Adored by the Alpha

Chapter 76

I'd say I'm sorry about the delay, but then I'd just be lying to you.

Yeah no but okay, I've been swamped with the beginning of uni work (can ya'll believe that I started this story when I was 14, and now I'll be 19 in less than a month?)

Life's been crazy busy, but I managed to write all this in a night, mainly fueled by bad concience. So... enjoy.

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My mother and I watched a movie – I couldn't be bothered to really take notice of which one it was. I saw the actors moving about on the screen, heard their lines like radiostatic that went on in the background. By the time the credits rolled, I still had little idea what the movie had even been about. She made me cocoa. We didn't talk anymore about what had happened. She was afraid to mention it, and I didn't want to speak about it.

The clock had barely struck 4.40 when I, out of the corner of my eye, saw Allen driving up to the house and past the living room, heading for the parking garage. I got up to head into his arms, but when I did I was held back, just a little.

I looked down at my mom, who had grabbed my hand. She smiled softly. "I love you, you know that, right, sweetheart?"

"I know mom, love you too," I said, heading out of the living room, through the hallway and kitchen, and into the garage.

Allen's face was sullen when he got out of the car, softening with affection when he saw me. He set down the two shopping bags in his hands and opened his arms for me, and I walked into his warm embrace. He wrapped his arms tight around me, breathing into my hair. A shaky breath.

I looked up at him. "How's Austin?"

He met my eyes, his jaw stern. "He's uh, he's all perfect in the thoughts department. He can recite the alphabet, count to a hundred, can decipher text, speak easily, understand what we say, but his motor skills..." he shook his head. "The doctors are making an expert consult on his CT scans and his MRIs. To see if that part of his brain is just damaged and can be fixed, or if it's entirely dead or... I don't know." he shook his head again. "But as of right now, he's fine, he's alive and breathing and his mental skills are intact, he's still Austin. He might just have issues moving from now on, issues walking, holding a pen, holding a book..." he sighed.

I put my hands on his cheeks, gently running my thumbs along his stubble. He looked tired and unkept and worried. I then nodded my head down towards the bags. "What's that?"

He blinked his eyes open, "Uh, groceries. So I can make dinner."

I ran my hand over his hair. "How about we wait with that til tomorrow, and for tonight we go with takeout? Pizza, maybe?"

He blinked. "The pizzas would be cold by the time the deliveryperson got here."

I shrugged. "Then we'll reheat them in the oven. I'll tell my mom to call and make the orders, while the two of us go upstairs and take a quick shower, okay?"

His eyes met mine, careful concern painted all over his expression. "Love, are you sure you're ready for that already?"

I took a deep breath and tilted my head a little to the side in a weird little nod. "Not for sex, but I just... a nice warm shower with you sounds amazing right now. And you look like you could also use a little being taken care of... I'll wash your hair?"

His eyes softened, a little chuckle leaving him. "That sounds lovely, my love. I'll head upstairs... but I'm liking the sound of a bath better. Okay with you?"

"Sure, I'll just tell my mom." I kissed his cheek, and then headed back to the livingroom, in which my mother was browsing the selection of movies on a streaming service. She smiled when I entered. I pointed at her phone. "Could you order some pizza? A plain one with ham and cheese for me, a salad pizza with kebab for Allen, and whatever you want, of course. Me and Allen are gonna take a bath."