Chapter 34
1291words
"Leave it like that for some minutes so the bleeding would stop, okay?" The nurse cooed gently and she forced a smile in return, nodding in understanding.
The nurse winked before packing up the tray and walking away. Aurora sighed again, relaxing her back against the headstand. It'd been almost a week since she'd been in the hospital and since that time, both her parents had flown back to Toronto due to their businesses. Evan has stopped coming to visit so she guessed he had gone back too, not that she was keen on seeing his face.
It was her aunt Christy and Chandler who were been doing most of the checking up. The doctor had advised that she remained in the hospital for another week so that the stitches would heal up a bit. At least, now she was able to sit and walk around.
Her gaze was focused on the device in her hand, Aunt Christy had brought it in for her yesterday but she hadn't mustered enough courage to turn it on. She wasn't entirely sure if she was ready to see Louisa doing the dance that she was meant to do. A small part of her was terrified that the girl might've danced better than her.
Aurora was curious though, was the world aware that she was stabbed and admitted in the hospital or had her father swept this under the rug too?
She heard the door open and blew out an aggravated breath, "I thought I told you that I didn't want to be disturbed for another hour."
"Forgive me for the interruption but I was told you needed my company."
She froze, eyes widening a fraction. That voice. Her head snapped up and her lips parted in shock when her eyes met his.
Aurora blinked once and again when he still stood there, a small grin on his face.
"Hello, flower."
She gasped in disbelief. Eyes wide as saucers as he started walking towards her. When he took her hand, his comforting warmth seeping into her skin, she exhaled gently.
"W-wwhat are you doing here?" He took the space beside and she had to adjust so he could sit well. Aurora eyed him carefully, for one he was dressed in scrubs and there was a nose mask hanging from his neck so that was eye raising.
Ryan smiled cheekily, "Like I said earlier, I was told that you required my company," He stretched a hand to push a stray hair behind her ear and shivered in response to his touch.
She didn't buy it, of course but Aurora couldn't deny she was glad that he was here. So she relaxed, "How long have you known?"
"Since the day it happened," He answered simply, dropping his hand on top her lap, "I had to wait until your family was gone."
Aurora wanted to ask him how he knew that they were going to eventually leave but somehow, she knew what his answer would be so she held her tongue.
"How are you feeling?" His eyes darted to her stomach region and she grimaced.
Aurora shrugged weakly, "Better, I still can't move around," She tried grabbing the glass of water on the table beside her, wincing as she did, "See, can't move."
Ryan chuckled, stretching to grab the glass and offering it to her. Aurora silently thanked him as she gulped down the icy water, relishing in the way it cooled her throat.
"Thank you," She said after giving him back the glass. Aurora breathed out tiredly, "It sucks you know, being confined to a place every day. I'm always on my feet so this feels weird."
Ryan's lips quirked slightly and he shifted closer, "What if I told you there was a way to leave here?"
Aurora frowned but she was interested. "How?" She asked and a mischievous light sparked in his brown orbs.
It turned out that when Ryan was talking about the way to leave he meant the rooftop. He'd managed to smuggle her, by literally carrying her in his arms, pas the nurses and doctors all the way to the fire escape and to the stairs leading up to the open roof.
The area was quite windy and tufts of hair kept entering into her mouth but she had to admit, it was a nice view. Ryan placed her on top a ledge, taking the space next to hers. Aurora leaned her back against the wall and breathed in, enjoying the refreshing air.
"When you said that you wanted to take me out of here, I didn't envision a rooftop getaway," She smiled softly as she said this, turning her head to his side.
Ryan offered her a crooked grin, "I think the view is nice, don't you?"
"It's fair."
"Fair?" He shifted so that he was fully facing her, "You mean awfully good it almost took your breath away."
The way he wiggled his brows caused her to bark a short laugh. It surprised her for a second and she frowned.
His smile fell when he noticed the change in her expression, "Is something wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"No," She whispered, shaking her head, "No, I just realized it'd been a while since I've laughed at anything."
He gave her a sad smile, taking her hand in his and squeezing. Aurora smiled back, although this time it was more forced.
"Tell me, how did you manage to get the hospital scrub?" She gave him a narrowed-eyed look, "Don't tell me you stole them?"
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, "You have little faith in me, flower. I'm disappointed." She still didn't relent and he chuckled, "I didn't steal them, one of the doctors here owes me a little favor, I just called it in."
"You missed me that much, huh?" She teased, bumping her shoulder against his.
He didn't smile back, spearing her with a serious look, "I was terrified when I heard the news. It took everything in me not to come barreling through the hospital doors."
Her breath seized at the seriousness in his features, his brown eyes were hard and fixed on hers. Aurora forgot momentarily how to breathe when he leaned forward, his hot minty breath fanning her face,
"Ryan," She breathlessly sighed and something dangerous flashed in his eyes.
"How long do you have till you go back?"
She frowned at the sudden change in topic, "Um, a week at most. The doctor wants me to be fit enough for air travel."
He bobbed his head once, "Good, let's make the most of the week then."
"What do you mean?"
He cupped the side of her face, rubbing the pad of his thumb gently against her cheek, "I mean, let's do the things you've always wanted to do, the things you were too afraid to do back home. Here, you don't have to worry about your mother or the paparazzi. Here, you can be you. Just you."
Aurora had never heard anything that sounded more heart-warming in her life. Her chest swelled with a foreign emotion. She wanted to cry, laugh and dance all at the same time.
She felt the first line of tear roll down her eye and she sniffled. Aurora cupped the hand that was on her cheek and nodded,
"I want that. Let's do it. Just me and you."
Then he did exactly what she'd been waiting for since the moment he walked through her room doors. His lips claimed hers and they kissed until the world fell around them like a curtain.
