Ache by Marley Valentine

Author:Marley Valentine [Valentine, Marley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-21T16:00:00+00:00

16

Elena

Tears slide down my face as I stand in the doorway of Gael’s hospital room. It’s one thing to be told he’s injured and sedated. It’s another thing to see it in person.

I have no idea what I was expecting, but seeing his usually strong and robust body reduced to nothing in the too-small hospital bed wasn’t it.

I had hoped Jordan’s distress over the phone was a panicked, in-the-moment exaggeration; but this is worse than I anticipated.

This is the man I love looking like he’s teetering on the edge between dead and alive.

My gaze moves to the other body in the room.

Jordan has his head buried in the crook of his arm, and his hand is tightly holding Gael’s.

My eyes linger on the way he touches my fiancé, and I try to push away the jealousy, but it rears its ugly head at him being here this whole time with Gael instead of me.

It’s irrational. They were away together. There was no way that I could get here any quicker than I did, but my gut churns with resentment anyway.

Finding the courage to step into the room, I wipe my tears and move toward the other side of the bed.

The empty chair scrapes obnoxiously against the linoleum, and Jordan’s head jolts up, his red-rimmed eyes wide and unfocused.

“It’s just me,” I whisper, taking my seat.

He lowers his eyes to where his hand rests and then back to me. The guilt swimming in his gray-blue eyes is impossible to miss.

“Don’t move on my account,” I bite out.

His back straightens, the tired fog from earlier lifting. I have no idea where the harsh tone comes from, but the bitterness taking root in my stomach makes it difficult to regret my outburst.

I want to tell myself I’m being unreasonable, but his hand still hasn’t moved, and everything inside me is screaming at me that the action alone means more than friendship.

It’s always been more than friendship. It’s always been something. Every part of me knows there’s something unfathomable between them, and I still let my heart get away from me with Gael.

I’ve lived a life of second best. A life of not good enough. A life of wanting and craving more for myself, and somehow, I ended up exactly where I didn’t want to be.

Giving my heart and my all to someone who wouldn’t or couldn’t do the same for me. The worst part is, even if he only loved me with half his heart, he loved me more and better than any other person ever has.

And his family. I am so in love with his family. They are the first real family I have ever had. Even Jordan and all his jealousy aren’t enough to make me walk away.

When we found out we were pregnant, my world had never felt so complete, and the happiness that had blossomed between us because of the news gave me security and certainty that pushed away those niggling doubts and ugly insecurities.

And yet, here I am,

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