The Choice (2 page)

My body feels
like I’ve been steamrolled by a tank. My shoulder is sore and my breathing isn’t right. I’m also pretty sure while I’ve been asleep someone has nailed me in the face with a brick. But as I glance down at the hand that holds mine and see the arrow cuff back where it belongs, I feel better than I have in weeks.

Sophie.

She’s lost in a distant memory that has tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her long blonde hair is a mess and tells me she’s probably not left the hospital in a while. The way her clothes hang loose on her proves she’s also been neglecting to eat. I can tell with one look at the dark rings beneath her gorgeous green eyes that she hasn’t slept in days.

The same
green eyes that I’ve been staring at since I saw that metal railing flash in front of my truck.

I want to see them now
, but she’s hiding them behind her closed lids. Seeming to hear my silent plea, Sophie shifts slightly in the chair she’s pulled up next to my bed and opens them. They remain focused on nothing in particular while she stayed mentally locked in the memory consuming her mind. Tears flow freely, but little sound is coming from her. I have to know what’s keeping her from looking at me.

“What are you thinking about?”
I ask when I finally find my voice.

I sound like shit.

Mirroring my thoughts, her typically lithe frame leans onto her arm and she begins sobbing into her elbow and clenching her stomach. Seeing her fall apart like this breaks my heart and I want nothing more than to pull her into my arms and comfort her, but I know that’s out of the question for now. Speaking hurts; I don’t think lifting her into my throbbing arm, no matter how badly I may want it, would be the brightest idea. Consoling her in the only way I know how, I begin tracing the folds of her palm gently and squeeze her hand as tightly as I can manage. I need her to look at me, but the action seems to make it worse. As I begin trying to soothe her by drawing small circles over her thumb the way I know she likes, I hear her let out a louder cry before speaking.

“Please wake up Chase
,” she cries quietly. I have to find a way to tell her I’m awake but it’s so painful to speak; I need a minute. Before I can manage it, she continues speaking, her fragile voice breaking with sobs. “I need you to wake up Baby. I can’t do this. I can’t lose you, too. I won’t survive it. Please don’t leave me Chase.”

Watching
her fall apart in front of me is far more painful than anything else my body is experiencing right now. I know we’ve been through hell in the past few weeks, but if she seriously thinks I’ll ever leave her without one hell of a fight, she clearly has no idea what she means to me. If she knows
anything
, I need it to be that. I lock my eyes on her, willing her to look up.

“B
aby, I’ll never leave you.” It’s still difficult, but I manage to speak louder this time.

I watch
the heaving in her chest begin to calm as she slowly leans back into her chair. She raises her free hand and wipes the tears away from her eyes and lets out a long, weary sigh. Focusing her attention on the bare wall in front of her, I can see her face clearly for the first time since I’d woken. My girl looks exhausted. I still don’t know if she knows I’ve woken up or not, but I can’t let another second to go by with her in doubt. I need her to know I haven’t left her. I could
never
leave her.

Look at me Baby.
 

By some miracle, Sophie
eventually turns her head slowly to face me. At first she just stares at me brokenly, but then something clicks in that beautiful mind of hers and my heart begins to swell with emotion as she breathes out her relief. The pain didn’t keep me silent anymore, but these eyes hold my voice captive.

Tightening
my hold on the petite hand that still rests in mine, I hear a small whimper escape her full lips. Her hand rises to her mouth, stifling her cries and staring up at the ceiling, she sinks deeper into her chair and sobs loudly. Still unable to speak, she squeezes my hand tightly in hers as renewed sobs rack through her chest. Keeping her eyes focused on the ceiling, I watch her mouth the words
thank you
and my chest tightens again.

“Sophie,” I manage as I keep my gaze locked on her.

It takes her a moment, but eventually she faces me again. Slowly, she stands to grab a small Styrofoam cup of water and bring it to my lips. Drinking as greedily as I can, I feel the cool water make its way down my throat before pulling away, not daring to look away from her beautiful green orbs.

“You need your nurse,” Sophie whispers.

“Come here, Baby,” I say as loud as I can manage and watch her gently shake her head.

“You need your nurse
,” she stubbornly insists, pulling her gaze from mine and searching for the call button.

“I need you.” S
he raises her emerald orbs back to mine and I have to fight to retrieve the breath she’s stolen from me.
Holding her hand isn’t enough
. I give her a little tug. “I need you, Baby. Please come here.”

Sophie slowly mak
es her way over to me without depriving me of her eyes again. I can tell she’s afraid to disturb me. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little wary of moving, but I’ve waited too long to touch her. I need her body close to mine.

“Sophie,
” I encourage softly once more. “Get in my bed, Baby.”

After adjusting the mess of cords connecting me to every machine known to man, she lower
s herself onto the uncomfortable mattress next to me. Moving over to give her room I try to stifle my discomfort, but she notices and freezes. I don’t care if it costs me my good arm, it’s worth it to have her with me right now.

“Did I hurt you?”

“I’m okay. Come here, Baby.” She gently rests her head onto my outstretched arm and gets as close to me as the bandages and tubes allow. It hurts like hell, but I’ve never felt closer to Heaven.

“We need to call the nurse
, Chase.” Fuck the nurse. Before I do anything else, I need to make things right with her. 

“We will in a minute. Look at me.”
Seeing her eyes up close and full on for the first time, I’m nearly knocked out by their beauty. I’d been staring at them in my mind for weeks but nothing my mind could come up with could have prepared me for the real thing. Letting out a breath I kiss her lightly on the forehead and close my eyes. I didn’t know that I’d ever touch Sophie again with my lips and now that I have, I need to savor the taste of her skin. Pulling away I gaze down into the eyes I’d fallen so hard for and thank God again for her. “My dreams don’t do these eyes justice,” I sigh again at the sight of her relieved tears. Before I even process the tears forming under my own, she gently runs her soft fingertips under them before placing her palms lightly on my neck.

I hold her gaze for a long time, trying in vain to steal back every single second I lost with her over the past few weeks. I’d thought I’d long since memorized each and every feature of her skin, every freckle, every eyelash. However, as I look over the woman who owns each and every piece of my soul, I’m completely captivated and enthralled in her all over again.

Her long, thick eyelashes flutter slightly as my weak breath reaches her skin and the noticeable shudder of relief that comes from her is undeniable. When another tear escapes, I brush my thumb over her skin gently, another wave of emotion crashing through me when she turns to kiss my battered wrist.

Even crying and exhausted, she i
s flawless. How could she think I’d ever want anyone else? The time to say what I’d been trying to say since the day she left my house was now.

“
I love you so much. I swear I would never…”

“I know. I love you too,
” she whispers, cutting me off and placing a soft kiss on my lips.

Thank you
, Jesus!

The relief i
s instant and I don’t care how badly it hurts, I need more from her. I press my lips harder against hers and swallow a slight hum of pleasure. Far too soon, Sophie pulls her lips away from mine and when she opens her eyes I see the tears still running down her cheeks. I lean forward and kiss the tears away gently and know in that instant I’ll die before I spend another second without her. The past few weeks have nearly done me in.

“We’ve got
to get our shit together, Baby. No more fucking around okay?” I say, fighting the urge to cry and she nods. “No more of this breaking up bullshit, okay? My heart can’t take it.”

“
Neither can mine. I won’t. I swear.”

“Kiss me again,
” I whisper and she immediately gives me the kiss I’m craving. “Tell me you love me, Baby.”

“I am so in love with you
, Chase,” she chokes out the words I long for and I have to close my eyes for a moment before finding hers again. I want to tell her what she means to me. I need her to know she is
everything
to me.

“Hopelessly,
” is all I can manage as I rest my forehead against hers and let my eyes close. I try to remember the last time I’d been this happy and I couldn’t think of one time that didn’t include the beautiful creature in my arms. I want her like I want my next breath.

For
ever.

Was a hospital bed the way I’d always pict
ured it? I’ve thought about asking Sophie to marry me every day since the first time I made love to her, but I’d always been worried I’d scared her off. I’m done with that. I meant what I’d said; I’m done fucking around.

As she shift
s gently in my arms and reaches over me, her familiar feminine scent of coconut assaults me. I realize then she’s reaching for the call button and I squeeze her weakly in protest.

“Not yet
, Baby.” I didn’t need the moment to be perfect, if she said yes that would be close enough to perfection for me. However, I
do
want it to be ours and ours alone.

“Chase…” she begi
ns to cut me off and it’s now that I realize she’s already called them. That means I’ll have to ask her later which won’t do, either. I didn’t know how long I’d been out, but I’ve already wasted too much time. The thought of waiting longer is torture on my soul.

Fuck it.

“Marry me, Sophie.”

***

“Marry me, Sophie,” Chase whispers roughly.

“What?” I blurt, staring at him in complete surprise.

“Hey! Look who’s awake!”
The plump nurse walks into the room interrupting us. “I’m Nancy, your nurse. How are you feeling Mr. Mitchell?”

“Can y
ou give us a minute?” Chase says, never taking his blue eyes from my shocked face.

“No
, Chase!” I say incredulously.

“We need to have a look at you Hon
,” Nurse Nancy says sternly and continues to make her way over to the bed, but Chase ignores her.

“What are y
ou saying no to, Sophie?” he asks. I immediately understand the scared look on his face.

“No
, the nurse isn’t going to give us a minute. You need to be checked out! You were just in an accident and had major surgery, Chase!” I say, trying to rise from the bed, but he holds me there.

“What’s your answe
r to my other question?” he asks nervously.

“My answer is that I love you and I will talk to you about this after you’ve been checked out by the nurse
and aren’t completely looped on pain killers.” I lean in to kiss him and after a quick peck, he winces and meets my gaze again.

“We’re going to have to take him for some tests. His concussion obviously wasn’t as bad as we thought. He seems to be
extremely coherent for having been out for so long,” Nurse Nancy explains to me.

“Sophie?” h
e asks me before realization hit him and he faced her now. “Wait… How long was I out for?”

“T
oo long to be arguing with your nurse, Chase! Now please, Baby. We’ll talk when you’re feeling better,” I place a soft kiss on his lips and began climbing out of the bed as Nurse Nancy begins checking his vitals. He grabs onto my arm to stop me and I turn to face him again.

“
Time won’t change anything for me Sophie,” he says quietly as the she slips the blood pressure cuff over his large tattoo covered bicep. I don’t really know what to say. I feel the same way, but I also haven’t just been through what he has physically and the only head trauma I’ve endured is psychological.

“
Chase she has to run tests,” I say quietly as I watch his features. I hate myself for my reaction, but as badly as I want him, I won’t agree to marry him until I know he understands what he’s asking me.

“Will you be here wh
en I get back?” he asks, taking a sip from the water Nurse Nancy hands him.

“Of course, Baby. I’m just going to get some coffee and call Ana and Drake and I’ll be back
,” I promise.

“Take your time
, Honey. It’s probably going to be a couple hours,” the nurse warns before chuckling at Chase’s sad expression and rolling his bed away from the wall. “Come on, Lover Boy.”

I move out of their way and ho
ld Chase’s gaze as she slowly begins their descent down the hall. They just barely make it out the door when I hear him mumble something up at Nurse Nancy and she turns in time for me to see the irritation spreading across her face.

“He said he needs to tell you something.” I bit
e down on my lip to stifle a small laugh as I took in the contrast between her annoyed expression and his playful smirk.
He’s really going to be okay.
I walk over to him and look down into the eyes I’ve missed so deeply.

“What Baby?” I whisper
and he crooks his finger at me. I lean down closer to hear him and his good arm tangled into the hair at the base of my neck possessively pulling me close. His gaze drops to my mouth as he traces his thumb over my bottom lip gently until I release it and feel his thumb stroke my jaw line.

“N
o matter what happens when I come back, I’m
yours
Sophie. I love you. I love you so fucking much, Baby.
Nothing
will change that okay?” I nod before watching him close his eyes and reopen them a moment later to find them moist with unshed tears. “Sophie?”

“Yeah?” I whisper,
watching him slowly let out another deep breath.

“Baby,
please
say ‘yes’.” Before I could respond he pulls me the last half inch to his lips and kisses me as deeply as he can in his weakened state. The taste of his wet tongue entangled with mine is so intoxicating, I have to brace myself on the railing of his bed to stay upright. He sucks and nips gently at my lips as he swallows my low whimpers and returns them with a gentle hum of pleasure. When he pulls away, he licks his lips in appreciation. “I’ve missed you so much, my Sweetheart.”

“I missed you too
, Love Bug,” I admit through the sensual haze he’s just assaulted me with as he releases a weak chuckle at the endearment.

Even fresh out of surgery
with a concussion, this man still drives me crazy
.

“Mr. Mitch
ell,” Nurse Nancy interrupts irritably again. “While I must admit your coherency is astounding, we really need to run tests.”

I begi
n to back away, but not before he catches me one last time.

“One more thing
,” I glance down to meet his eyes, but they’re elsewhere. He releases my hand and runs his own across the bare skin on my thighs. “I’m in no condition to fight, Sophie. Please put some clothes on.” I look down at my jean shorts and instantly feel the heat rush to my cheeks. When he rests his hand nonchalantly on my hip under the fabric of the shorts, he gave me a playful grin. “I love you.”

“I love you
, too,” I say giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

“Alright Nancy
, what the hell are you waiting for? Let’s get this done so I can back to my girl,” Chase tells the woman waiting behind him as he winks in my direction. Nurse Nancy rolls her eyes and starts down the hall with my heart.

For th
e first time in a month, I can breathe.