EroticReverie

Maddox 

My eyes flutter and I’m blinded, my eyes shutting again to block it out. I guess it’s true what they say. That you “see the light” when you die. Heaven is real and it smells like Cherlynn. I force my eyes back open and deciding heaven sucks because it looks like a fucking hospital room and all my pain is supposed to be gone, but I can feel it. In my aching shoulder and a twinge in my chest and abdomen. Fuck. This really sucks. 

Then i feel warmth in my hand and look down and realize I’m not heaven. But I really am in a hospital room and it smells like her because she’s here. Eyes closed. And her mouth , Drooling on the back of my palm. I feel a small smile stretch over my lips and then it slips away as I remember what happened and why I’m here. But she’s here. This is real. Isn’t it? 

“Is this real?” I ask but my voice is dry and I barely get the words out. 

“Shhh, you’ll fuckin wake her up” I hear a voice whisper yell at me. I look over to Zane at the end of the bed and he smiles like the shit head he is. Because only he would scold a man that’s been shot and just waking up. 

“She hasn’t slept in four fucking days” he hisses. 

“Four?” I croak out my response. My mouth was dry as fuck and my vocal cords feel like the forgot how to work. 

“Yeah man. Your ass has been taking  fuckin cat nap for four days.” He says. But I see it in his eyes. He’s joking but he’s also holding back the emotions that come with seeing come out of a four day “cat nap.” 

“Bout time mother fucker” he whispers and I smile as I close my eyes. 

I was alive. So was he. So was Cher. My eyes open again. 

“Where’s Hunter?” I ask. 

“Taking a piss” he says and nods to the rest room which opens up as soon as my eyes go to it and he walks out. Looking like shit. His eyes on his phone and then to Zane. Then to me. He startles. 

“Shit!” He says loudly. 

“Shut the fuck up!” Zane whisper yells and points to Cherlynn asleep on my hand and , god, is she snoring? Are those little snores coming from her drooling mouth? Fucking adorable. I smile down at her. Not daring to move my hand or even flex my fingers. 

Hunter walks over to me. 

“I’m so fucking sorry man” he says and I look at him. 

“For what?” I ask. 

“Everything man. Fucking everything.” He says and I nod in understanding. 

“It’s cool.” I say still rasping and his jaw clenches. He wants to argue about it. And we know how to argue. We know how to fight. But about our feelings? Feelings like this? Nah. We wouldn’t dare. So he nods and swallows down the urge to keep apologizing. And I’m grateful for it. 

“Is she okay? What happened to her?” I ask. 

Quietly Hunter sits as Zane tells me what happened after I got knocked out. There were no signs of sexual abuse on her. Just bruises on her neck from  being choked and they’d left a few bruises on her from hitting her before choking her out. Apparently they’d gotten spooked by something and left , or were really only there to throttle her and smack her around and attempt to kill me. 

Then they tell me about the feds. About Alex fleeing. I not only feel my blood pressure rising but I can hear it on the fucking monitor. 

“No wonder you’re beeping up a storm” a cute nurse says as she walks in and over to me. 

“Shhh!” Zane hushed her and she pauses and glares at him. 

“She’s sleeping” he points to Cherlynn.

“She’s not my concern” she whispers. “Youre friend is my patient”

“Well she’s our concern. So don’t you dare wake her.” Zane growls and the nurse gives him a face and I laugh slightly. Wincing at the tightness I feel in my chest. Clearly Zane has made “friends” with the nurse. 

The nurse carries on in a whisper as she checks the monitor and asks me how I’m feeling. I answer as quietly as I can and she nods and changes out one of the ivs and tells me to get more rest before leaving the room with a glare tossed at Zane. 

“I see you’ve been charming the nurses” I tease him. 

“Oh , she wants me , bad.” He says and I huff again with a small laugh. 

“He’s been driving her insane.” Hunter mumbles and I smile. 

“Yeah. With my charm.” Zane whispers and Hunter rolls his eyes. 

“If it weren’t for duchess , she’d be bent over that nurses station getting her own heart rate worked up if you know what I mean” Zane waggles his brows and I just smile and close my eyes as I listen to Hunter call him a fucking idiot. 

“She hasn’t left your side.” Hunter says and when I realize he’s talking to me I open my eyes and look down at her. 

“Hasn’t gone home.  Barely has eaten. Her body finally gave out after not sleeping for three days. She’s only been out for like four hours. She’s gonna be pissed if we don’t wake her up.” Hunter says. 

“Let her be pissed. She needs to fucking sleep!” Zane whisper yells at Hunter. 

“Your funeral man” Hunter says and Zane shrugs. 

“She’s only taken one shower. And that was for like ten minutes and then she was right back in that chair.” Hunter says and I look at him. He’s looking at her. And I can tell. He’s wondering if he was in my place if she’d be right here like she has been for me. But I know the answer. So does he. She would be right fucking here. Out of her mind with worry for any of us. Did we deserve it? No. Definitely not. But she cared about us. More than we’d ever be worthy of. And she’s loved him for far longer than she’s loved me or Zane. She’d be right here for him too. 

“She’s too good for us.” I say and Zane huffs. 

“Speak for yourself, I’m at least a seven out of ten” he says and I smile at him. 

“Six at best” I joke and he smiles back at me. 

“She’s a ten.” He whispers as we all look at her. 

“She’s more than that.” Hunter says. 

We’re silent in our agreement as me and Zane both nod our heads. 

“Shes priceless” I say. 

Because I’ve never had anyone that looks at me the way she does. Even after all I’ve done to her. How I took part in hurting her and using her like she was disposable. It takes a fucking saint to still see the good in people that tortured her and taunted her for years. But she saw us, more than we saw ourselves or each other. More than anyone ever had. I don’t know what I ever did deserve her love. But I’d spend the rest of my life earning the privilege. I’m just grateful as fuck I get to live. Because I get live with her. I get to survive another day that I get to spend proving to her that I want to be and can be the man for her. 

“I’m not letting her go. Ever.” I say and look to Hunter. 

He nods. “I know.” He says quietly. 

“Well we aren’t either fucker.” Zane pipes in and I smile and look at him. 

“I hate you both sometimes.” I say and they give me easy smiles and nod. 

“But I…” I say quietly and pause. 

“Yeah man. We know.” Zane says and I look at Hunter. He gives me another nod. 

“Yeah. We know….and..same.” Hunter says. 

“Yeah. Same.” Zane says and we all just laugh quietly at the fact we think ourselves but strong men but can’t even say the words I love you to one another.  

The doctor comes in and the nurse by his side. 

“Careful. If you wake her they’ll put you in a hospital bed too.” She whispers to him and I smile and Zane winks at her. She scoffs and rolls her eyes and snarls at him and the doctor looks between them and shakes his head. 

He walks over to me. Gives me a run down of the wounds , the surgeries, what he expects for my recovery. And tells me as soon as I’m able, meaning when Cher wakes up, he wants me moving my legs and that the nurses will be here to help me start moving around. 

He tells me he expects that within a week I’ll be clear to discharge and I grumble but he holds up a hand and then explains the importance of keeping an eye on me due to the severity of the surgeries and making sure no complications arise and that being here if they do makes it easier and safer to recover from them. I reluctantly agree , and he asks about my discomfort and pain levels and then tells me to get more rest. 

And after he leaves. I do. I fall asleep smiling down at the pretty face still drooling all over the back of my hand. And I’ve never been more in love , and will never feel anything like this ever again in my life.