me, he turns me giving me another nudge to the bathroom.
Still dazed by my drama and now my first real Tony kiss, I head into the bathroom to find something to wash my face. Then I brush my teeth using Tony’s toothbrush. As I do this, I hear him letting Mia out and doing some stuff in the kitchen. I change out of my clothes and into Tony’s t-shirt, trying not to let it register how good it feels against my skin.
Leaving my clothes folded in the bathroom, I pad out barefoot to the bedroom as Tony is pulling something else from his pine chest of drawers. He turns and stops. His eyes, intense again but in a different way, move over me from head to toe and back up again, making me catch my breath. He moves to me and putting a hand to my jaw, he lifts my head to kiss me softly on the lips. Letting me go, he walks around me without a word and goes into the bathroom.
I let out my breath and move to his big bed. It’s bigger than the one we sleep in at Gabby’s. I climb in, tuck my knees under his big shirt and wait on him. When he comes out of his bathroom in nothing but his normal pajama pants, exactly like he normally comes to me, my eyes go directly to his new scar on the left side of his torso. It’s still pink and puckered, marring his perfect body.
With my legs moving on their own accord, I rise to my knees and shuffle myself to the edge of the bed. He comes straight to me and I bring my hand up to his puckered still healing incision to gently run my fingers over it.
Not able to look him in the eyes, I stare at his scar and ask, “Are you still in pain?”
“Pain, no. Discomfort sometimes? Yes. But it’s not bad.”
I feel my tears start again and have to make myself look up to him. His hands come to my face and through my new tears I quietly state the obvious, “You were shot.”
“Don’t,” he says.
“I could have lost you,” I whisper.
“Leigh--”
“I was scared,” I go on.
He sighs and closes his eyes. Opening them he returns, “I’m sorry, gem. I never want you to be scared again. Have you been dreaming?”
I quickly lower my head to look at his scar again, not wanting to answer.
“Leigh?” he presses.
I give my head a small nod. I hear him breathe in before I feel his thumbs come to my chin lifting my face to look at his and he promises, “I’ll take care of you.”
Feeling so badly I wasn’t here to take care of him. I pull in a steadying breath and try to change the subject, “When are you going back to work?”
“The day after tomorrow. But I’ve been working from home.”
“You need to rest, Tony. Your body needs to heal. You shouldn’t overdue it, you’ll create scar tissue” I lecture, letting the nurse come out in me is easier than thinking about what could have been.
“When do you have another shift?” he asks.
“Not for three more days, why?”
“You can make sure I rest tonight and tomorrow. And tomorrow night. How about that?” he asks smiling.
He puts his hands under my jaw again pulling me up to kiss him softly. I don’t say anything to him but I do give him a small smile. He steps back to pick Mia up, tossing her lightly on the bed. Excited by her new surroundings, she dances around sniffing, searching for the perfect spot to settle in for the night. Tony climbs in, but reaches for the remote on his nightstand and flips on the TV. He settles himself on a couple of pillows and pulls me into his side opposite his scar.
“Should we watch the ball drop, gem?” he asks.
“Sure,” I answer as I allow myself to snuggle into his side, something I’ve missed terribly over the past two weeks. I rest my cheek on his shoulder and drape my leg over his thigh. Having this back again is good. Better than good. It’s perfect and I’m mad at myself for taking it away from both of us.
As I close my eyes and lay pressed up against him, warm and full of life, my
Still dazed by my drama and now my first real Tony kiss, I head into the bathroom to find something to wash my face. Then I brush my teeth using Tony’s toothbrush. As I do this, I hear him letting Mia out and doing some stuff in the kitchen. I change out of my clothes and into Tony’s t-shirt, trying not to let it register how good it feels against my skin.
Leaving my clothes folded in the bathroom, I pad out barefoot to the bedroom as Tony is pulling something else from his pine chest of drawers. He turns and stops. His eyes, intense again but in a different way, move over me from head to toe and back up again, making me catch my breath. He moves to me and putting a hand to my jaw, he lifts my head to kiss me softly on the lips. Letting me go, he walks around me without a word and goes into the bathroom.
I let out my breath and move to his big bed. It’s bigger than the one we sleep in at Gabby’s. I climb in, tuck my knees under his big shirt and wait on him. When he comes out of his bathroom in nothing but his normal pajama pants, exactly like he normally comes to me, my eyes go directly to his new scar on the left side of his torso. It’s still pink and puckered, marring his perfect body.
With my legs moving on their own accord, I rise to my knees and shuffle myself to the edge of the bed. He comes straight to me and I bring my hand up to his puckered still healing incision to gently run my fingers over it.
Not able to look him in the eyes, I stare at his scar and ask, “Are you still in pain?”
“Pain, no. Discomfort sometimes? Yes. But it’s not bad.”
I feel my tears start again and have to make myself look up to him. His hands come to my face and through my new tears I quietly state the obvious, “You were shot.”
“Don’t,” he says.
“I could have lost you,” I whisper.
“Leigh--”
“I was scared,” I go on.
He sighs and closes his eyes. Opening them he returns, “I’m sorry, gem. I never want you to be scared again. Have you been dreaming?”
I quickly lower my head to look at his scar again, not wanting to answer.
“Leigh?” he presses.
I give my head a small nod. I hear him breathe in before I feel his thumbs come to my chin lifting my face to look at his and he promises, “I’ll take care of you.”
Feeling so badly I wasn’t here to take care of him. I pull in a steadying breath and try to change the subject, “When are you going back to work?”
“The day after tomorrow. But I’ve been working from home.”
“You need to rest, Tony. Your body needs to heal. You shouldn’t overdue it, you’ll create scar tissue” I lecture, letting the nurse come out in me is easier than thinking about what could have been.
“When do you have another shift?” he asks.
“Not for three more days, why?”
“You can make sure I rest tonight and tomorrow. And tomorrow night. How about that?” he asks smiling.
He puts his hands under my jaw again pulling me up to kiss him softly. I don’t say anything to him but I do give him a small smile. He steps back to pick Mia up, tossing her lightly on the bed. Excited by her new surroundings, she dances around sniffing, searching for the perfect spot to settle in for the night. Tony climbs in, but reaches for the remote on his nightstand and flips on the TV. He settles himself on a couple of pillows and pulls me into his side opposite his scar.
“Should we watch the ball drop, gem?” he asks.
“Sure,” I answer as I allow myself to snuggle into his side, something I’ve missed terribly over the past two weeks. I rest my cheek on his shoulder and drape my leg over his thigh. Having this back again is good. Better than good. It’s perfect and I’m mad at myself for taking it away from both of us.
As I close my eyes and lay pressed up against him, warm and full of life, my
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