Just The Right Black

Chapter 31

It had been a couple of days since the accident and Ariana and Jace hadn't been allowed to leave their rooms to see the other. They both knew the other wanted to see them and that made them want to see each other even more so.

Ariana was bored out of her mind and if not for Betty and Bridget's company, she would have lost it. Everything was driving her insane and she just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible and get back into her element.

It was a Sunday and there were no visitors allowed, Betty was off and Ariana was minutes away from losing it. She'd watched some TV and fallen asleep somewhere at the beginning of the boring rom-com. She woke up when she felt a feather light touch on her face. It pleased her to know whose touch it was before she opened her eyes and scared her as well. She could feel his breath on her skin and his body heat envelop her.

Ariana slowly opened her eyes and met smiling grey ones. They lit up for a second as she gazed into those mesmerising eyes but they turned sad in the next moment. She couldn't help it when her heart did a double take at the sight of him smiling at her.

"Hey," his voice was a raspy whisper that got beneath her skin.

"Hey."

"How are you holding up?"

Ariana answered with a small smile.
"How are you holding up?"

He shrugged,
"Wish I'd been the one driving the car, then you would be this injured."

"Hey, don't say that." Ariana reached up to run my hand through his tousled hair but she winced at the pain in her shoulder and dropped it.

"I'm sorry." He said sadly,

Ariana sighed,
"Don't say that again, okay? I'm where I'm supposed to be. I got into this doing my job. Besides I'm your..." She stopped and let the word out with a sigh.

But the unsaid word lingered between them as they stared into each other's eyes.
Bodyguard.

"Besides I'm your housemate," She said instead which earned her a smile, "That is housemates protect each other."

Jace touched the side of her face gently running his thumb over one of the cuts on her face.
"I like housemates better," He said, "Because that also means I get to protect you too."

"Let's just not get ahead of ourselves. If you want me to stop using the B word then you're not going to bring up protecting me, or else I am going to use the B word on you and you wouldn't like it."

"Can't help it," He said seriously, "All I can think of is being in the wreck and calling your name. I thought..."

Jace swallowed,
"I thought you were..." He sighed and looked away,

"I'm right here. And besides, it turned out to be a good thing seeing as you're getting a new housemate."

Jace snapped his gaze at her, glaring.
"Don't joke like that," He said between clenched teeth, "If anything would've happened to you, I can't even begin to imagine what..."

"Nothing happened." Ariana placed her hand on his face so he'd meet her gaze, so he'd know she was right there.

"And bodyguard or housemate, I don't want anyone else. I don't want another housemate or another...bodyguard. I just want you. Only you."

What is happening?! What is this that I'm feeling?
She asked herself.

Ariana just stared into his eyes and he stared back into hers with so much intensity, Ariana cowered and closed her eyes. But she smiled in bliss when his thumb began moving back and forth across my left cheek over one of her cuts.

"Do they hurt?"

She shook her head slowly and gently afraid to lose his touch. His thumb slid downwards, from her cheek to her lower lip. She held her breath when she felt his touch on her lip.

"They didn't tell me about this." He caressed the cut on her lip.

"You should have asked for a picture." She opened her eyes, smiling.

Jace shook his head,
"I wanted to be the one to capture it."

The way he gazed at her face made her realize he meant a mental image and reached for his hand with her good hand taking hold of his wrist which stopped him from caressing her slightly busted lip.

"I heard you'll be my trainer."

He smiled,
"You heard right."

"Don't I need a professional first?"

"Ouch!" He placed his palm in his chest

She smiled,
"I meant don't I need a physiotherapist before I start to train."

"Do you need one?" He asked me,

"I don't know" I said "I haven't been allowed to get out of bed."

He sighed,
"This hospital is beginning to annoy me."

Ariana knew exactly what he meant and just then a nurse walked in and stopped in her tracks.
"Mr. Black, your nurse has been looking for you."

He sighed as she approached the bed.

"I think you should go back to your room sir. You're not allowed to..."

"You know what?" He began, "I've had enough. I want a private room for Ms. Feilman and me. I was told it couldn't happen before because she was still recovering from the surgery - which by the way was a terrible excuse because I can't see how being in the same room would have affected her recovery. Either way, she's out of that phase so, get to it."

The nurse stared at Jace as he snapped at her, scared,
"I'll inform the management, sir."

Ariana watched as her nurse turned around to leave the room.

"Oh, and get her doctor."

She nodded before she scurried away.

"That was my nurse you just snapped at."

"Yea?" He asked,

"Well, mine is friendly. I doubt yours is with that attitude of yours."

"Excuse me?" He looked taken aback "I don't have an attitude."

"You do. You have this no-one-dare-mess-with-me attitude and I-always-get-what-I-want, it makes want to strangle you sometimes."

He smiled,
"Glad to know I can get a reaction out of you. And yes, I always get what I want by working hard for it; like I'm doing with you."

Ariana was stunned into silence with her mouth agape.

"Why do you look surprised?" He asked, "I think all that I've done should be enough clue."

Ariana inhaled slowly and exhaled even slower.
"I don't know what you're talking about."

She lied through her lips. She'd sworn to deny it if he brought it up, but that was a very big if because she figured he wouldn't even talk about it with her and just keep letting his actions speak for him. But lately, when he'd pulled back, the space had been enough for her to no longer deny the feelings that were there.

How did I let it get this far?

It wasn't supposed to happen, it wasn't part of her job description. But she had to admit, it made her feel different, in a good way. It made her feel special like she mattered enough for someone who wasn't family to want her as much as Jace did.

Jace fixated his eyes on her and just smiled knowing very well that she knew exactly what he was talking about. But he said nothing and just enjoyed being close to her. Ariana tried to keep her gaze from meeting his but when it did, she felt something run down her spine.

Ariana sighed knowing she was a total goner.