Paradox (Unearthly Paradox Series Book 1)

Chapter 10

I awoke to whispers. I tried to open my eyes, but my lids were not co-operating. They felt sealed shut. I tried to say something, but I couldn't seem to move my mouth.

My head was foggy and my chest numb. My chest! I tried to lift my hand, but it didn't move. My brain seemed to be the only part of my body that still worked.

Panic rippled through me as I imagined my life without a working body, always having to rely on someone to feed, bathe, and take care of me. I wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but I couldn't even do that.

The voices moved away until I was surrounded by silence. Then a hand closed over mine and squeezed tightly. Someone whispered words I couldn't understand. The warmth of their breath against my cheek soothed me more with every word they said. I felt as if I were putty melting into the mattress as I quickly drifted off to sleep.

***

Sunlight shining through my lids woke me. I slowly opened my sleep-encrusted eyes and rubbed them until I could see properly. I was lying in my bed. The door to my balcony was half open, and a warm sea breeze blew into my room.

I sighed with relief. The whole thing had been a dream, a bad one, but nothing more than a nightmare. I checked the clock on the bedside table-2:15. Holy crap! I'd never slept so late in my entire life.

I tried to sit up, but a tightness in my chest made me collapse back onto my pillow. "Shit," I said through gritted teeth.

"I wouldn't recommend getting up for at least another day," Jett said, walking into my room.

"What the hell?" Pain ripped through my chest as I jerked up in surprise.

"Relax." He held up his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you."

He came over and sat on the edge of my bed as if he'd done it a hundred times before. He was completely relaxed, unlike me. I didn't understand why he was there or how he had gotten into my house.

"How's your chest?" he asked.

I blinked hard. "Excuse me?"

His eyes dropped down to my chest, and he smiled. "How's the pain in your chest?"

"Pain?" I looked down and saw gauze covering the top of my left boob.

He leaned over and pointed at the bandage. "You're lucky. The bullet only nicked your ribs. It didn't pass through, but it has been removed."

I gaped at him. I had been shot. Those four words replayed in my mind over and over again.

"Calm down. You're going to be okay."

Anger shot through me. What right did he have to tell me to calm down when I'd just found out that I'd been shot? Actually, what right did he have being in my house? In my room? God, I barely even knew him, and yet he was sitting on my bed as if it were his own. Countless questions ran through my mind, but one stood out. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why aren't I in hospital? I mean, if I've been shot, then shouldn't I be in hospital?"

"Take a look under the bandage if you don't believe me."

I was about to call him out for dodging my question when I decided to humour him and take a look. I looked down to peel off the gauze and gasped in horror. Without a doubt, I knew I had gone to bed in a white tank, but I was now wearing a blue one. I lifted the sheet. I also no longer had on my grey shorts. I wasn't wearing shorts at all-just panties.

I dropped the sheet. "Please tell me a nurse changed my clothes."

He grinned. "Yep. Nurse Lomazzo took care of it."

Relief washed over me. "So what are you doing here?"

"Someone has to take care of you while your dad's away."

I shook my head, thinking a home nurse would've been a more obvious choice for a gunshot victim. Actually, a hospital room would be more fitting. I thought back to the night it had happened, imagining the man holding a gun trained on my chest. "Why me?"

Jett looked at me as if I were stupid. "Ahh, because you're the one who got shot."

I scrunched up my face then realised why he thought I was asking him why he was looking after me. "No, I meant, why was I shot?" I remembered the cold, hard look on the man's face. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then why are you here? I mean, how did you find out that I'd been shot and needed looking after?"

Jett stood, walked over to the half-open balcony door, and stared outside. "I heard the ambulance and came over."

I waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, I prodded him with "That's it?" For the first time since I'd known him-which wasn't very long-he looked unsure of himself. "Jett?"

He clenched his jaw then turned to me. I thought he was going to get all crazy drug lord on me, but his voice was calm. "That's it." He walked toward the door to the hallway. "You should get some rest. I'll be downstairs if you need me. My number's in your phone, and your phone's beside your bed." He left the room without looking back.

I looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. I had definitely locked the security mesh screen, and those things were apparently indestructible. The monitored security system my father had installed was supposed to be top of the line as well, yet my attacker had still gotten in without triggering the alarm.

Nothing seemed to make sense. And I had a feeling Jett knew more than what he was letting on, but for some reason, he wanted to keep me in the dark.