Chapter 32

Kay. I open my eyes, and the bright light in the room harshly greets me, making me blink several times to adjust to it. Thank God I'm not dead after all. Looking down at my companion, Carl is holding tightly on my hand while his face is buried in my chest. He's literally lying on my titties as he releases sniffling sounds. Is he crying? My body is no longer in pain like it was when I fell. There is a throb in my ribs that I know is gonna take time to heal. Apart from that, everywhere is calm, at least for now. Damn, I nearly died without actually having my first kiss. I owe Rico. If he didn't show up, I would have been a bypassed case by now. Oh fuck. "Carl," I croak out, and his head shoots up so fucking hastily. He looks miserable. "You are awake?" he mumbles, staring at me in disbelief. Did he think I was going to die? He looks tired with dark circles around his eyes, and his hair is unkempt. It's like he ran his hands through it a lot. The beautiful eyes they share with his brother are red and puffy. Damn, Rico. Carl is sad for me. Does that mean he feels something for me, too? "Are you crying?" I whisper, and he quickly looks away, biting on his lower lip. He doesn't want anyone to know that the great Carlos cries too. Oh, poor thing. "I thought I lost you, don't do that again, please," he brings his gaze back to mine, and his eyes hold extreme sadness. Should I be happy that I mean something to him? Of course, I am happy, my crush likes me too. "Can I have water, please?" I request, looking at the bedside table. My throat is about to crack. "Sure, baby, here." Carl grabs a water bottle from the table and empties it into a glass. He moves closer, holding the glass to my lips, and I gulp the liquid like a thirsty camel. "Thank you," I breathe out when I have had enough. He returns the glass to the table and lies beside me on the big hospital bed, his eyes staring right into mine. I want to ask about Rico, but I know I will get him mad again, so I settle on wiping a stray tear from his eye. The man grabs my hand and brings it to his lips before kissing my palm. His eyes carry numerous emotions, and it's like this is a different Carl from the one I know. "It's all my fault," he mumbles, nuzzling his face on my chest again. I lift my hand and wrap it around his head for comfort. I start running my fingers through his hair, and he sighs softly, "Don't blame yourself, we were born into this," I whisper close to his ear. My body is so drained, and I wonder how long I have been in this bed. I hate hospitals. What was wrong with Andrea, btw? "Carl," I murmur, and he hums without looking up. "For how long was I out?" I ask. "Three days, and your dad just left for the first time," he says, as his breath tickles my skin. That was a damn long time; my father must be sad. "I was coming to see Andrea. Is she okay?" I ask, and Carl lifts his head from my chest so quickly, making my hand fall to his shoulders. I watch as his eyes harden, hate replacing the previous gentle look. "That bitch was used to lure you from the house," he says with evident venom in his voice. Well, damn. "I thought she was in danger or something," I mumble, glancing at his jaw now covered with a slight stubble. Now that I look at him, I think a stubbled Carl is more alluring than a clean-shaven. He looks worn out, and I wonder if he slept or had rest at all. "I will go bring you something to eat, okay," he says, about to get up, but I weakly hold his arm. He needs to sleep; it will be unfair if I keep worrying him this much. "No, please, stay with me, I can wait till morning," I say, and he smirks, lying back down. My hand, on its own, gently grabs his head, bringing it back to its previous position, and I feel his smile on my skin. He deserves that smile, and much more I hate hospital food. Fuck, I can't wait to get the hell out of here. "You're staying with me from now on," he whispers, wrapping his arm around my body. His face finds itself in the bridge between my titties, and he sighs. Does he like boobs? "Okay," I whisper, caressing his scalp to help him sleep. It doesn't take two minutes before he starts releasing soft snores. I have been sleeping for so long, so I am not willing to go back there again. It's total darkness. I decide to stare at the stars through the large window to keep myself awake. So the Russians used Andrea to get me out of my house? Did she know about this? I don't know anything about her, and I doubt she'll want to harm me, right? Fuck, I don't know. Rico went against his boss to save me. I won't say it out loud, but I kind of believe him. Maybe he is not the bad guy everyone wants me to believe he is. If he were, he would have left me there to die. It's hard to trust even your own shadow, let alone the person next to you. Knowing my dad, I'm sure Andrea is not in her ward right now. If not dead, she's probably in the cells. I pray for the latter, though, because I would love to hear her story. The pitiful woman must be so scared. An image appears at the window, and my eyes lower to him, Rico. His eyes rake from his brother to me, and a sad emotion passes through them. He stares at me for a while before shaking his head and walking away. What was that?