Chapter 16

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Damn, the last chapter was the most commented chapter ever. Guess I got you with that secret, huh? You guys are the best! Check out my one-shot series, Our Family, if you miss the Substitute Father and Child books!

The feel of lips on my bare shoulder caused my eyes to flutter open, a smile making its way onto my lips. I could feel his breath on my neck, and it brought a sense of relaxation throughout my entire body. He slipped his hand under my tank top, his fingers dancing across the skin of my stomach. I tried not to shiver as he traced my scar.

I failed.

"Good morning," He whispered, kissing my neck softly.

"Morning," I murmured, turning over to face him. Ignoring the fact that we both had morning breath, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. Waking up like this every morning was amazing, and my heart fluttered every time I woke up in his arms. It was hard to believe he had only moved in a week ago.

"So, I have the day off." He propped himself on his elbow, resting his head in his palm. "And since Jess stayed the night at Morgans, we can spend all day in bed. How does that sound?"

"Amazing." I hummed.

"How're you feeling?" He questioned suddenly, effectively changing the subject. I should've expected this question, seeing as how he had been asking me it everyday since my release.

"I'm okay." I answered truthfully.

"No headaches? Dizziness? Weakness?"

"Nope."

"You better not be lying to me, Blake. You had major brain surgery. You may be out of the hospital, but you're still recovering. It takes weeks to fully recover, not to mention more than just brain surgery was performed. You almost died, and I would never forgive myself if I let something happen to you because you didn't rest enough."

I gently cupped his cheek, rubbing my thumb over his cheekbone. "I'm not lying to you, Ross. I swear. I love that you're so protective, but I don't want you to worry. I'll stay in bed everyday if it puts your mind at ease."

Tears began to fill his eyes, much to my surprise. "When they first brought you in, I wanted to scream. It was like my feet were glued to the ground. And when you flatlined," His jaw clenched, his voice breaking as he continued. I could only listen, unable to prevent my own tears from forming. "I thought I was going to lose you. There was so much blood, so much damage...I couldn't do anything but watch the other doctors work on you. And in that moment, I wasn't a doctor anymore. I was just a terrified man, watching his girlfriend die in front of him."

"But I'm okay now." I spoke softly, wiping away a stray tear that fell.

"But you almost weren't!" He sat upright, tangling his fingers in his hair. "You almost died on me, Blake. You almost left Jess. What would she do without you? What would your parents and Morgan do without you?" He lowered his voice down to a whisper, small sobs escaping. "What would I do without you?"

I couldn't utter a word as I watched him breakdown, letting out all his pent up emotions. I could only slowly sit up, wounding my arms around his waist. He immediately hugged me close, shoving his head in the crook of my neck. Body trembling and more sobs escaping, he continued to relive the memories, as if they were still occurring.

I slowly ran my fingers through his hair, coaxing him to calm down. My heart was breaking as I watched him. I knew that the accident was hard on him, hard on everyone, but I guess I didn't know how much.

"I'm okay, Ross." I whispered, continuing to run my fingers through his blonde locks. "I'm alive; I'm fine. Please calm down." I had never seen him like this before, and I was truly worried he was going to give himself a panic attack. I needed him to see that I was okay, that I was alive and well. I wasn't going anywhere.

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