Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87005 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“What happened?” She winces. Her voice is raspy, and it’s obvious her throat is sore.
“I’ll tell you everything, but let me call the nurse so they can come and check you over.” I lean over and kiss her lips before pressing the call button for the nurse. I can feel the heavy weight of worry lift from my shoulders.
She’s going to be okay.
Not a minute later, the nurse bustles into the room and smiles when she sees Monroe awake. “Your husband was right. You do have pretty blue eyes. How are you feeling?”
“Okay. Better than I remember. What happened?” she asks as she reaches for her throat in obvious discomfort. I wish I could take that pain for her.
The nurse continues to take her vitals while all I can do is hold on to her hand and stare at her beautiful blue eyes. The worry of whether I’d ever see them again is gone, and relief has taken its place. However, it’s also stolen my ability to speak. I can’t seem to find the words to tell her how it felt to find her, to see her lying in this bed, uncertain of when or if she would come back to me. I know the doctors had her in a medically induced coma, but she was out the entire time since I found her. It was always in the back of my mind: what if they were wrong?
Taking a deep breath, I calm myself and begin to fill her in on the last couple of days. “You gave us quite the scare.”
“I’m sorry you had to find me like that.”
“I’m not. They said if I would have been just five minutes later, you might not have made it.”
“I’ll send the doctor in,” the nurse says.
“I missed you,” I tell her, pulling her hand to my lips for a kiss.
“I heard you.”
“You did?” My pulse races at her confession. “I wasn’t sure, but if there was a chance, I needed you to know that I was here.”
She nods. “I tried to reach out to you, but I couldn’t.”
Fuck. I’m so glad I stayed. I’m glad she knew I was here even if she couldn’t tell me. “It’s okay, baby. You’re here, and you’re going to be okay. I love you so much, Monroe.”
Her entire body seems to relax at my words. “I love you too.”
With hands that are still trembling with both relief and elation, I send a text to our parents and our friends. Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I tell her about everyone who’s been coming to see her. I tell her about our parents cleaning the house and stocking our freezer for when she comes home.
She drifts in and out of sleep, but I don’t let myself get worked up about it. The doctor warned me this might be the case. I’m perfectly content to sit here with her, holding her hand until she wakes up again.
“Have you been here the whole time?” Her voice pulls me from my thoughts.
Leaning forward, I press my lips to her hand, which is still entwined with mine. “Yes.”
“You look exhausted.”
“Thank you.” I smile at her. “You look beautiful.”
She rolls her eyes. “We’re already married, Legend. I’m certain beautiful is not how I look at the moment.”
“You’re always beautiful to me.”
Her gaze softens. “You should go home and get some rest.”
“No way. I’m not leaving here unless you’re with me.” The words are barely out of my mouth when the doctor comes in with good news.
“Your vitals are excellent. We’re preparing a room for you now in the step-down unit. Congrats, Mrs. Raines, you’re leaving ICU.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” I stand to shake his hand. “When can I take my wife home?” I thought that the weight of worry was gone, but his words are what finally lift the heaviness from my chest.
“She’ll spend another night just so we can monitor her and get another day of IV antibiotics. She’ll need to eat, drink, and use the bathroom on her own. If she’s doing all that, and there are no setbacks, you should be able to take her home tomorrow. I’ll make rounds around eight, and if she does well overnight, we’ll start the discharge process.”
“Hear that, baby? You keep kicking ass, and we’ll bust you out of this joint tomorrow.”
The corner of her mouth lifts in a smile, and my heart squeezes in my chest.
She’s going to be okay.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
Monroe
“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” my mom asks.
“Mom, I’m fine. I promise. Legend is taking good care of me.”
“Oh, I know that.” She waves her hand in the air. “That man loves you.”
“Yes, that man does,” Legend says, walking into the room. He places a bowl of his mom’s chicken soup on the table next to me. “She made a fresh batch.”