arrange a charter for you and Leo.” Alex offered. “You’re not going commercial, obviously.”

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