The worst part of it all was watching her turn into someone else. She didn’t look or act the same, and it was all because of him. I fucked her up. He knew it was all on him.
Elle wasn’t alone, though; Nero had changed, too. He couldn’t sleep without seeing her, so it was better not to sleep at all. Nothing tasted good to him besides fucking strawberries, and eating fucking strawberries was painful. Before Elle, he had fucked every girl who looked his way; now, he couldn’t even look at them because it wasn’t the girl he wanted to look at. He had several offers to go to prom, turning them all down. It had gotten so ridiculous that, when a girl came up to him, he just waved them away with his hand.
His balls officially hated his guts. His dick had been inside so many girls, and then, when his dick had finally gone inside Elle, there was no comparison. He couldn’t even try to fuck someone else. It wouldn’t have done shit. Nero had to take a freezing-cold shower, one right after another, to ease the pain in his groin.
Now, after seeing Elle helpless on the bathroom floor, none of it mattered anymore. He didn’t think Elle was better off without him any longer, and he wasn’t his father—he would protect Elle above anything else from now on. Not even the family will come before her. Nero was now going to take what was his, whether she wanted him to or not.
Nero saw Elle’s parents and brother come in, asking to see her. The nurses told them to remain in the waiting room for the doctor.
He watched them come in. Her mother had tears flowing from her eyes and so did Josh.
Nero stared at her father as he rolled in.
“What happened?” Elle’s father asked Chloe.
Nero stood. “We need to talk, alone.”
“I didn’t ask—”
“Now,” Nero said coldly, making the waiting room go silent.
He walked out and down the hall to a quiet part of the hospital, her father following behind.
“What makes you think I want to talk to you? You were the worst thing to ever happen to my daughter,” Elle’s father spat at him.
Nero flexed his jaw. “What makes you think I want to fucking talk to a father who doesn’t give a shit enough to see his daughter is getting the shit beat out of her at school?”
“What? She is?” Concern showed on his face.
Nero stood right above him, looking down at him. “Maybe if you lay off the pain pills and fucking got over the fact that you can’t walk anymore, you would have seen. But I know, deep down, you knew, and don’t tell me you didn’t.”
Elle’s father looked down. “No, I—”
“I don’t want to fucking hear it. When they look her over, I guarantee they’re going to see past injuries, and there’s no telling how many they will find. I suggest you talk to the doctors alone, unless you want her mother finding out.”
He nodded in understanding. “What are you doing here? If you think you and my daughter are getting back together, you’re mistaken. I know all about the Caruso family; I hear the rumors. I will do whatever it takes to keep her from you. I think we both know you’ve done enough already.”
“I know I fucked up. That’s the difference between you and me.” Nero squatted down so he could clearly get his message through. “She will go to college here now. She will live with me now. Elle is mine now. You try to keep her from me, I will tell Elle the truth about your little forklift accident rollover. About how you were drunk while operating machinery.” Nero saw the surprise in his face. “Yeah, see, I have friends in this city, and if you don’t care that I’ll tell her the truth, then I’ll have them kill you. That way, I can still look Elle in the face every morning. Are we clear?”
Elle’s father took a minute before he nodded.
Nero rose back up. “Good. Now understand, I know you’re still her father and I’m not going to come between Elle and her family, so you and I might as well start to get along.” Nero held out his hand.
Elle’s father stared at Nero’s hand before he finally shook it. “Elle better not get hurt again because of you.”
“She won’t,” Nero said matter-of-factly. He went to walk off before he remembered to add something. “Oh, and Josh, he started to get picked on while on the bus. I handled it, but you better not turn your head the other way again. You do, and I’m sure Elle won’t mind Josh living with us for a while.”
Satisfied, Nero finally walked off.
* * *
Beep…Beep…Beep…
Elle heard the annoying noise and wondered what it was along with the sterile, old smell in her nose. She lazily opened her eyes, but only one managed to actually open. She could see a fluorescent, white room and her father in the corner, sleeping in his wheelchair. Elle realized she was in the hospital.