Royal Pain in the Ass (49 page)

I saw how tired and worn out he looked.
 
There were dark bags under his eyes, his hair was tousled, and his clothes disheveled and wrinkled, something I
’
d never seen from him before and his tie was half mast.
  “
Are you feeling any better?
”
Xavier asked, a half hearted smile on his face.

“Yeah.”
I nodded.
 
Now that I was awake, Daphne had removed the tubes from my face, and even though my throat was sore it was so much better without fighting with tubes.

I saw him visibly relax.
  “
Good,
”

“
How are you feeling?
”

Xavier looked confused.
  “I
’
m fine.
  It
’
s you that you need to worry about.
  Don
’
t worry yourself about me.
”

“
Xavier, you look exhausted.
 
Daphne said you haven
’
t left the hospital.
”

“
She did, did she?
”

“
Yes, she did.
”

“
Ah, well, it
’s true.
”

“Xavier! 
You have to take care of yourself.
 
How did Angelica get home?
”

“
Ah, yes, well, I called your father and informed him of the delicacy of your condition and instead, Carolynn flew over in his jet and escorted Angelica home instead.
”

“
What have you been doing?
”

“
Waiting for you to wake back up.
”

“
Xavier, you can
’
t just drop everything because of me.
”

Xavier strode over and placed his hands on my shoulders.
  “
Juliet, we almost lost you.
 
You almost died, not once but twice now!
  Are you mad? 
How could I leave?
”

“
I what?
”

“
You almost died.
”

“Oh . . .”
Xavier let out a sigh and pulled me into a tight embrace, which reminded me about my ribs.
  “Ribs!”
I squeaked and he released me, concern etched in his face.

“
I didn
’
t mean to hurt you, but I was so scared I was going to lose you.
 
You have got to quit doing this to me.
  I
’
m going to be a mad here soon if you don
’
t stop this.
”

“I
’
m sorry, Xavier, it
’
s not like I planned this to happen.
”

Xavier shook his head he wrung his hands through his hair.
  “
I know that, it just terrifies me to think I almost lost you already.
”

I shook my head.
  “I
’
m a lot harder to get rid of than that.
”

Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose which knocked his glasses off kilter.
  “
You are going to be the end of me.
”
Xavier sighed but looked at me with a small smile on his face.
  “
But you have to stop scaring me.
”

I smiled back.
  “I
’
ll do my best.”

Xavier rested his forehead against mine.
  “
Has this been your best?
”

I shrugged.
  “Maybe.”

“
Then your best is dreadful.
” 

I stared into those chocolaty brown eyes and had a sudden urge I couldn
’
t suppress.
 
I moved those last inches and touched my lips to his.
 
I stayed there for a moment and Xavier didn
’
t do anything, so I pulled back and looked away.

“
Sorry, I shouldn
’
t ha - ”
I started but was stopped by Xavier
’
s lips pressing against my own.
 
After a long moment he stared at me, seeming out of breath.
 

“Don
’
t ever be sorry for doing that.
  Ever.”
Xavier smiled at me.
 
I smiled back at him.

“Okay.” 
I looked at him for a moment before I leaned back up and kissed him again.
 
That lasted all of about thirty seconds as the heart monitor shot up and Daphne came back in.

“
All right, ya two lovebirds
. 
She doesn
’
t need that much excitement, boy.
  And I told ya, didn
’
t I?”
Daphne winked at me.
  “
Now, no more of that, the medicine she was on wasn
’
t no good for her heart, so don
’
t be gettin
’
her all riled up, or I
’
ll have to make ya leave.
”

Maybe I was imagining things, but it looked like Xavier was embarrassed, for some strange reason it made me giggle.

“
And y
ou, young lady, good fo
r y
ou
.”
Daphne sort of scolded us like naughty teenagers caught doing other things for about ten more minutes, but she kept making me laugh the entire time, much to Xavier
’
s embarrassment, which I found all the funnier.
 
Trouble was, every time I laughed, it hurt which for some strange reason made me laugh even harder.
 
Eventually, it got to the point where Daphne told me if I didn
’
t calm down she
’
d have to sedate me to get my heart levels back down.
 
That sobered me up, and she gave me what had to be more than a healthy dose of the good pain meds because once it was in the IV I felt a cool rush in my veins and then I just didn
’
t care. 
Everything I saw was fringed with white and it was fantastic.

“
Juliet, are you alright?
”

“Oh, I
’
m way better than alright.
”
I laughed.
 
Even that didn
’
t hurt anymore. 
I was so gone.
 
Xavier laughed at that.

“
Good.
”

We sat up talking for a bit then I leaned over to him.
  “
I have a secret.
”
I whispered.

“
What
’
s that?
”
Xavier asked, whispering right back.

“
Come here.
” 
Xavier leaned over and I kissed him again.
 
I felt him smile against my lips and return it.
 
His lips were a soft, gentle pressure against mine.
 
I wanted more so kissed him back harder and his hands slid around my back and he gave me what I wanted.
 
There was a contained ferocity to it.
 
Some part of me knew he was holding back, knew he was still completely in control of himself.
   I can
’
t tell you why, but this disappointed me and I pulled away.

“
What is it?
”
Xavier asked, his voice breathy.
 

I shook my head.
  “It
’
s probably just the drugs.
”

Xavier looked concerned.
  “
Juliet, what
’
s wrong?
”

“
Nothing.
”

“Don
’
t lie to me.
 
I know when you
’
re upset. 
You were fine until just a moment ago.
 
What
’s changed?
”

I shook my head.
  “It
’
s stupid.”

Xavier sighed.
  “
Just tell me, already.
  I
’
m going to get it out of you anyway.
 
Just tell me.
”

I shook my head and tried to hide behind my hair until I remembered it was in a french braid.
 
Now I felt really stupid.

Xavier sighed and pulled me against him and rested his head on mine.
  “
You can talk to me, you know.
”

If only he really knew.
 
I curled up into the solid warmth that was his chest.
 
I don’
t remember falling asleep, I just remember waking up.
 
I looked around the room and was alone this time.
 
I felt my heart sink.
 
What was up with me?
 
I felt sore, but pretty okay other than that.
 
I pressed the nurse call button by my bed and it wasn
’
t long before Daphne was back in .

“
Yes, child?
  How're ya feelin
’
?”

“Better.”
I smiled.
  “
Whatever you gave me last time really helped.
”

Daphne smiled.  “O
’
course it did, child.
 
I gave ya the good stuff.
”

“
Thanks.
”

Daphne told me what had happened.
 
Apparently the pain I started feeling was pressure on my brain and I had started to bleed again.
 
Thus the drugs, which had the potential to stop my heart if not closely monitored, which is why I was where I was now.
 
In ICU, a private room and Xavier counted as my next of kin as my mom was dead and my father is in England.
 
She warned me before the doctor came in to tell me just how lucky I was and warn me about people like Chase and tell me all sorts of things I already knew but being a doctor, felt the need to beat into my skull.
 
It was really a charming lecture.
 
I was warned that I was to take it easy and keep myself calm.
 
I was also informed that I would be stuck in the hospital for another month.
 
Fan-freaking-tastic.
 

The days dragged on.
 
You can only watch so many reruns of Family Guy before you start going insane.
 
I have no idea what was going on between Xavier and I, but everything felt different between us now.
 
Maybe it was the drugs I was on, maybe it was the fact that I was stuck in a hospital, maybe it was the fact that I didn
’
t know what to think.
 
I didn
’
t know, and not knowing was infuriating, especially as I had no outlet.
 
Xavier brought me new books every day, and he only left when Daphne made him, I ordered him to go get something to eat, or he went to get new books.
 
It was sweet I suppose, but it was also tiring.
 

I don’
t know why, but I wanted him gone.
 
Jesus Christ, what did a girl have to do to get some time alone to think for herself.
 
After having nothing but time this felt like I was suffocating.
 
I was going stir crazy and if I wasn
’
t careful I was going to unload on the wrong person.
 

It was another early morning and I woke up and saw Xavier sleeping in the cot Daphne had brought in for him a few weeks ago.
 
I smiled at him and felt that strange feeling in the pit of my stomach that terrified me.
 
I rolled over in my uncomfortable hospital bed and had too much time to think at that moment.