Page 93 of Reckless and Rooted
I blink, shocked. “I’ve been here a day?”
“Hmm, let’s see.” He goes over to a wall, where there is a whiteboard that has my first name written on it. Pulling out a chart, he nods. “Looks like you came in yesterday evening, had surgery that went on quite longer than was expected. Now you’re already awake, which is great news.”
“Where’s, um…” I shake my head a little, wondering where everyone is.
“Your security is just outside the door. Would you like me to get him?”
My security? Ezra.
“Yes, please.”
“I will do that and go grab the doctor who will be in to tell you about the surgery as well.”
“Thanks, Colin.” I manage before my head flops back onto my pillows. I let out a deep sigh and let myself take in the emotions that hit me over the crazy events that happened over the last few days.
My door opens again, and Ezra marches in, taking one look at me before a breath wooshes from his lungs. “Fuck’s sake, Felicity. I leave for three days, and you go and get kidnapped.”
I crack a grin. “Just trying to keep you on your toes, Ez.” Squinting, I ask, “How’s your mom doing?”
He runs his hand through his hair, which has started graying at the temples. I fear I caused that, but it adds to the guy’s charm. “My mom’s fine. A lot better than you, so please don’t worry about anyone else.”
“What? I love your mom.” She makes these peppermint cookie things for me every year that are actually ridiculous and make me feel loved.
“She loves you,” Ezra says, then shakes his head. “I need to call Jax. He wanted to know the minute you got up.”
My heart lurches in my chest at the thought of seeing him, and I blink. “Is Lawson okay?”
Ezra nods, coming over and patting my leg. “He’s good. Thea brought him to the hospital to see Jax last night, and I’ve never seen a baby relax more around a person in my life. It was fascinating to watch.”
“He loves Jax,” I whisper, my head growing more and more achy.
“The feeling is definitely mutual. I sent them home though so he could get some rest. So both of them could. I’m pretty sure your entire family, including your future in-laws, crashed at your house last night to stay close.”
I smile, loving the thought of my home being filled with the people I love. “Sad I missed it.”
“Give me a minute to call Jax. I need to fill you both in on what happened.”
I barely get the word “okay” out before I drift back to sleep.
Some time later, I wake up to a light brushing of something on my lips, and my eyes blink open to see Jax’s blurry form above me. “Hey, baby.” His whispered words bring immediate tears to my eyes, and I have to close them against the onslaught of emotion.
“Shh.” He shushes me, pulling us together. My hands cling to his arms, afraid to let him go. I have no idea where these emotions are coming from, but if I had to guess, I would say that somewhere between getting kidnapped, shot, and landing in a hospital, something has finally caught up to me.
“I’ve got you.” His strong arms wrap around me, taking care of my injuries, and I couldn’t care less if he hurt me right now. I just want to stay right here in his arms for as long as he lets me be here. “I’ve got you. I’m so sorry.”
Sniffling, I pull back and squint at him. “Why are you sorry?”
Jax’s expression betrays the calm demeanor he was trying to hold on to, switching to bewilderment. “Why am I sorry? My father hurt you, Felicity.” He bites his lip, sitting on the edge of my bed, his eyes tracking my body. “I can’t even fathom what I would do without you, what I would have done to him had the cops not shown up.”
“Hey.” I grab his hand, pulling him close. “Sometimes you get to be the big bad guy and save me, but sometimes you need to just let things be. Your dad must be in jail or something, right?”
Jax clenches his eyes shut. “Yes, he is. So are his fucking goonies.”
I crack a smile. “Justice then.”
“We’ll see,” Jax says, his eyes landing on mine again, and like he can’t stop himself, he leans forward and takes my lips with his own. His kiss relays the desperation he must have been feeling over the last two days, from me not showing back up at home to finding out I was missing to finding me and seeing me get shot. I can’t imagine how that must have felt.
I reach up with my right arm gingerly, threading my fingers through his hair and pulling him into me, sipping at his lips and wishing, like anything, we were at home, where we could lie in bed and just breathe each other in.
