Nero shook his head. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Mr. Evans let me read your essay,” Elle whispered abruptly.
Nero didn’t respond.
“Please, go home and get some rest, then I promise we’ll talk.” Elle looked into his pain-filled eyes. “For me, Nero.”
Nero pushed back his long hair only for it to go back where it had been. “Okay.” Nero stood back up and looked at her damage. “Do you know who did it?” His voice had gone deadly.
Lie. “No, I don’t remember anything.”
Nero flexed his jaw. “All right. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” she quietly said as he walked out of the room.
Elle laid her head back on the bed, thankful she didn’t have to look at Nero any longer. She hated herself right now for how he looked. It was too painful for her to see the toll she had put on him. Elle knew she didn’t look so hot right now, but that was different. She could always deal with seeing herself hurt, but seeing someone else hurt and knowing she’d caused it was too much for her. Especially someone she…
Elle shook her head, realizing she had lied to him, even after she had gotten mad at Nero for all his lies. The truth was, she had remembered what happened, but Elle didn’t want Nero to know, too afraid he’d kill her.
It was Cassandra.
Chapter Forty-Six
Roll Out the Golden Carpet
“Just sign here, and then you’re free to go.”
Elle signed the paper on the dotted line. Where are my parents?
She looked at her nurse, holding a bag. “M-my ride’s not here yet.”
“Yes it is, honey. He’s waiting out front. Now, let’s get you dressed.”
Elle figured her mother hadn’t wanted to leave Dad alone long in the car, so she slowly got up and the nurse helped her change into a pair of her sweats and a t-shirt from home. Elle sat down in the waiting wheelchair. Ugh, I can finally go home. Needless to say, Elle was sick of hospital food, the constant monitoring, and the horribly-uncomfortable beds.
The nurse walked her down the hallway, into the elevator, and to the sliding doors. When the doors opened, Elle was greeted with a black Cadillac and dark-tinted windows. A brand-new Nero was there, leaning up against his car. Nero?
Nero opened the passenger’s door.
Elle wanted to say something to the nurse. She looked around. Crap, but then who would take me home? The nurse parked the wheelchair; however, Elle didn’t go to stand, still in awe of how in the world she was in the situation.
When the nurse didn’t go to move her because Nero was there, Elle had no choice other than to stand. She shakily stood up and felt Nero’s arms go around her waist. She looked up at him, wanting to protest, but that only made her body melt more into his. She saw the flash of need fill his eyes at the instant touch. Elle’s body remembered the night she and Nero shared, which felt like years ago. She wished she had never experienced the true pleasure because, if you never experienced it, then you never knew what you were missing.
Nero sat her down in the car, and she felt him linger on letting her go. He even buckled her seat belt, and all Elle could do was stare inches away from his refreshed face.
Nero had gotten his hair cut back to the shorter length she loved on him. He had even shaven his face, revealing his perfectly-tan skin and square jaw. His eyes were still slightly dark under them, but she figured one night of sleep wasn’t going to remedy them immediately. The scent of clean, fresh, hot male enveloped her, and it smelled just like she remembered. His clothes were also perfectly new and crisp.
When Nero finally shut her door and went around the car, she slammed her eyes shut. Dammit, dammit, dammit! She tried to think about anything except his face and scent as she held her legs tightly closed.
Nero slid in the car and put the car in drive, pulling out.
“Why were you the one to pick me up?” Elle finally asked.
Nero shrugged. “Because I went over to your parents’ house to get you some things and told them I would.”
Elle’s mouth dropped open. My parents’ house! “What the hell? You pay for my medical bills and they roll out the golden carpet!”
Nero smiled, flashing his teeth at her.
Elle crossed her arms. “Nero, you can’t just pay for my lunch, school, and hospital bills to fix what happened between us. I don’t care about how much money you have!”
Nero gripped the steering wheel. “I know you don’t give a shit about how much money I have. Besides, I didn’t pay for everything to make up for what I did, Elle. I did it to make your life easier, and what do you do? You fucking go pick up even more hours than you started school out with.”