Always Only You (Rewriting)

20| Vīgintī

I will wait for you, because I don't want anyone else
-Unknown

R

yan's Pov:

My lids flutter open and I glance at the hand tightly holding mine. The familiar hazel dipped hair covers her face as her chest heaves as she sleeps peacefully. "I must be dreaming," I smile drowsily to myself before closing my eyes once again.

"That's not right." My eyes fly open and I jump up in a jolt but hiss as I clutch the wound on my chest. My whole body feels sore from not moving for so long. How long was I out for? I look back at the girl who gently stirs from her sleep.

"Ryan, oh you're awake," she mumbles as her eyes sleepily land on me. She shakes her head and stares at me wide-eyed in disbelief before pouncing on me. "Ryan!" she screams in joy and a couple of people rush in after hearing all the commotion.

My father's eyes brim with tears as he wraps his arms around me. "Son, it's good to have you back," he whispers as I wordlessly let him embrace me tightly for the first time in many years.

"Wait, the doctor should check up on you," he nods at Alexander who gives me a small smile before heading out to call one.

I look back at Leah who slides her hand in mine, smiling in spite of the bags under her eye. "Why are you here?" I blurt out and before she can respond, my father whacks my head.

"How can you ask her that question? After looking after you day and night, this is how grateful you are!" he chides and I stare back and forth at them in confusion.

What happened to never loving a woman. A man's greatest weakness?

"I flew in with Pat," I look across to find a short haired but attractive woman smile back at me.

"It's nice to meet you," I tell her with a grin.

"I've heard so much about you as well," she says with a wink. Just then the doctor comes in with Alex to check my wound and vitals.

"You should consider yourself lucky, if the bullet was a couple of inches to the left and a couple inches above, it would have peirced your heart," he says before turning to Leah.

"Please make sure your husband eats healthy and nutritious meals as well as his meds. He cannot do anything that causes physical exertion for a couple of months. We'll keep him under observation for a day and then he can be discharged."

As the doctor leaves, I feel all eyes on us. I can practically hear them singing a wedding song, especially Pat whose eyes gleam in anticipation, probably in hope of becoming the maid of honour. My attention shifts to Leah who seems a little flustered as she pretends to concentrate her attention on the prescription that was handed to her.

I clear my throat, "Could we have a moment, please?" I ask, and they all slowly disappear through the door, leaving us alone.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" she sighs as she places the paper that was handed to her on the table beside me.

"Leah, I'm sor-"

Her fingers touch my lips, "I know. You didn't mean it. Alex told me everything."

I stare at her in disbelief, "Alex told you?" The man who couldn't stand women and disapproved of my relationship with Leah told her everything?

She cups my face in her soft hands, grazing the stubble that's formed on my jaw as she takes in my appearance, not breaking eye contact,"Your eyes are green. I always wondered what colour they were. You have no idea how much I've missed you. I don't blame anyone for what happened to my parents, we were just at the wrong place at the right time."

I sigh as I take her hand and kiss it lightly, "Nevertheless, I should have never left you at the hospital."

She look at me and pinches my cheek hard. "Yes, you shouldn't have, but now I know why. At first I wanted to give you a piece of my fist if I ever saw you again, but when I did-I was anxious as I watched you lifeless on the bed. We were all worried, you know, especially your father," her tone gets serious.

"He likes you, doesn't he?" I ask, ticking her playfully.

She giggles, "Yes, he said his son was lucky to snag such a beautiful woman."

I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and stare into her eyes lovingly. Her eyes flutter down to my pale blue flimsy hospital gown. She begins to look hesitant and before she tries to push herself away, I pull her into my lap. "I am lucky," I whisper against her lips as I snake my arms around the familiar crevices of her body.

The door suddenly opens. "The doctor said no physical exertion," Alex tsks as I reluctantly pull away from her and grumble.

***

After my discharge, my return home was a celebration. Irina whipped up some of my favourite dishes- some beef stroganoff, shashlyk and some rice pudding. She has outdone herself and as I reach out for the bottle of vodka in front of me, my hand is slapped away and a glass of water is placed in my hands. "Same colour but healthier," Leah states, smiling sweetly as Irina giggles.

"Umnaya devushka, she will look after you well," Irina says proudly. When I introduced Leah to her, she took a liking to her immediately as Leah offered to help her in the kitchen.

"I will teach you all of his favourite food. So that when you get married you'll have children quickly," she teases, making Leah blush as much as the tomato that she was cutting. I know that everyone is waiting for us to get married, but I don't want to force her into something so rushed and sudden.

I watch her as she bites into a forkful of meat and hums in happiness. Besides, she has a life and a job back at home. I can't expect her to drop that all for me and live here in Russia with me. I can't leave my father alone as well. Alexander had mentioned his deteriorating health and how well he had hidden it for quite a while, not bothering to take his medication properly.

My father clears his throat, catching the attention of all of us at the table. It's been long since we had so much of energy around us, it was almost refreshing. My father grabs his glass and raises it in the air, looking visibly much happier and healthier than before with a sparkle in his eyes. "To Ryan's speedy recovery and to my wonderful daughter Leah," he grins before tipping his glass to her in warmth.

He's already accepted her as his daughter.

After we finish dinner, my father calls me into his study. Leah wishes us a goodnight before trudging to bed sleepily.

As I stand in my father's room, he stares out through the window with his back facing me, "The box on my table is for you," he explains and I pick up the red little box and open in, sucking in a breath as I stare at the beautiful diamond embedded ring on the velvet cushion.

"This is-"

"Your mother's. And she would want you to have it. She would be happy to see how much you've grown and what a wonderful woman you have by your side. I was wrong to disapprove of your relationship, I just didn't want you to go through the same pain that I did when your mother died. When you were in a coma, I feared losing you the most and I am sorry for not expressing myself before. I thought it was for the best, but when I saw Leah looking after you and never leaving your side, I realized how much of happiness your mother gave me when she was alive. She gave me you."

My dad embraces me in a warm hug as I feel the ring weigh a ton in my pocket. I dread the moment I ask her to chose between her family and job and me.

A/N:

shashlyk- is a dish of skewered and grilled cubes of meat, similar to or synonymous with shish kebab.

Umnaya devushka- smart woman

How are you all doing? I've been so busy? If you have any suggestions or critiques let me know, I honestly don't know how many people are still following this book, but thank you for doing so! I'm sorry for the late update, College has been hectic.

*Don't you think the father son moment melted your heart? It melted mine as I wrote it ;)