The sound of beeping was ear deafening and it only increased at a rapid pace as I listened. Slowly opening my eyes, I was engulfed by a bright room filled with white along with the piercing rays of the sun as it entered through the white window and landed on me.
Lifting my head, I groaned as a wave of pain pounded against my head. Holding onto my head, I was met with a smooth bandage that wrapped around my head. Confused, I looked around the room and was met with the tired form of Gage as he leaned over slumped in the chair beside my bed while his brother Gavin and Willa were talking quietly in the corner, completely oblivious that I was there.
Where the hell am I?
I opened my mouth to speak but my throat was too dry to release any words. Leaning back, I spotted a water bottle on the edge of the table beside me. Reaching over, I tried to grasp it but a pain shot up my leg and I gasped, knocking over the water bottle to the ground with a thud.
Gage shot up right at the sound and looked around frantically until his eyes found mine. He relaxed and rose from his chair as he came closer towards me. Behind him, Willa and Gavin stopped talking and rushed over to the edge of the bed, leaving enough room between Gage and I.
"You're awake" Gage whispered as he smiled down at me with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Where am I?" I asked, my voice cracking at the end.
Gage reached down and picked up the water bottle and unscrewed the cap for me. Handing me the bottle he waited patiently for me to drink. I devoured the water and finished half of it. Thanking him, I watched as he placed the bottle back on the table and took a seat beside me, moving the chair closer towards me.
"You're in Lakeside Manor hospital" He told me.
Frowning, I glanced up at Willa and Gavin for clarification but they nodded their heads in agreement. I had no idea that the smallest village of Lakeside Manor even had a park let alone a hospital.
"Do you remember what happened?" Gavin asked as he came closer towards Gage. I watched as both the boys resembled similar stances, their fists and strong jaws clenched. Willa on the other hand looked like a complete nervous wreak as she paced back and forth with a paled face.
Shaking my head, I stared at the IV as it dripped liquid into my arm, "I just remember going for a run after work and getting attacked by something in the woods"
I heard the slight relief of a sigh coming from Gage but as soon as I looked over, he gave my hand a squeeze. I knew it was out of comfort, but the feeling of his skin on mine made my skin hot.
"When can I go home?" I asked, looking between the three of them.
I hated hospitals ever since I was little and I broke my wrist. My parents didn't take me to the hospital for three weeks and the doctors had to re-break it and surgically fix it. I've always hated the uncomfortable essence of hospitals ever since.
Gage stood up and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, "Let me go get the doctor to check you out first"
I was frozen in my spot at the action but kept my mouth shut and nodded. I watched as he left the room, softly closing the door shut behind him. He looked tired with dark circles underneath his eyes, his wavy hair a complete mess, while his clothes looked wrinkled like he slept on the chair for a few days.
"It wasn't good" Gavin whispered beside me.
Glancing over towards him, I watched as he took Gage's seat beside me, "What do you mean?"
Running a hand through his now red hair, I eyed the tattoo on his wrist underneath a bunch of bracelets that lined his skin, "You were attacked by a wolf and a hunter found you in the woods. He didn't know what to do so he took you to this hospital which thankfully meant Gage and I were here"
A hunter found me?
"A wolf?" I asked, fear seeping out of my mouth.
Willa reached forward and wrapped her hand around mine, "A wolf attacked you while you were running. You were hurt really badly and passed out when the hunter found you. Gage lost his mind when he saw you hurt. He was about to run after the creature and kill it with his bare hands. He's been here ever since"
I felt my heart skip a beat at the mention of Gage caring nature. I barely knew him yet he was there for me and sat beside my bed. I picked him out to be a guy with no caring bone in his body, yet here he was surprising me every chance he got.
"Thank you for being here" I whispered, squeezing Willa's hand.
Her eyes widened at the gesture and she smiled a bright smile towards me. The sight of the smile made me feel much better. I realized how close I was to dying and I realized how much I took for granted.
The door opened revealing Gage and a man behind him. He looked younger than Gage and had piercing black hair that onto his forehead, a white coat covered his wide shoulders and a stethoscope was wrapped around his neck. He closed the door behind him and grabbed a clip board that hung on the wall. He was incredibly tall and fit for a doctor, not to mention young.
"I'm glad to see you woke up from your slumber" He joked as he walked up to the side of the bed.
I smiled and leaned my head against the pillow behind me, "Was the best sleep I've gotten in a while"
Chuckling, the doctor looked through the papers, humming to himself. I noticed the nametag on his jacket that spelled out Riley in blue letters. The name sounded familiar but the only Riley I knew of was the guy who dated my sister many years ago in high school. Though I never met him, I remembered hearing the stories of how romantic and funny he was to Gracie. Except, that ended when he left Gracie without a trace. It left her completely heartbroken and I associated that heartbreak to the reason why she was always angry.
"You are free to go but let me just double check to see if you're in good condition" He said, bringing his stethoscope to his ears and laid it on my chest. He listened to my steady breaths and nodded to himself when he was finished.
He checked my eyes, my head injury, my leg injuries and even changed the bandages on all injuries. Once I saw the bloody stitches I looked away with a grimace and focused on the picture of a gray wolf howling to the moon. I was fascinated by the bright colors of the creature and focused on the delicate strokes of the brush while Dr. Riley finished wrapping the bandage around my ankle.
The door to the room opened with a thud as it hit the wall behind it. Everyone in the room jumped and turned as Gracie and Echo burst through the door. Their eyes connected to mine and I saw a look of relief cross their faces.
"We heard what happened and came straight here" Echo said as she rushed towards me.
"What the fuck happened?" Gracie asked as she closed the door behind her.
As soon as she turned towards me, her eyes widened as they connected to Dr. Riley's. Her lips formed a scowl as she glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I guess he really is the Riley.
My eyebrows raised at the interaction and I held in my laughter as Riley's eyes widened at the sudden outburst. He straightened his jacket and placed the clipboard onto the desk. He turned towards Gage and shook his hand.
"She's all set to go. Just make sure you change the bandages every six hours and give her those medicines I gave you" He explained as he handed Gage a bag filled with what I assumed to be the medicines and extra bandages.
Gage nodded and placed the bag on the chair behind him as he shook Riley's hand. Riley turned towards me and smiled, "I hope you feel better Lara. Remember to not do too much to avoid the stitches ripping open"
I nodded and thanked him. I watched as he sidestepped Gracie, completely ignoring her as he stepped out of the room. Gracie's mouth fell open in shock and she ran after him, slamming the door shut behind her.
Echo shook her head and turned towards me as she sat on the bed, "What happened? We heard you were attacked?"
"She was attacked by a wolf, some hunter found her passed out and brought her here" Gage explained.
"Shit" Echo exclaimed, running a hand through her thick black hair, "Is this the creature that's killing all those animals?"
Gage and Gavin exchanged looks then Gage shook his head, "It's not. We found the wolf dead and more animals showed up earlier this morning which means he was not our killer"
"Someone needs to do something about this before someone gets hurt"
I motioned to myself and Echo rolled her eyes, "I meant mauled and hung on a tree by that killer"
Gage stood up from his chair and handed me fresh clothes, "Here, change into these and then I'm taking you home"
The room grew silent, most likely waiting for me to complain and argue with him but I was too exhausted to fight and frankly, I didn't want to be alone. Nodding, I grabbed the clothes and climbed out of the bed with the help of Willa and Echo. Gage motioned to the door and he and Gavin left.
"You're seriously not putting up a fight right now?" Willa asked as she helped me walk to the enclosed bathroom.
Rolling my eyes, I started undressing while Willa and Echo turned around, "I'm capable of being cooperative and nice you know"
Echo chuckled, "You don't have a nice bone in your body big sis"
"Ha ha" I said, "You're too funny little sis"
Shaking her head, Echo rolled her eyes but I noticed the smile on her face. I hissed as I slipped my legs into the sweatpants. As I pulled them up, the door reopened and revealed an angry Gracie. She slammed the door shut with such force that the painting on the wall shook.
I frowned and looked over Echo's shoulder, "Are you alright?"
Releasing a heavy sigh, Gracie rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, that asshole just knows how to get under my skin"
"Wait, so he's actually your Riley?" Echo asked.
Pulling my shirt over my head, I watched as Gracie leaned against the wall, playing with her fingers, "He's not mine Echo. He's an asshole who doesn't have the decency to pull his head out of his ass to admit he was wrong for leaving without a trace"
Willa looked confused and turned towards me for clarification, "What am I missing here?"
I opened my mouth to respond but Echo beat me to it, "Riley is Gracie's longtime boyfriend slash bed warmer"
Gracie's face got red with anger and she clenched her fists, "Knock it off Echo"
She turned towards Willa and shook her head, "He's a mistake that happened in high school"
Willa left the topic alone and turned back towards me, "Ready to leave this morbid place?"
Nodding, I grabbed my phone and slid it into my pocket of my sweatpants then wrapped my arms around Gracie and Echo as they helped me walk out of the room. My thigh and ankle were still painful but I could barely feel it. I thanked the pain medicine for that.
As soon as we walked out, Gage and Gavin turned towards us. Gage rushed forward and picked me up. I squealed in surprise as he lifted me up in his arms.
"I can walk you know" I hissed at him.
Rolling his eyes, Gage shook his head, "You're injured, so just shut up and let someone take care of you for once"
I quickly shut my mouth and allowed Gage to carry me out of the hospital. As soon as we walked outside, I took notice of the vast green scenery around us. The hospital was really in the middle of nowhere. Better yet, Lakeside Manor was in the middle of nowhere. I spotted a few buildings up ahead but other than that it was a complete landscape of grass and trees.
It was breathtaking.
"I'm going to bring my car around, stay here and don't move" Gage said.
I nodded and leaned against Echo as Gage ran across the lawn and towards a ranch house. He opened a garage door and entered through there.
"You like him" Echo commented.
I turned towards her and rolled my eyes, "He's not bad"
"No" She said, "You like like him"
"What does like like mean?"
"It means you want him in your sheets like Gracie wants Riley" Echo teased with a smirk.
Gracie glared at her and punched her in the arm. Echo yelped in surprise and almost knocked me over.
She glared at her, "You're lucky I'm holding her up or you'd be knocked out"
"You wish Coco" She mocked her.
I rolled my eyes at the mention of the nickname Echo hated. Gracie used it underneath Echo's skin and it worked every time she did it. She always got a reaction out of her which always resulted in a physical fight. Gage better get here soon before I end up on the floor while they fight.
Echo took a deep breath and shut her eyes. I heard her count to five then she opened her eyes and smiled down at me. "Anyway, you totally have feelings for him and everyone with eyes can see it"
"I've resented him every day till now and you automatically think I want to jump his bones?"
"You aren't the only one who wants to jump bones here" She said as she motioned towards Gage as he drove towards them in his Jeep.
I frowned, "Gage does not want to jump my bones!"
"Keep telling yourself that honey" Gracie pitched in, "You need to get your eyes checked if you haven't seen the way he looks at you"
Echo nodded and the conversation stopped as Gage stopped the car and climbed out. He jogged over towards me and picked me up again. My eyes connected to the twins and they both smirked at the gesture. I narrowed my eyes and looked away before I started to believe them.
There was no way that Gage had feelings for me. He was just doing this because he wanted to be friends. He even admitted that when we first met that he wasn't looking for a relationship either just a friendship because in his own words, "everyone needs friends".
"Thank you" I said as he shut the door.
Winking at me, he ran back around to the driver side and climbed in. I held in my urge to flip the twins off as they wiggled their eyebrows at me as we drove out of view.
The drive to my apartment was silent. The only sound was coming from the breeze of the outside world coming through my window. I didn't miss the slight glances Gage kept doing towards me the entire drive, but I kept my eyes forward and watched the trees and buildings as we drove by them.
"I was wrong" I finally said, breaking the silence.
Gage glanced over at me and frowned, "Wrong about what?"
Taking a steady breath, I wrung my fingers together, "I was wrong about casting everyone out of my life"
It was silent for a few seconds and I glanced over at Gage. He was biting the inside of his cheek and taped his fingers against the steering wheel. "Why do you say that?"
Shrugging, I bit my lip, "When that wolf knocked me on the ground and attacked me, I couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened. I couldn't even believe that I was too stupid enough to not let anyone in"
"Why wouldn't you let anyone in?" He asked.
Heaving a heavy sigh, I leaned my head against the headrest, "When I was younger, my mother was the type of person who let every single person into her life. She was really good at letting in tons of men. She worshiped the ground they walked on and gave them everything they wanted including the drugs that she bought them"
"Shit" Gage said as he glanced over at me.
"Whenever they got what they needed, they would run away and find another chick to give them their needs after they tossed my mother to the side. Each time she vowed to never let in another person. Not just another man, but anyone. She ruined all her friendships because she either slept with their men or she accused them of sleeping with hers. She was a destroyer and ruined everything good. She told me that the best thing to do was never let anyone in or they'll destroy everything. I vowed that I would never be like her and let anyone in" At the end, I closed my eyes and touched the cloud tattoo again on my arm.
Gage stopped the car and without opening my eyes I knew we were at my apartment, "What does that mean?"
Opening my eyes, I raised an eyebrow, "What does what mean?"
He pointed at my tattoo, "The tattoo, I always noticed you touched it whenever you talked about your mom"
"It's a cloud tattoo. My mother always said that clouds were useless but in reality they are beautiful. They come in all different forms, shapes, to me they don't cause rain or shade, they add color to my messed up life" I explained and turned towards Gage. He most likely thought I was crazy.
Shaking his head, Gage smiled and traced the tattoo, "I think that's beautiful just like you"
"You don't think it's stupid?" I asked, my cheeks reddening.
Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, he smiled, "No, look at me I'm covered in ink but each one has meaning to me just like yours has meaning to you"
I was speechless after his speech and watched in amazement as he touched my nose then climbed out of the Jeep. He jogged over to my side and picked me up bridal style. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt the warmth of his body. I noticed how perfect we fit together and I was captivated by every small detail about him.
The small mole underneath his lower lip, the scar on his cheek, the other mole on his neck, wavy curls that fell onto his forehead while the metal balls in his eyebrow sparkled from the light. I was shocked I hadn't noticed how breathtaking he really was. He glanced down at me as we reached the door and he smiled down at me.
"Do you have your key?" He asked, setting me down.
Nodding, I reached into my pocket and unlocked the door. Gage once again picked me up and carried me into the house. "You know, I can walk well limp"
Chuckling, Gage shook his head, "A beautiful girl like you should be carried"
Shaking my head, I bit my lip and released my arms away from Gage's neck. I kept my mouth shut before I said something stupid. The more I'm around him, the more that he makes me a nervous-wreck.
I watched as Gage glanced at his phone and tucked it back inside his pocket. I took the time looking at his muscular, fit body in his comfortable but perfect outfit. The black cargo sweatpants covered his muscular legs while a black sweatshirt highlighted his arms and chest. Sneakers covered his feet while his curly hair was on his forehead.
"Like what you see?" He teased as he grabbed the woven blanket that my grandmother made for me many years ago.
Rolling my eyes, I stretched out my legs, "You're very full of yourself aren't you?"
Winking, Gage took a seat by my feet, "Are you okay for now or do you need me to stay longer?"
Looking at my clock, I saw that it was already five at night. I didn't want to keep him any longer than I already had considering he's been there all day with me at the hospital and who knows how long before that. Except, I didn't want to be by myself, especially after the day I had. I'm terrified that someone will come and hurt me again.
"Can you stay?" I whispered, "I don't want to be alone"
"Of course" Gage said. He reached forward and ran his finger across my cheek, "I'll be here for as long as you'll let me"