𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 |𝟏𝟖+|

51

*It'll make sense later but this book is set in the present day - 2025.

Miguel Raffetò POV

"And it feels like I've known you forever E. To think it's only been two months is crazy, but I'm grateful for every fucking day." I brushed her hair gently as I spoke.

She was still unresponsive, but I would forever talk to her because I didn't want to think she was alone.

"In hindsight I'm sorry if I ever annoyed you with my presence. I really did show up nearly every day didn't I?" I huffed a laugh, softly brushing the other side before the door opened and my words were halted.

"I'm going on my lunch now hun, can I get you anything?" Tess, one of the nurses who monitored Etta popped her head in. She was in her fifties and fussed over me like I was her son.

"I'm good thank you Tess."

She rolled her eyes and tutted playfully. "Sandwich coming right up." Before I could object, she closed the door and left.

"They don't get that I'm not hungry E." I placed a kiss to her brow before sitting back down. "The only thing I crave is for you to wake up and make your signature pancakes with me."

I gave her hand a small squeeze. "You need to teach me the recipe so I can make them for you for once."

I took a deep breath, rubbing my free hand over my face as I felt my shoulders caving in with the heaviness that never left me.

And that's when I felt it.

Her finger twitched in my palm.

I froze.

"Etts?"

There was nothing for two solid minutes. Two solid minutes that I sat there unmoving, barely breathing in fear that I'd miss something.

But as I began to think that maybe it was the tiredness taking over, it happened again.

My heart rate spiked and I fought to get myself under control. I didn't wanna jinx anything, but fuck. Please can my beautiful girl finally wake up.

"Etts baby. I'm here."

Her hand twitched again and again, tears of joy sparking in the corners of my eyes a her eyelids fluttered open and closed.

I pressed the call button on the side of the bed to summon a nurse but I never once let go of those twitching fingers.

"Hey beautiful girl." I said softly, smiling widely as a nurse came rushing into the room.

It was Tess again. She took one look at my face to Etta's and grinned. "Didn't even get to have my lunch."

I laughed softly as Etta continued to slowly fidget, her eyes darting all over the room whilst distantly settling on me.

"Hi baby."

She said nothing and couldn't anyway because she had a tube down her throat to help her breathe.

I moved out the way so she could be aided.

"Nice to see those eyes again Miss Etta. Now try and stay calm my love, we just need to remove the tube." Tess must've called for assistance because her second nurse Bronwen entered and was soon helping to do whatever needed to be done.

Minutes later and Tess was helping her to drink. She'd not said a word yet but it was clear that she was overwhelmed and confused.

It took everything in me not to climb onto that bed and hold her to my chest. A fine tuned restraint I'd developed over the past 21 days. Three weeks. Exactly three weeks that she'd been in a coma. Three fucking weeks.