Chapter 329


    Chapter Three Hundred Twenty-Nine


    Adrik


    The day we were all waiting for was finally here. It had been long enough that Sephie was finally


    getting her cast off. She’d been making steady progress with her shoulder and was able to move her


    arm as much as the cast would allow. Her ribs were getting better as well and only caused a dull ache


    most of the time. She said she felt like she was starting to be able to breathe better finally, too. We


    were all looking forward to this trip to the hospital for once.


    “One more x-ray before the castes off, Sephie. I want to take another look at your lung, as well.


    How has your breathing been since you finished the antibiotics?” Dr. Williams asked.


    “It’s getting better. My ribs don’t hurt as much anymore so it’s easier to take deeper breaths,” she said.


    “Good. We should be able to get the cast off today and send you on your way,” he said.


    The x-ray wasn’t a problem at all for her this time. She hadn’t even worn the sling to the hospital. Most


    days, she left it off for almost the entire day. Andrei had been helping her do little exercises to help


    strengthen her shoulder again. asionally, she would wear the sling after a session with him


    because her shoulder would be extra sore. But she usually only wore it for a few hours and then it


    woulde off again.


    Dr. Williams walked back into the exam room with power tools. “So, the good news is that the cast can


    come off,” he said, walking toward Sephie. Ivan instinctively took a step closer to her when he saw the


    electric saw in his hands. She leaned into me, her eyes wide.


    “Um, what’s the bad news, doc?” she asked. I could feel her starting to get nervous.


    “I have to use this to take the cast off,” he said, holding up the saw. She immediately looked at me, her


    fear evident, as Dr. Williams went about setting up the saw.


    “You’ve never had a cast removed before, solnishko?” I asked her in Russian.


    “I’ve never had a cast before,” she replied.


    “Did not expect that,” Ivan said.


    “It’ll be okay, spider monkey. He just uses the saw to cut through the outer steryer. The rest will


    slide off your arm,” Andrei said, trying to calm


    her nerves.


    “Keep your eyes closed, love. It’ll be over quickly,” I said, running my hand up and down her back to try


    and keep her calm. I wanted her to keep her eyes closed just in case her eyes decided to go dark, too.


    So far, it seemed like the doctor had missed that phenomenon and I wanted to keep it that


    way.


    She sh ut her eyes tight, hiding her face in my shoulder while she lifted her arm to give the doctor


    ess. I nced up at Ivan, who was trying not tough at her. We had all assumed she’d broken


    bones before, especially given her history. It waspletely unexpected that she would be terrified to


    get the cast off, but I could easily feel her terror growing as the doctor started to saw the cast off. It


    looked like Ivan cold too, as he clearly bristled once the saw turned on. His face went deadly serious as


    he watched the doctor like a hawk.


    Thankfully, it was over after just a few minutes and the doctor pulled thest of the cast off her arm


    gently. She sighed, but didn’t move her face from my shoulder immediately. I could still feel her fear, but


    it was slowly lessening. I grabbed her left hand for the first time in weeks, my thumb tracing circles on


    the back of her hand. That was finally enough to get her to look up. Her fear disappeared quickly and I


    felt her warmth spread over my entire body as she felt her hand in mine for the first time. She looked up


    at me, her sweet smile across her face.


    Dr. Williams turned around from putting the saw aside and said, “it’s going to be sore for a few days


    while you remember how to use it, but your bone healed quite well. Your ribs are looking better as well,


    but they’re still going to need a little more time to healpletely, so nothing too strenuous for a couple


    more weeks. Your lung looks nice and clear as well, so I shouldn’t need to see you again as long as


    that stays the same.” He nodded to everyone in the room and walked toward the door.


    *Thanks, doc,” Ivan said. Once the doctor had left the room, he looked at Sephie, smiling. He opened


    his arms to her, saying, e here, princess, I’ve been waiting for this.” She stood up and wrapped


    both arms around him,ughing. “I see now why you told me so often that my one-armed hugs


    socked. They really do su ck,” he said, holding her tightly.


    “Let us be gone


    from this ce,” she said, stepping back from Ivan. She held her hand out to me, as I stood up.


    “We should celebrate,” Misha said.


    “Vinny’s for lunch? Stephen asked as we were leaving the hospital. We still attracted attention walking


    through the hospital, despite Sephie not looking like she’d just survived death. The guys knew she was


    still sensitive about it and didn’t particrly care for the unwanted attention. They just silently moved in


    closer around us so it was harder for anyone to see her. I’m sure the Russian didn’t help people to not


    stare, either.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    “Can we actually go there?” Sephie asked.


    Viktor looked at her, smiling the sweet smile that was reserved only for her. “Of course, sestrichka. We


    can go wherever you like,” he said. Her smile that made the world a brighter ce stretched across her


    face.


    “I haven’t been anywhere in so long. This is going to be awesome,” she said.”


    1 caught Misha’s eye when she mentioned not being able to go anywhere. I knew he was about to


    order me to go to the house. “After lunch, we should go to the house for the rest of the week,” I said,


    grinning at Misha, who looked surprised that I had caught on. And maybe slightly disappointed that he


    wouldn’t be able to give me an order this time.


    “Really?” she asked as she climbed into the backseat. She rarely needed help with anything anymore.


    While I was happy that it meant she felt better, I was finding myself a little disappointed that she didn’t


    need my help so much. I’d be ustomed to helping her and I found myself really loving that she


    let me.


    “Really,” I said, sliding into the backseat beside her. I reached over and pulled her tight against me. She


    was practically in myp, enjoying the fact that there was no cast in the way anymore.


    “Best day ever,” she said, using both arms to pull my arms around her once again.


    Unbeknownst to Sephie, when I had the guys pick up warmer clothes for her, I had them get double of


    everything. Since we had to cut the sleeve off most of her shirts, she was going to need new ones once


    the cast came off. Theplete shirts were sent to the house, waiting for her cast toe off. She


    was still wearing my sweatshirt, but she was missing a sleeve underneath.


    When we got to the house, I pulled her with me to the bedroom. Once we were alone, I pulled my


    sweatshirt off her. “I like where this is going,” she said, grinning at me. Her lung was getting better, but I


    had decided to let her tell me when she was ready. I’d scared her once and I was not nning on


    scaring her again. I pulled her one-sleeved shirt off and walked to the closet to get her a new one.


    “Where did thate from?” she asked when she saw the new shirt in my hand.


    “I had them get extras. I knew we’d have to cut the sleeve off of some of them, but I also knew you’d


    needplete shirts once the cast came off,” 1 said.


    “You think of everything,” she said quietly. She took the shirt from me and put it on. “Look, I can dress


    myself!” she saidughing. She noticed the disappointment I was feeling at her not needing my help as


    much. She pulled me to her, her eyes searching mine to find the reason for my shifting mood. Her


    sweet smile on her face, she said, “I will always need you.” She wrapped both arms around my neck,


    then said, “I want to try something.”


    “Want to try what?” I asked, pulling her tight against me. It felt so nice to be able to feel her body


    against mine once again. “As long as it doesn’t involve you any farther away than this, I’m in,” I said,


    smirking at her.


    “It does not,” she said, standing on her toes to kiss me. The kiss started gently, almost timidly. I knew


    she was testing her lung capacity, so I let her dictate how deeply she kissed me. She pressed her body


    into mine, tightening her hold on my neck, as she increased the passion in her kiss. Her tongue


    exploring, making it more difficult for me to control myself. I could hear her breathing, but she didn’t


    stop. I ran my hands over her back, down to her a ss. Like she read my mind, she jumped and wrapped


    her legs around my waist.


    She was making it incredibly difficult to control myself. I leaned my head back, stopping the kiss. I


    wanted to see how well she was breathing. She was out of breath, but she said, “I’m okay.”I looked at


    her skeptically. Sheughed at me, squeezing me with her legs. “It’s better this time,” she said. “T out


    of breath, but it feels like I can catch my breath easier.”


    I put my hand on the back of her heck, pulling her to me once more, I kissed her passionately, but


    quickly. “I think we should still take it slow. As much as I ha te to say those words out loud…” I said.


    Sheughed, unwrapping her legs from my waist. “I don’t disagree. But at least now I know I won’t


    hyperventte when you kiss me like that. I’ve missed that,” she said. She turned so her back was to


    me. She pulled my arms around her waist, leaning back against me. “I can’t wait to go to bed tonight. I


    can finallyy across your chest again,” she said. It was such an innocent thing to say, but I felt my


    breath hitch at the thought of it. God,


    I’ve missed her.