Unexpected Love

Chapter 23

Two weeks after the fire, things between Stella and Kelly were extremely awkward. They were talking, but not really talking. Kelly was out on medical leave for six to eight weeks, and he was in a lot of pain due to the broken ribs. Stella was working more than normally, and he knew she was doing it on purpose. To avoid him.

"Hey man!" Matt said, walking into the house. Kelly was lying on the couch.

"Hey!"

"How's the pain level today?"

"About the same as yesterday, it hurts when I breathe, cough, laugh, bend, or twist. It just hurts."

"Well, stop coughing, laughing, bending, and twisting." He smirked as he sat down in the chair next to him. "I can't tell you to stop breathing, so you're going to have to suffer through that pain." He jokes.

"Funny." He sighed as he carefully sat up. He groaned in agony.

"Are you taking anything for the pain?"

"Yes, mom, I'm doing everything the doctor told me to do." He said sarcastically. His mom has been driving him crazy since he got released from the hospital. Constantly stopping by checking on him, calling him, or texting him, telling him what he should do and what he shouldn't do. "I'm even sleeping the way the doctor suggested."

"With no physical activity, right?"

"I haven't done anything physical; I can't even work out."

"Are you having sex?" Matt jokes. "That's got to be killing Stella, since you two can't keep your hands off each other."

"No, sex," he replied.

"Wow! Two weeks without sex must be a new record for you guys."

"Yep." He looks at his wedding ring. "No sex for a long time."

"I know, you have at least another four weeks or so of healing, and by the time you heal, your daughters should be here, which means Stella won't be able to..." He laughs. Kelly glared at him. "Hey, it's not like you can't do other stuff to relief the sexual frustration."

Kelly nods. "Yeah."

Matt noticed his mood change. "What's up?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Stella and I aren't even sleeping in the same bed right now."

"It makes sense, with you being injured and she being eight months pregnant now. You don't want to make each other uncomfortable."

"Yeah, but there's more to it than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't say anything to anyone but me getting hurt, sacred Stella."

"Of course it did."

"To the point where she kind of gave me an ultimatum."

Matt was confused. "Ultimatum on what?"

"Basically, she wants me to choose between her or firefighting."

"That's ridiculous; you loved being a firefighter. What did you tell her?"

"Nothing; after she said it, a nurse came in to check on me, and Stella left the room. She hasn't brought it up again yet, but she's being distant."

Matt watches as he plays with his wedding band. "How's she being distant?"

"Well, she's working all day instead of the eight to five she was working, and working six days instead of the four. She leaves around five in the morning and doesn't come home till after eleven. When I questioned her about why she was working so much again, she said that John's on vacation and she needed to step up her game."