Shatter Me (18 page)

             
I pull the pen out of my mouth.
“Hey.” I greet him now as he sits down in the somewhat comfortable chair beside of my bed.

             
Keith seems momentarily surprised. Of course I hardly ever willingly speak to him unless spoken to first. “Hey, baby.” He murmurs. “Feeling better today?”

             
“Yes.” In fact I was itching to go home. Dr. Shelton and I had had a loud argument about it when he checked on me right before dinner. But he thought I needed at least another few days in the hospital. “I want out of here, but that damned doctor says I can’t leave yet.”

             
That sardonic brow, the one I love so much and
has
been missing for the longest time suddenly lifts, making my heart twist.
“I’m sure he has his reasons for keeping you a little longer. Did he say why?”

             
“Some technical mumbo jumbo.”
I grumble as I scribble a quick note across the bottom of the expense sheet and start gathering up my piles of work.

             
“I’m sure it is for your wellbeing. A few more days isn’t going to hurt you.” He assures me. “Do anything interesting today?”

             
I snort. “Does it look like it gets interesting around here?” I glance around the small room. My stuffed teddy bear sits on the nightstand beside of my bed; a few more flower arrangements have been added to the others, and there are a few balloons in the
corner by the window that Hunter had brought me earlier to make me smile. Christian had stopped by earlier, but I didn’t want to bring that up.

             
“Did you eat?”

             
Another snort.
“If you mean did I eat the slimy pea soup and what the nurse said was meatloaf, then no. But your brother snuck me in some chicken and dumplings.” It had been one of the first real meals I have had in forever and I had practically inhaled the food.

             
“Want something gooey?” He asks in a lowered voice as if it is some naughty secret. And the way he says it makes it feel naughty.

             
The thought of one of Keith’s sinfully sweet concoctions makes my mouth water. I lean forward. “What do you have in mind?”

             
He grins. “I happen to know that there is an ice cream shop down in the food court. They don’t close for thirty more minutes. I could go down and get you anything you want…Like a brownie Sunday with extra hot fudge and whipped cream.”

             
I nearly moan at the thought of the decadent dessert. Flashes of another time eating just such a treat invade my mind and I pull back a little. “Do you think you can get it by the General out there?” The night nurse
who
had come on duty at six was a real
stickler
for rules. The only reason she allowed
Keith to stay so late each night was because he had personally talked to the administrator, who had told the entire staff that what Keith wanted Keith was to get.

             
“I think I can pull a few strings to get you what you want, baby.” He raises that sardonic brow again. “Well?”

             
“Yes, please.” I settle back against the pillows as he stands.

             
“Be right back.” He promises.


      
 

             
“Okay, Kari.” Dr. Shelton is standing by my bedside. He has already given me three different lectures on making sure I keep up my appointments with my physical therapist, Dr. Hayes, and the extreme importance of a follow up with him the next week. But he is letting me go home today so I cannot be too ‘snarky’ with him. “I want you to take it easy for the next week or so. No strenuous activities. No stress. No going into the office.”

             
I grin up at him. “Damn, I was going to train for the Boston Marathon. So I guess that is out?”

             
He smiles and shakes his head at me. “I’m going to miss that smart mouth of yours.” He scribbles something on the forms he has in his hand and then tears off the top sheet. Instead of handing it over to me he gives it to my father. “She shouldn’t be left on her own too often. She seems like the type to get into trouble.”

             
“She sure does like to cause it.” Baxter teases as he glances over the paper in his hands.

             
A nurse appears with a wheelchair. I sit in it before anyone can order me to. I am so ready to get out of this place and breathe fresh air once again
. The only downside to today is that, and part of me is angry at myself for feeling this way, but I
miss
Keith. He hasn’t been to see me all day.

             
I can’t help but think that
now that I am well enough to go home he doesn’t want to see me. Perhaps he feels guilty for some strange reason because of the accident and now that I am better his guilt is gone. Maybe he is with Bianca right this minute.

             
Pain makes my chest tighten and my happiness at getting to go home vanishes.

             
My father’s
car is waiting at the door when the nurse pushes me outside into the chilly
February
sunshine.
Ten minutes later we are driving through typical New York traffic and I am still feeling down as thoughts of Keith and Bianca flash across my mind. So it takes me a while to realize that we aren’t heading in the direction of my father’s house.

             
We are going to the Winthrop estate!
             
I frown over at him. “What are you doing?” I demand.

             
H
e gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, sweetheart. But things are getting rough in Turkey and I have to fly out tonight. You can’t stay alone and I didn’t think you wanted to go back to your apartment. That only left one other option.”

             
“No!” I can’t believe what I am hearing. There had to be other options.
Millions of them that didn’t involve me staying in a house that brought back so many happy memories with the man I had thought loved me.
“You have a housekeeper. She can watch out for me while you are gone.” I argued.
“Or the house in the Hamptons.
Mrs. Dean wouldn’t mind taking care of me.”

             
He gives me a stern frown. “You are going to stay where Keith or Hunter can help you. Or I will take you back to the hospital right now and tell Dr. Shelton to keep you there until I get back. So which is it?”

             
I cross my arms and glare out the side window, feeling like a child that can’t get her own way. But this wasn’t like I wanted a new toy and was angry over not getting what I wanted. This was much, much bigger than that. This involved a regular dose of emotional torment on an hourly basis. Couldn’t my father understand that?

             
But it was still better than staying in the hospital, so I kept
my mouth shut as he drove on.

             
There are balloons hanging from the gate at the driveway to the Winthrop estate.
Pretty balloons with the words ‘Welcome Home’ on them and my heart twists because at one point, not too long ago, I had imagined this place as home.
A place where I could raise my children with Keith.

             
A few minutes later my father rolls to a stop in front of the big house. There are more balloons tied to the door. Baxter honks his horn and the door opens almost immediately. Hunter comes out, dressed in jeans and a sweater. Keith right behind him dressed similarly.

             
“Are you going to be nice?” Baxter asks with wary amusement.

             
“I doubt you really want the answer to that.” I mutter as my door is opened and Keith offers me his hand to assist me out of the car.

             
Carefully I step out of the M
ercedes
and before I can even take a step Keith lifts me into his arms. I squeal, not expecting to be suddenly swept of my feet and wrap my arms around his neck instinctively. “You really need some food.” He mutters close to my ear as he kisses my hair.

             
“Keith, put me down.” I demand, wiggling my legs. “I can walk.”

             
“Shelton said no strenuous activity and to take it easy for a while. I’m just following your doctor’s orders, baby.” He lifts me a little higher and carries me into the house.

             
I glare up at him. “How do you know what he said? You weren’t there.”

             
He lifts that damned sardonic brow at me. Over the last few days I have been seeing more and more of it. “Just because I wasn’t there does not mean I didn’t speak to the man.
I think I have him on speed dial on my phone.”

             
“You have no business talking to my doctor about me.” I grumble as he carries me into the entertainment room and carefully places me on one of the sofas.

             
“You are my business.” He murmurs at my ear with another soft kiss in my hair.

             
The banner hanging from the ceiling catches my attention, causing any argument I might have had about me being his business to fly straight out of my head.

             
Welcome Home Kari!

             
The rest of the room is decorated in more balloons and it looks as if the place was ready for a party. “What is all of this?” I ask.

             
Keith shrugs. “We thought that we would have a little celebration to welcome you home. A few friends are coming over later.”

             
I stiffen, wondering if my ex-bestie was among the friends that had been invited. “No.” There is no way that I want to spend my first day out of the hospital having to watch Bianca the bitch in the same room with Keith. The very thought is too painful to even contemplate. “No, I don’t want to see anyone.”

             
Hunter and my father frown at me.
“Why not?”
Hunter asks as he drops down beside of me. “I thought you would enjoy some company. It isn’t going to be that big of a get together. Besides they want to see you.”

             
“I said no.” I get to my feet and push past Keith. “Have them over if you want. It’s your house after all. But I don’t want to see anyone. I’m going to my room.”

             
“Kari!”

             
But
I ignore them.

             
I hear laughter from downstairs.
Deep, male laughter and a few feminine giggles.
It makes my skin crawl. I try to block it out but it keeps echoing in my head even as I turn my TV up louder.

             
I sit there on my big, king sized bed and glare up at the ceiling. It is dark outside my window and my father
has
left a while ago. I am tired up unable to sleep because all I can think about is that somewhere in this house the man I stupidly still love is with his fiancé. Angry, I throw my favorite pillow across the room and it hits the door with a nice
thud
.
             

             
Maybe I should have let my father take me back to the hospital after all!
             
Even as the thought is rolling through my mind there is a light tap on my door. I don’t answer and it comes again. After a moment whoever is on the other side of the door goes away. I kn
o
w who it was, and she is the last person I ever want to see.

             
I go back to glaring of into space.

             
There is suddenly a firmer knock on my door and without further warning it cracks open enough for Christian’s handsome head to peek in. “Hey.” He greets me with a smile. “Can I come in?”

             
I sit up in bed, happy to see my friend. “Sure. I could use some company.” I pull the comforter up over my lap and he comes into the room, leaving the door slightly open. I pat the side of my bed and he sits.

             
“How are you?” He is giving my face a thorough inspection, as if he is looking for something in particular.

             
“Better. Headaches are all gone. I’m not even on the pain meds anymore.
Just a little Tylenol every now and then.”
I was so glad to be done with the meds. They had been the reason for my irregular heartbeat.

             
“Why won’t you come downstairs? Everyone wants to see you.” He urges and I blink at him. How can he of all people expect me to go downstairs when Bianca is down there?