I started freaking out when she passed out there at the scene. However I was lucky I was able to leave my shit with another team member instead of packing it all up and then finding her.
A part of me burned bright when I caught her in my arms and everyone there could see it. Hell, everyone knew that I was in some deep shit if I was holding Gracelyn and actually caring for her. Though I couldn’t do anything but hold her or her hand it still was something. I had to protect her. I didn’t once before that will change though. She won’t be alone at all not as long as I am alive.
The doctors at the clinic laughed softly at me, mainly for the fact that I didn’t leave her side even when they had to stitch her back up. All I could think about was that she had her heart beat going and it was beating at the steady pace.
Main thing that I couldn’t get out of my mind was her screaming when he cut her stitches open. It was the same scream that she let out when she took the bullet for me. Both of these times were my fault. Maybe if I wasn’t an asshole maybe she would have hanged with Austin and I. Maybe we wouldn’t be in this room.
“You okay?” Austin asked breaking through my thoughts.
“Yeah, I will be,” I said as I took in a sigh. “General when do you think that Gracelyn will be fine?”
General raised his head, “Yes she will be fine. But she needs to rest. We can go in there for a little bit, not long though.”
Together we stood up and walked into her room. She laid as still as could be. To a point she looked almost like an angel though you knew she had part of the devil inside. I smiled at the thought of her yelling at someone for calling her an angel, that person was me.
“Someone seems happy?” Harper said. Of course I looked back at him.
Both of them were looking at me. I didn’t care, I sat down right at the end of Gracelyn’s bed. So badly did I want to reach up and grab her hand. Better yet, I wish I could sit right beside her and brush a piece of fallen hair out of her face.
“You could say that.” I mumbled. Turning to get a better view at them but still keep an eye on her, I faced towards the wall.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had the hots for her?” Harper asked.
The look on his face meant that he wanted a serious answer but then again he didn’t want to put too much pressure on me. He didn’t know I liked her, mainly because I didn’t know how to bring it up to him. I knew she was like a daughter to him.
“I was scared, scared you would tell her, kick me off the team, try to kill me, threaten me, get me away from her. I was scared she might find out,” softly continuing I could feel my heart in my throat. “Sir, I don’t just have the hots for her. Its more than that. I don’t really know how to explain it. She isn’t one the girls you bring out here on base for the guys. She is more than that. She is strong, independent, has courage, hope, faith, believes that there is a reason for everything and loves deeply.”
Not knowing what else to say, I sighed. There was one thing I knew I had to admit to someone, anyone but I wasn’t sure if it should be General. But the look on both General’s and Austin’s face screamed for more, for the truth buried deep inside.
“General, Austin,” I stopped to take a breath. “I’m madly in love with her. I’d do anything for her to never feel pain again. Whether that means that I’ll take all of her pain or whatever. I wanna be the one that makes a differences in her life, a differences that she is glad that happened. I want to be the one that makes her feel loved and happiness. I don’t care what I will have to do, I just wanna be that for her.”
I looked back over at her face. There was nothing but complete beauty. Beauty on the outside but most importantly deep inside.
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that Jonathan,” General said. Quickly glancing up I realized he wasn’t mad. Thankfully the next smile that was on my face was completely real.
