Page 37 of Unbreakable Connection (Connections Duet)

“You’re angry, Edric; I get that, but I am not your enemy, and believe it or not, I wasn’t trying to hide information from you. I might not have disclosed the entire truth about my feelings and intentions toward Sabina, but that’s all I’m guilty of.”

He held one hand up to show he was unarmed and then used the other to open a locked drawer. Here, this may help you understand,” he handed me a letter confirming he was telling me the truth.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ellen

I woke up thinking I would turn over and feel Edric pressed against me, but Kyle was sound asleep with his laptop open and his reading glasses halfway down the bridge of his nose. I moved to sit up and laughed at the sight of my best friend. He’s a protector like Edric, never leaving my side so they can watch over me.

“Hey, Kyle, wake up,” I quietly said, not to startle him. He shifted slightly, opened his eyes, and smiled back at me.

“Wow, I must have been wiped to fall asleep like that.” He moved his computer aside and sat up with his back against the headboard. “Sorry, I only meant to rest my eyes for a few minutes.”

“Stop apologizing; this is not the first time and probably not the last. We’ve woken up in strange places, like when we were in medical school together.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Do you remember when I had a rotation down in the morgue and fell asleep on the gurney during my break?”

“Ha! You were so tired that Johnson rolled you next to the cadavers, and I still remember the blood-curdling screams coming from you when you woke up.”

“Yes, a blue-ribbon day I’ll never forget. Thank you for not being pissed finding me here, which is your fault since you don’t have any comfy chairs up here.”

“It’s a bedroom, not a living room, which you could have used downstairs.”

“I know, but Edric wanted me close in case you woke up and needed anything.”

“Where is he?”

“Out, and that’s all I know, so don’t ask.”

“You are a terrible liar, Kyle, but thank you for caring for me. I’m starving since I pretty much slept the day away. So let’s go downstairs to the kitchen and eat dinner.”

“I like your plan, but first, let me check your vitals,” he said, hopping off my bed to get his bag. In a flash, he was back and placing the blood pressure cuff on my arm.

“Kyle, this is not necessary, and hello, I’m a doctor too that you seem to forget.”

“I have my orders, so please cooperate. Your pressure is perfect, and so is your pulse. You don’t have a fever, which means the medicine is doing its job and then some. How’s your breathing? Do you have any restrictions or pain?”

“No, not at all; we caught it before it worsened.”

“I’d say that you were lucky in more ways than one. Come on, let’s eat a lot of carbs.” Kyle re-heated a pan of manicotti while I watched from the couch. I wasn’t a big television watcher, so I opened a playlist from my phone and played music instead. I watched Kyle sway back and forth as the familiar song beganto play. Kyle brought my plate over on a tray and propped my pillows before handing it to me. He sat beside me with his on his lap, digging into the gooey cheese pasta.

“Hmm, this is delicious; I think I need to put my name on Antonia’s food delivery route and get in on this. I know Nai has brought in leftovers from family dinners, but I never took the time to really taste and enjoy it since we were always so busy, I practically inhaled my food.”

“I know what you mean; Edric loves it too. I’m so happy that he had a chance to meet Antonia before,” I stopped myself because I didn’t want to think of Edric leaving me to go home to London.

“He’s here to stay, you know that, right?”

“I do and have known probably from our beginning. It’s just my old insecurities creeping back up. But, I’m trying to do better, I swear it.”

“I know, and you’re doing great. You are always the hardest on yourself, and now, with Edric in your life, you don’t have to be. You can let go of some of the burdens and let him love you because it’s the only thing he wants to do.”

“You’re right. I’ve probably kept Edric at arm's length since our beginning, and I was too stubborn to admit it. I put all the blame on Edric and accepted no responsibility for why we were apart. I love him, Kyle, and it feels freeing to finally be able to say that without wanting to run as fast as my legs could take me. He’s changed my entire life by returning to me, and to think our future almost didn’t start because of the car bombing. I still pinch myself to feel I’m alive.” I started to cry with the residual fears now taking over. Kyle moved our food away and pulled me into his arms.

“Shh, you’re safe now, and no one is going to get past GI Joe, you hear me?” I laughed, knowing that was the truth.

“I miss him; maybe I should give him a call?”

“I’m sure he will be back soon,” Kyle said, and the doorbell rang. “You expecting anyone?”

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