Page 44 of Something to Believe In
Destiny rolled the hospital table in front of her and moved her rolling stool to sit facing her and Axel. "I'll go as quickly as I can, then you two can get home and relax."
"Thank you."
The paperwork was boring, mostly boilerplate drivel some attorney likely billed the hospital far too much for. But eventually, they declared her released, and soon Destiny pushed her in the obligatory wheelchair to Axel's now-dented loaner.
She felt exposed as Destiny wheeled her out of the safety of the hospital. She swallowed the lump in her throat. As soon as Destiny stopped the wheelchair, Maddyn slowly stood, then made the few steps to the door Axel held open for her.
He closed her door and hurried around the front of the vehicle. His movements were still stiff, and he was right. They needed a good night's sleep, so tomorrow would be a better day.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Axel pulled his loaner into the garage and waited for the door to close before getting out. He was sore. His shoulders especially were sore, and that wasn't good for a man who beat on the drums for a living. But he'd take something for the pain tomorrow before the gig, and he'd be good to go.
But Mads? Watching the color drain from her face as she tried to drag in a breath. That scared the ever-loving shit out of him.
He opened the passenger door and held his hand out for Mads to steady herself. "Whenever you're ready."
She smiled. "I can walk without help. I'm sore only when I move in certain ways. My shoulders and down the front of me where the seatbelt, luckily, worked and kept me from flying through the windshield, but damn, it leaves an impression."
"I'm thrilled you can walk but let me help you. I'm not used to feeling helpless, and for the past four hours, I've felt about as useful as a tit on a bull."
She chuckled, and it didn't hurt that bad. "Okay."
He walked alongside her at a slower pace than usual. He reached forward to open the door to the house. She grinned and stepped inside. "Do you want something to drink?"
"Actually, a bottle of water would be great."
Axel opened the refrigerator and pulled two bottles of water from inside. He followed Mads to the living room, where she sat on the sofa. Twisting the cap off the bottle, he set it in front of her. "Did you still want to work, or do you need to rest?"
She smiled. Her green eyes were tired. Still, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. "I'm tired, but I want to get the lyrics in my head on paper. Do you mind if I work for a few minutes?"
"Not at all. I'm eager to get some things on paper, too. Are you comfortable here?"
Her smile broadened. "I'm good, Axel. Thank you so much for caring."
He bent down and kissed her lips. "I care more than you'll ever know, Mads."
Her eyes stared into his for a long time. "Same back to you."
He nodded, then scooted off to the office to write the words he'd been hearing in his head all day.
Excitement ran through him as he hurried down the hallway. Sitting at the desk in his office, he pulled a notebook from the top drawer and began writing the words he'd been hearing all day. He couldn't write them down fast enough; he should learn to type. But he loved the way the pen floated across the paper. He loved seeing the words in his own handwriting. And he loved this part of the process. It solidified the words.
After writing for an hour, he looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was close to midnight. He'd been writing for more than an hour.
Tucking his notebook into the top drawer, he inhaled deeply, then went to the living room to see if Mads was still writing.
When he rounded the corner to the living room, he saw her. She lay back on the sofa, her head propped on a decorative pillow that his decorator said made the room look more cohesive. Her phone was still in her right hand; her left hand rested on her belly. Her face was beautiful as always. She was resting peacefully. He stared for a while; he'd never tire of looking at her. Stepping near her, he perched himself on the edge of the sofa. "Mads, honey. It's time for bed."
Her eyes opened. The green was such a pretty shade of green; he decided it was his new favorite color. He'd tell her that one day.
"Hey."
She started to sit up and froze. Taking a breath, she turned herself so her feet were on the floor. He stood nearby in case she needed help. She stood slowly, then turned to him and smiled. "That didn't hurt."
He grinned. "Outstanding."
Slowly, they sauntered to the bedroom. He turned the lights off on the way, checked the locks on the doors, and locked the door to the bedroom. Mitch had texted a while ago. He had an employee assigned to them, and he and Mads would have protection from this point on.
