Page 15 of Theodore

But he wouldn’t let me.

“Jesus,Theo. You beg me to fuck you for years, then the one time I’m telling you to; you say no?” I hissed as he held my wrists, his eyes burning into mine.

“Becausethisisn’t you. As much as I want to smash you through the fucking wall, I can’t. You deserve better. You’re hurting and being fucked won’t make it better.”

I trembled as his arms circled my waist, pulling me close to him.

“Why can’t you just be a player when I need you to be one?” I whispered as fresh tears rolled out of my eyes.

“Because it’s you.”

8

HANNAH

“Fuck,” I hissed, dashing up the stairs.

One elevator was out of order, and the line for the only remaining one was huge. I gasped as my lungs burned in my chest, groaning when I saw I was only on floor two. I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up the stairs, sweat dripping down my back as I continued to climb. Finally, I reached floor four, my legs almost rubbery as I doubled over, my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

I was so unfit.

I pulled the door open, the smell of ammonia hitting my nose as I made my way to Nikolas. My mother had called me in hysterics, telling me there had been some news, and I’d dropped the phone instantly.

I burst into the room to find my family surrounded by the bed.

“He moved,” Zane whispered as I ran forward into his arms. “The doctor is due any minute.”

My heart jumped into my mouth when the door opened behind me.

A doctor walked in, his white coat open, as he rubbed his chin.

“Good afternoon, I’m Doctor Richards. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

He beamed at Nikolas.

“The good news is that he’s moved. It’s very positive. Also, we’ve been able to take him off the ventilator, and he is breathing independently. The intracranial pressure monitor is also showing that the fluid in Nikolas’s brain is stabilizing.”

I held my breath as Zane’s grip tightened on my shoulders.

“Which is all pointing in the right direction. I would advise you to keep talking to him, for I’m now pretty sure he will hear you.” He smiled kindly at my mother who cried with relief, falling into Ryan’s arms.

“Nikolas, baby, we love you. So much,” Mom cried, kissing his hand.

“We’ll reduce the medication slowly over the next few days and see how he reacts to that. But I feel he is over the worst of it.”

Relief swept over me as I sobbed, my shoulders shaking as Ryan pulled me into a warm embrace.

“I told you, he’ll pull through it. Do you want to sit here with him while I take Mom home to change? Zane is going back to work.”

“I don’t have to,” Zane argued.

Ryan shrugged. “Hannah will be here with him. She was always his favorite, anyway.”

Zane rolled his eyes as he ruffled my hair, kissing my head as he spoke. “I think you areeveryone’sfavorite.”

I grinned at him through my tears, filling Mom’s vacant space as she kissed my cheek warmly. She looked gaunt and tired, almost like she had aged a decade overnight.

“I love you, Hannah.”