Let Me Love You

Chapter 9

I didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete halt before I opened my door and jumped out.

"Ellie! Wait a minute!" Jenna shouted from the car in panic.

"I don't have time to wait!" I shouted back over my shoulder.

I knew she was only worried about me and just as scared for Kevin but I didn't have time to think rationally, I just needed to see Kevin. It's weird how I've only just become really close to him in the last couple of days, but I feel like I know him better than what I've ever known Ryan. As soon as I ran through the main doors of the hospital I immediately ran over to the reception desk.

"Can I help you?" Asked a very plain looking receptionist.

"It's my friend, he just came here by ambulance!" I cried, slightly out of breath from running.

"I need a name." She replied in a flat tone.

Before I had chance to answer I heard Jenna's voice, not even noticing she had appeared beside me.

"It's Kevin. Kevin McHale."

"You can't see him right now." The receptionist replied, dull as ever.

"Why not!" I cried.

"He's in surgery."

"Surgery!" Jenna and I replied in unison.

"Yes, he has internal bleeding. If you take a seat the doctor will let you know everything when he comes out of surgery."

"Come one Ellie. Let's go and sit down." Jenna said.

She pulled me over to the seats in the waiting area where I nervously sat waiting.

It felt like a lifetime before a tall, but young looking doctor made his way over to us.

"Hello ladies. I assume you to be Mr. McHale's close friends." The doctor smiled, I took this as a good sign.

"Yes." We both replied.

"There was some internal bleeding in his stomach but we have stopped it, the surgery was successful."

"Thank you, can we see him?" I asked, hopeful.

"Yes but he's still asleep from the surgery. It may be awhile before he wakes up."

"That's okay!" I smiled.

With that the doctor smiled back before guiding us towards Kevin's room where he was asleep.

As I stepped into the room the first thing I noticed was the IV attached to Kevin's arm. As I got closer though I could see the blue-purplish bruises around his eyes and nose. Walking to the right side of the bed, me and Jenna just stared down at Kevin. We must have just been awkwardly stood there for a few minutes when Jenna finale spoke up.

"You know what, it's been a rough day. I'm gonna go grab us some coffee." She smiled, giving me a quick hug before she left the room.

Once Jenna closed the door and I could no longer see her, I crouched down beside the bed so I was eye level with Kevin. Carefully I took his IV free hand into mine bring it to my lips. I placed a gentle kiss to the bruised knuckle of Kevin's hand before I started whispering to him quietly.

"Kev, I don't know if you can here me or not but I just want to say I'm so sorry and this is all my fault."

I could feel tears slowly starting to trickle down my face.

I squeezed his hand slightly hoping he knew it was me.

"It's not your fault, Ellie." I heard a mumble.

My head shot up so fast I think I gave myself whiplash. 

"Kev?"

"I'm here." He replied, blinking his eyes open.  

Without even thinking about my actions I shot up and launched myself across the bed, giving him a huge embrace.

"Whoa there. Remember I just got out of surgery." He chuckled, lightly.

"Sorry."

I backed up off the bed to give him some room.

"It's okay. I'm happy to see you too."

"Ellie please know it's really not your fault what happened." He added.

"Yes it is." I started to cry again.

"No it's not. It was my choice to go out there and try to fight him, even after you and Jenna told me not to."

Kevin pulled me closer to the bed, guiding me to lay beside him.

"No Kev it goes back way further than this. If I had of broken up with him before I even knew Jenna, then none of this would have happened." I cried into his neck.

I continued to sob into Kevin's neck as he tried to comfort me, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

I could hear Kevin's soothing voice trying to stop me from crying.

"Shhh, Ellie. It's okay, I'm okay and you're okay, that's all that matters."

"Hey! What about me." Jenna spoke.

Obviously she had returned.

"And you Jenna." Kevin laughed.

I let out a slight chuckle, knowing Jenna was trying to ease the tension.

"There's that adorable laugh." I heard Kevin, I didn't have to see his face to know he was smiling. 

"Now if only I could see that adorable face too!" He added.

He used one of his hands to cup my cheek and move me away from his neck so I was facing him.

"There she is!" He beamed.

"Guys I'm gonna go back to the studio, the police want to ask me some questions as to what happened." Jenna spoke up.

I forgot she was even there.

Once Jenna had left closing the door behind her, I felt Kevin pull me closer into his side. He slowly slid his warm hand just under the bottom of my shirt, moving his thumb soothingly back and forth over my stomach. As I looked over to face him he used his other hand to wipe some hair out of my eyes. He had his big toothy grin plastered across his face. The whole thing reminded me of this morning when we woke up at Jenna's.

"We should probably get some sleep, it's been one hell of a day." He smiled.

I slid under the covers, his thumb still running back and forth across my stomach. As I lay there falling asleep, I felt his warm lips give a gentle kiss to the back of my head.