[18 - Stranger with an End]
You woke up slowly, hearing the beeping of machines. The bright light of the room blinded you at first. You groaned as you sat up.
“Hey, hey, hey,” said a feminine voice. A nurse stood beside you. “Let me close those curtains.” The woman crossed the room and pulled closed a pair of thick knit blue curtains. “Mx. LN?” You opened your eyes. A thick white cast was around your arm. The woman smiled at you kindly.
“Where am I?” you groaned in a hoarse voice.
“You’re at the Fairmont Community Hospital. You were brought in after the incident.” There was a knock at the door. You turned your head and felt your heart accelerate as you saw Arkin enter hesitantly. “Ah, Mr. Rune. They’re ready for you.” The nurse left and Arkin took her place, standing at the side of your bed.
“Hey,” he said, a relieved smile on his face.
“Hey,” you responded hesitantly. He leaned down and kissed your forehead lovingly.
“How’s my little one doing?” he asked. You smiled at him.
“I’m okay. Are you?” He nodded.
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’m fine. I took care of the situation with the Witness Protection people I work with. They’ve agreed to keep our names out of it, and I told them everything I know about the new chapter in the Brusca Family.” Your smile softened. He knelt beside you with a smile you knew all too well. You sat up, trying to prop yourself up with your one working arm. “Aye, careful.”
“You’re hiding something,” you said, looking at him. “I know you, Arkin. What is it?” He sighed defeatedly, which was quickly replaced by a big grin.
“What do you think of Iceland?” You raised an eyebrow.
“Iceland?”
“If you don’t like Iceland, I can sell the house and-”
“Wait,” you interrupted. “House?” He smiled at you like a proud child, then offered you a printed out sheet of paper folded in four pieces.
“I bought it. I don’t know if you’d want to stay here anymore. But there’s a little village on the coast of Iceland.”
You unfolded the sheet of paper, seeing a black and white print of a darling little house. Two stories, a balcony, a large garden.
“I figured… maybe…. We could turn a house into a home. You know? We can go somewhere else, I can still back out-”
“I love it,” you said. “When do we leave?” Arkin smiled at you with rising hope in his chest. He dove to hug you, careful not to touch your injured arm.
“I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.” You chuckled, hugging him back.
“I love you too.” He pulled away, then kissed you passionately. You tried kissing back the same, but his excitement was immeasurable.
“We leave as soon as you’re discharged. I’ve been released, I’ve already hired a moving company.” You chuckled.
“Aren’t you excited?” you remarked. He blushed lightly. “Well then, we’ll see how it goes.” He smiled brightly. “Will we be getting that dog we talked about?” He blushed brightly, averting his gaze.
“Yeah…. There’s some stuff I should tell you about that. I love you, little one.”
“I love you too.”
*****
554 words total.
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YOU ARE READING
Basically Strangers (revised)
General FictionYou weren't supposed to be alive, and Arkin wasn't supposed to survive. You weren't exactly happy, but you were surviving in your little life with your abusive father and his whore of a stripper girlfriend. And then you saw a man throw someone down...
