The Last Boyfriend

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

When I awoke, my arm and leg were in casts. I blinked, my eyes crusty and my body sore as hell. I moved my head slowly and carefully and took in the room. It was blandly painted and unfamiliar to me. On the far wall was a vase with flowers in them and an unoccupied chair. The TV on the wall in front of me was off. The door opened suddenly and relief filled me as Siva's beloved face came into view. When he saw that I was awake, he rushed over, kissing my forehead and hugging me tightly as if I would disappear if he didn't hold me like this. "How are you feeling, Nikki?" he whispered, his voice betraying his vulnerability.

"Like crap," I admitted.

"I know. I'm so sorry, Nikki baby. I underestimated Sierra. That will never happen again."

I patted his arm. "It's not your fault, Siva. Don't blame yourself."

He sighed heavily. "I'm gonna call the doctor in. He told me to call him as soon as you wake up." He spoke in the phone and within a few minutes, a young, male doctor walked in in his white lab coat.

"How're you feeling, Ms. Kennedy? I'm Dr. Rawlings. You came in with a few very serious knife injuries. What do you remember?"

I shook my head. "Not much. Just that some jealous loser stabbed me multiple times."

He turned to the computer in the far corner of the room, booted it up and spoke to us as we waited for his computer to turn on. "You're fine now. We sowed all your wounds so you should be good now. You need to elevate your injuries and try to use them as least as possible. You want them to heal all the way." He started clicking on the computer. He turned to Siva. "You called the police, right?"

Siva nodded firmly. "Of course. They said they'll try looking for her."

The doctor nodded back. "Good." He wrapped up then and told us that by the end of the evening I should be ready for discharge. Then he left, leaving me and Siva alone.

The second the door closed behind the doctor, Siva swept me into his arms again. "I swear, if the police don't find her, I will hunt her down myself. There's no way in hell she's getting away from doing something like this unscathed. She'll pay for what she did to you."

I smiled weakly. "Thanks, Siva. I appreciate it."

"And you're living with me." His expression was angry. "I knew that I shouldn't have relaxed with Sierra. I knew that she'd do something like this the moment we dropped our guard."

I placed my hand on his arm. "Siva, it wasn't your fault-"

"Of course it is!" he shouts, throwing my hand off. His eyes were flashing angrily. "I was in the house, Nicole! I was with you when this happened! And I couldn't even stop it! How am I supposed to protect you when you're not with me at all times. How can I even let you out of my sight after this?!"

I swallowed hard. "Siva, please. Don't kill yourself over this. It wasn't your fault- it was Sierra's. She's the one who knew that I'd be alone and she chose that moment to hurt me. It could have easily have happened if you went to the bathroom for just a moment."

He didn't answer. He ran his hand threw his hair in agitation. 

I waited quietly for him to look at me again. When he did, his stern facial expression melted. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you worry more. From now on, you're living with me. Get as many clothes as you need cause you're not coming back home until Sierra is caught."

I sighed. I knew he only meant well for me and that he was concerned about me. So I shrugged and said, "Okay."

"Great, now let's get out of here."