Royal Pain in the Ass (48 page)

“
I missed you too.
”

This was the best time ever for the stupid nurse to walk in.
 
I was mad at her for coming in.
 

“
How are you feeling today, love?
”

“I
’
m alright, I guess.
”

“
That
’
s good.
”  
She asked me a lot of questions that I thought were stupid.
 
After a lot of stupid tests, like following a pen light and touching all of my fingertips to one another, an hour later she finally left me in peace.

“
All the tests look like they went well.
”
Xavier sighed.
  “
You had us all worried.
”

“I
’
m sorry.”

“
I have to take Angelica back.
”

I nodded, feeling my heart sink.
  “
Right, of course.
”

“
I have to escort her back, but I don
’
t want to leave you alone.
 
If you want, I
’
ll take her back and come back, if you want me to.
”

“Don
’
t strain yourself.
 
That
’
s a long flight.
”

“
Do you not want me to come back?
”

“No!”
I answered quickly.

“Oh,”

“
No,
no,
dammit, that came out wrong.
I want you to come back.
 
I really do.
”  Xavier smiled.  “
I just don’
t want you to stress yourself out or go to any trouble for me.
”

Xavier sighed and smiled.
 
I wasn
’
t looking at him when I felt the bed sink under his weight.
 
His fingers tucked a stray lock behind my ear and he gingerly lifted my chin until I was looking at him.
  “
Juliet,
you are nothing but trouble. But all the trouble in the world is worth it for you.
”

I couldn
’
t help but smile.

“
You will be here until I get back, afterwards we will discuss our options then.
”

“
Wait, what?
”

“
You will have to stay here for observation.
”

“I can
’t leave?
”

“No,”

“Oh . . .”
I felt cold suddenly.
 
I still hated hospitals.
 
I was really hoping I could go home today.
  “
How, how long am I stuck here?
”

“
Are you alright?
”

I was about to say
‘
yeah, it
’
s cool,
’
but I knew it was a lie and for some reason I wanted to tell Xavier the truth.
 
I shook my head.
  “No.”
I managed quietly.

“
What is it, Juliet?
 
You can tell me anything.
”

“
I don’
t like hospitals.
”
I shook my head.

Xavier pulled me into a hug.
  “
I understand.
 
Many people are afraid of doctors and -
”

“No.”

“
What?
”

“It
’
s not that.
”
I shook my head.
  “I
’
m not afraid of doctors.
”

“
What is it then?
”

“
Hospitals remind me.
 
I spent months waiting and watching.
 
My mom fought hard for about a year and a half, but the last eight months she had to stay in the hospital.
 
It reminds me of that time and I don
’
t like thinking about it.
 
I miss her . . .
”

“Ah,”
Xavier held me close to him and I held him like he was the last solid thing.
 

I always got so sad every time I remembered my mom.
 
I still hadn
’
t gotten used to the idea that she was gone.
 
I didn
’
t know how to exist without her.
 
I was surviving, but not much else.
 
I missed her so much.
 
I missed her smile.
 
Her encouraging words.
 Her singing.  
The way she made pancakes, which was just about the only thing she could cook.
 
I missed our classic movie nights where we watched the corny old movies.
 
I missed the nights where we would stay in and play board games and cards until the early morning.
 
I missed all the stupid little things.
 
I missed her.
  “
I miss her . . .
”
I whispered.
 
I felt a few stubborn tears fall.
 

“It
’
s okay to miss her,
”
Xavier murmured against my hair as he rubbed my back.
 

“I
’
ve been alone since she
’
s been gone.
 
People don
’
t understand, even when the try.
 
They just don
’
t get it.
”

“
You aren
’
t alone anymore.
” 
Xavier whispered.

“Yes, I am. 
We all are.
  We
’
re all alone.
  We
’
re born alone and we die alone.
 
That
’
s the saddest part, we really are.
”

My head started pounding all of a sudden.
 
My vision blurred and I was in excruciating pain.
 
I was screaming when it all went black.

Chapter XXV

When I woke up my throat hurt and I had the strangest sensation in my nose.
 
I heard this annoying beeping noise.
 
My eyes felt so heavy, but I opened them with more effort than there should have been.
 
I looked down at my arm and saw an IV, the beeping was a heart monitor.
 
I had tubes in my nose.
 
That was why my throat hurt.
 
I felt something in my hand.
 
I looked down and saw Xavier sleeping by my bedside, his hand resting in mine.

I must have shifted or something because he stirred.
 
I smiled until I saw the bags under his bloodshot eyes.
  “
Are you alright?
”
I asked, suddenly concerned.

“Yes, I
’
m perfectly fine.
 
How are you feeling?
”

“Awkward. 
Why are there all the wires and tubes?
”

Xavier looked grim for a moment and pursed his lips.
  “
There was a complication.
”

“
What?
”

“
When you got upset, your heart rate sped up, and basically you started bleeding again.
 
They managed to stop it, and you
’
ve been sedated for the past two weeks.
”

“
TWO WEEKS!
”
I sat up, and felt the tubes and the IV pull, then the pain in my ribs, and then everything started hurting.
 
My head ached and was throbbing, my ribs hurt, all of my muscles were sore.

“
Juliet, you have to keep calm or they will sedate you.
”

“
What about Angelica?
”

Xavier smiled at me, it was almost a condescending smile, one that seemed to say you
’
re a silly little girl.
  “It
’
s been two weeks Juliet, that is handled.
”

A nurse picked now to bustle in.
  “You
’
re awake, eh child?
”
the nurse asked, she had dark skin and dark hair that was in neat dreads and fell almost to her waist.
  “
Good, that medicine they were givin to ya wasn
’
t no good for your
heart anyway.”
She said, her island accent thick.
  “
But it keeps ya from bleedin
’
out, which is good for
keepin
’
ya alive.
”
She smiled at me.
  “I
’
m Daphne and I
’
ll be your nurse for at least the next seventy-two hours.
 
Now, you boy, need to give us some privacy.
”
She told Xavier and he looked about to argue but Daphne put a hand on her hip.
  “Don
’
t y
a
be sassin
’
me, boy neither.
 
I don’
t have to let you in here.
 
This girl needs her rest, and her dressin
’
need be changin
’
and I won
’
t be havin
’
ya in here like some peepin
’
Tom.  Get going, boy.”

 “I
’
ll be back as soon as I can, Juliet.
” 
Xavier sighed and left, closing the door behind himself.

“
Well, Juliet, is that boy you
r Romeo?” Daphne joked.

I shook my head.
  “No, he
’
s just my advisor.
”

“
Advisor?
”

“Yes.”

“
He wants to be doin
’
more than advisin
’
, child.
”

“
I don’
t know.
”

“
That boy hasn
’
t left y
our side since we had to put ya under.
”

“
You mean since he got back?
”

“
No, girlie, I mean he hasn
’t left.
”

“
What about Angelica?
”

“
She came and said goodbye to ya, and she cried when she saw ya like that, but another woman, Carol I think her name was, took her away.
”

“
It was probably Carolynn then . . .
”

Daphne nodded.  “
That might have been it.
 
But that
’
s not what matters now, child.
 
Ya need to be restin
’
and relaxin
’
and focusin on gettin
’
y
ourself better.
”

Daphne ran a few tests, drew some blood helped me to change and shower.
 
She was sweet and caring and made me laugh while she brushed my hair.
 
She pulled my hair up into a French braid and then and only then did she let Xavier back in.
 
Apparently he
’
d been waiting outside for most, if not all, of the time she was helping me
.