Insufferable Proximity 2 (3 page)

“Julian, be reasonable.”

“Shush, you’re staying here and I’m staying with you,” Julian informed her before he turned back to the doctor.

“I’ve already had a private room prepared for you. I also had one of the orderlies set up an extra bed for you.” The doctor smiled politely.

“Thank you,” Julian nodded.

“The nurse will be here soon to show you to your room,” the doctor finished before he left.

“I really don’t want to stay here. I want to go home where it’s safe. I want to sleep in
our
bed, and I want you to hold me,” Heaven sighed.

She felt slightly out of sorts, and her head was hurting just enough to bring tears to her eyes. She was also nervous. Even though she knew Gavin was in jail, she could not shake the apprehensive jitter creeping up her spine. She knew that Julian would protect her, but she wasn’t focused enough to concentrate on that.

“I know, babe, but it’s just for one night.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him.

“Okay, but you’re sleeping in the hospital bed with me.” 

“Of course I will.” As he finished, the door opened.

“Hi, I’m Betty. I’ll be your nurse for this evening. I’ll take you to your room,” the small-framed blonde-haired woman said, with a sincere smile.

***

After a few hours of just sitting there twiddling her thumbs, Heaven was growing increasingly agitated. The doctor had given her some pain medication. She was feeling a little better, and she was ready to leave. The nurse was sweet, and under normal circumstances, Heaven would appreciate that. Right now, she couldn’t appreciate anything that did not involve going home.

“So there’s nothing really wrong with me? Just a minor head injury…correct?” Her eyebrow rose as she asked the nurse.

“Yes.”

“But it’s not a true concussion, is it?”

“No, but any head injury can be dangerous without the proper rest,” the nurse explained.

“Then the only thing that the hospital can supply me with at this point is a bed, right?”

“And to monitor you and make sure that you rest.” The nurse smiled.

“No more tests?” she asked the last question.

Julian shook his head; he already knew where this was going.

“No, no more tests. How is the medication working? Are you feeling any relief?”

“I feel fine…my head doesn’t even hurt anymore,” she lied.

“You’ll want to keep still; too much movement could increase your pain.”

“Thank you.” Heaven was trying hard to be pleasant.

“You’re very welcome. Do you need anything else?” The nurse asked.

“No.”

“Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

“All right, well buzz me if you need anything.” The nurse smiled widely, obviously used to fussy patients.

“Thank you again, Betty,” Heaven sighed.

“It’s my pleasure,” she sang with a smile before she left the room.

Heaven was out of bed before the door closed behind the nurse.

“What are you doing?” Julian asked, although he already knew.

“I’m getting out of here.”

“No, you’re not. Lay back down; I want you to rest.”

“You heard her—there’s nothing they can do for me now. I’m going home.”

“You’re not leaving.”

“Oh, I’m leaving, one way or another. I’ll climb out the window if I have to. I am not staying here another second,” she finished as she grabbed her things from the locker.

“Be reasonable, Princess.”

“I am being reasonable, Julie. If you try to stop me, I’ll only try to fight. That will make my head injury worse, so I suggest that you walk out of here with me. I told you, I’m not comfortable in hospitals,” she explained.

“Always the lawyer,” Julian smirked.  He knew she was stubborn enough to prove her point, even if it hurt her. He would take her home, but only because he planned to keep a close watch on her. He would be harder on her than the doctor would ever be.

“Always. Now come on.” She grabbed his hand.

Julian pulled his hand from her, and in one swift move, he picked her up.

“Put me down, I can walk.”

“This is the only way you’re leaving this room.”

“Have it your way, Julie. But don’t let that nurse see you.”

Heaven ducked her head as Julian walked past the nurses’ station. She wouldn’t look in their direction, and she refused to make eye contact.

It didn’t work; her eagle-eyed nurse had seen them.

“Is everything all right?” Betty the nurse asked as she walked over to them.

Heaven rolled her eyes when Julian came to a stop.

“I told you to keep going,” she whispered so that only he could hear.

“Did you need something, dear?” The nurse asked as she walked closer.

“Everything is fine. He’s taking me outside to get some air,” Heaven said with a tame version of her poker face.

“Here, take this.” Betty grabbed the wheelchair next to her station and placed it before Heaven.

“I don’t need that,” Heaven began to object.

“Yes, you do,” Julian corrected her as he sat her in the wheelchair.

“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“If she begins to feel lightheaded or dizzy, bring her back up, please,” the nurse said to Julian, who nodded in return.

Julian pushed Heaven down the hall and to the elevators. When they were out of sight, Heaven tried to stand up, but Julian stopped her with a restraining hand on her shoulder.

“If you’re leaving this hospital, you’re going to take it easy. I’m serious; I don’t want you walking anywhere.” He spoke with a determination that Heaven knew she would not be able to break.

“Fine.”  She would agree to anything at this point…she just wanted to go home.

***

Ian was fast asleep in his bed when Fitz called to tell him what had happened to Julian. Ian sat on his bed, paralyzed with fear. The fact that his brother had been attacked was mind-altering to him.

He sped to his parents’ house, a million questions racing through his mind. All of their arguments and their ongoing hatred seemed ludicrous now. He was overwhelmed with guilt. If he had been a decent brother, he might have seen the signs. He might have been able to help Julian; instead, he had been secretly praying for his failure. He was disgusted with himself and vowed to change if Julian was all right.

He left his car running and the door open, as he rushed into his parents’ house. He found his mother at the dining room table, nursing a glass of vodka. By the looks of it, she had been drinking for a while. The bottle next to her was half-empty.

“Where’s Dad?” Ian barked.

“Who knows,” she slurred with contempt.

“Gavin Grant tried to kill Julian,” Ian cried.

“I heard.” She took a small sip.

Ian looked at her for a moment—shocked by her reaction. He didn’t think that his mother could shock him again but he was wrong.

“This is low even for you, but then I guess I shouldn’t be shocked anymore. Especially after what you did with my wife.” Ian frowned.

“Your wife is a whore; she was going to have sex with him regardless,” she mocked as if he were dense.

“Yes, but you didn’t have to help her! You covered for her, even when you knew that I suspected she was cheating. You knew all along.”

“You should be thanking me.” She glared at him, her pale eyes sparking with anger.

“Thanking you? Are you crazy?” He could not believe her audacity.

“If not for me, you would never have known that you married a slut.”

He shook his head. “You’re delusional as well as evil.”

“Fuck off, Ian,” she hissed, before taking a generous drink of vodka.

“I’m going to see if your son is all right.”

“Have fun with that,” she sneered, before grabbing the bottle and leaving the room.

Ian could only stare at her retreating form. Who was she? The woman was not fit to be a mother. How could she be so damned cold-hearted?

He didn’t want to be like that anymore. When the time came, he wanted his children to respect him because they loved him—not because they feared him.

***

The night’s chaotic events had finally come to an end. Gavin was on his way to prison, and the police were finally finished gathering evidence. The yard was beginning to look more like a front lawn than a sideshow attraction.

Heaven felt great relief when they drove to the main gate of Julian’s home. No house had ever looked so good to her. She was ready to take a long hot bath and curl up in bed with Julian. She wanted to sleep and get this maddening night over. She wanted to wake up to a bright, shiny morning and a fresh new start. She wanted to leave the night’s horrible events in the past where they belonged.

“What’s going on?” Heaven asked as she saw a gang of Julian’s cousins walking around the main gate.

“They’re securing the grounds. They’re also checking the locks and the cameras on the gate. Gavin had destroyed most of them before he entered the house,” he finished as he parked his car close to the house. “We’re going to make this place impenetrable.”

“This house is humongous; that’s going to take forever.” Her eyes widened at the thought.

“I know; that’s why I need to get started soon.”

She had no more than opened the car door when she felt herself swept up in Julian’s powerful arms.

“What are you doing?” She held him tightly.

“Carrying you,” he answered. He didn’t intend to put her down anytime soon.

“Why? My legs are stiff…I prefer to walk.”

“You’re injured.”

“But I can walk.”

“No.”

“It’s only a bump on my head; you don’t have to carry me,” Heaven said as he carried her to the front door.

“Either I carry you, or I go back to the hospital and get that wheelchair.”

The front door opened, and Heaven’s eyes grew wide as saucers.

“What the hell?” Heaven gasped, seeing a group of armed women all dressed in black.

“Darling, oh thank god you’re all right!” Sybille cried as she ran towards her daughter.

“What is this?” She pointed to the group of women.

“They are here for your protection.”

“I don’t need a gang of scantily dressed working girls with guns to protect me, Mother,” Heaven protested.

“How do you feel? Are you in terrible pain, my dearest?” Sybille pushed the hair back from Heaven’s face.

“I’m perfectly fine,” she lied.

“She has a concussion,” Julian informed Sybille.

“Oh, dear god no!” Sybille wailed as she dropped to her knees.

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t say anything, Julie,” Heaven whispered to him.

“What’s wrong?” Coco ran out.

“Heaven has a head injury!” Sybille cried.

“Oh no!” Coco, Heaven’s normally stoic aunt, was visibly shaken.

“It’s only mild; not even a true concussion,” Heaven snapped.

Sybille jumped to her feet. “Don’t get upset, darling, you could hurt yourself.”

“You need to rest,” Coco added.

Julian nodded. “I agree.”

“Head injuries are dangerous; people have been known to die.” Tears ran down Sybille’s cheeks.

“Will you let me down so I can reason with these women?” Heaven snapped at Julian.

“No,” Julian said, refusing to argue or let her down.

“Don’t fight him, dearest, you should not be walking around with a concussion.” Sybille fussed over her only child. “You should be in the hospital!”

“Why
aren’t
you in the hospital?” Coco asked.

“They said I was fine.”

“They sent my only child out on the street with a traumatic head injury? They have put my daughter in mortal danger. I will have their jobs by morning!” Sybille’s angry tone was diminished by her overdramatic stance of righteousness.

“It’s just a bump! I’m perfectly fine.” Heaven was losing her cool.

“It’s still a head injury.” Coco actually sided with her sister.

“You’re back!” Everyone looked to see Maude skip towards them. “How do you feel?”

“Maude is here too? Who is watching the business?” Heaven snapped, wishing they would remember the business and leave. She loved them, but right now, the dramatics were too much for her aching head.

“It’s closed until further notice,” Coco answered her.

“Our girl has a concussion, Maudey.” Sybille sobbed dramatically.

“Oh, god no!” Maude cried, tears instantly springing to her eyes.

“She’s becoming more like Sybille by the day,” Heaven whispered as she rolled her eyes.

“Why Sevigne? What has she ever done to anyone?” Maude looked up as she continued to cry. “This isn’t fair!”