Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
I walk over in front of him so he has to look at me. “Ask me to leave? That’s my fiancé in there. We’re getting married...”
My voice trails off when I realize that the wedding for tomorrow is not happening. Who knows when it will happen now?
The doctor gives me a curt nod before looking at Mr. Cannon. “Sir, your son has asked that she not be allowed back in.”
“What?” I ask, astounded.
Mr. Cannon puts his hands on my shoulders. “Okay, I understand,” he tells the doctor as they exchange a look, and the doctor goes back into the room.
“Nicole, my son is hurting, and he probably thinks he’s protecting you. Give him some time. Bobby and I will keep you up to date on everything, and I’m sure Ethan will change his mind about this.”
Anguish overcomes me. My chest hurts, my head hurts, everything hurts. “Sir, how can I just walk away? How do I just leave him? I can’t.”
He shakes his head. “That’s what he needs from you right now. He needs to focus on himself. I promise, I’ll keep you updated, and I’ll talk to him.”
He lets go of me and steps back. I know he wants to go back in and see his son, but he can’t do that with me standing here.
I nod my head and walk away, leaving a big part of my heart behind.
Chapter 3
Ethan
Three weeks since I’d seen or talked to Nikki. Three weeks since my life has changed forever. According to the doctors, I’m healing. The skin grafts they were able to perform look like they’re going to be successful, but there’s still a lot of my body with marred skin. It’s not pretty, and I can’t bear to look at myself in the mirror.
I’ve tried to keep my spirits up, but it’s damn near impossible. The life I was going to have is now a distant memory. Nothing will ever be the same.
And I know that today it’s only going to get worse.
My father talked to me last night about Nicole. She’s come to the hospital every day and sat in the lobby, waiting for me to ask for her. I’ve almost done exactly that, but that was in my lowest times when I was close to giving up hope. Only when I convinced myself that bringing her into this would destroy her did I find the courage to leave her alone.
But it seems she’s had enough. She told my father that she’s seeing me today regardless. She said if the hospital wants to use bodily force to remove her they can do it, but she’s coming back every day until I see her.
The thought of any man putting their hands on her had me agree with my father that I would see her today. And it’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. Harder than jumping into a burning building to save a young boy. Harder than burying my mother when I was just a little boy. Today, I’m going to have to force the love of my life, the woman I know I’ll love forever, out of my life.
There’s a tentative knock on the door, and Nikki walks in. She looks even more beautiful than I remember, and even though she looks exhausted, she’s like a breath of fresh air.
“Ethan.”
Her voice is like a whisper, and she all but tiptoes across the room to me. She reaches for me, but I pull back. Even though I’m overcome with emotion, I try to keep myself in check. “Nicole.”
Her eyes widen when I say her full name instead of Nikki. “How are you? Are you doing okay?”
I steel my voice. “How do you think I’m doing?”
She rears back, no doubt surprised by the harsh tone of my voice. I’ve never talked to her this way, but I know it needs to be done.
She’s searching my eyes, and I look away. I made sure the nurses covered most of the injured side of my face. There’s no reason she needs to see how bad it is. Hell, I can barely look at myself in the mirror. I don’t want to put her through it.
“Ethan, talk to me.”
I clench my eyes shut and shake my head. I know what I need to do, I just don’t want to do it. But when I look at her, she’s perfection. My opposite in every way. She deserves more than being tied to me. Not with me like this.
I lift my head and jut my chin at her. She wipes a tear from her cheek, and I know she thought this reunion would go another way. Fuck, I wish it could have.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think while I’ve been in here, Nicole, and it puts things in perspective. It makes a person realize what they want out of life and what they don’t.”