12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lilah

I hear an insistent voice calling my name over and over again. A big part of me wants to follow wherever that voice leads, but a small part wants to just stay in this nice heavenly place. The voice won't go away and I make an effort to wake up fully.

My eyes won't open, but my head has started throbbing with a horrible headache. I try to open my eyes again and I see a sliver of someone next to me, but everything is blurry. The headache gets worse and I hear someone groan. Oh, wait. That was me.

"Lilah?"

That's the voice. I push myself to open my eyes again and I see a big shadow over me.

"Lilah, are you okay?"

"Head…"

"What?"

"My head hurts." I whisper.

"I'll get the doctor."

I want to grab onto him but he moves too fast and is out the door quickly. I can hear his voice from where I'm lying in bed and he's making a fuss all for me. I guess I really am important to him. By the time he's back my vision has cleared a bit more and I can finally make out his features properly.

Such a handsome devil. My devil. At least I hope. He's waiting impatiently over me and I see him relax once the nurse comes into the room. He takes my hand in his.

"Welcome back, Lilah. So glad you are awake. You had your boyfriend pretty worried here. He spent the night at your side."

I chance a look at Gene. He's frowning, but doesn't say anything.

"He said you're in pain?"

"Ye-yes. My head."

"Okay, I'll go get something for that, dear."

The nurse checks my vitals quickly and then leaves. Gene is still frowning.

"You don't like her?" I ask him.

"No, it's not that. It's just…I'm so happy you're okay, but I really want to yell at you."

"What? What did I do?"

"Going into a burning building, Lilah?"

"The boys would be dead."

"I can't lose you, Lilah. You're the most important thing in my life. I'd lose myself in grief if I ever lost you. Promise me you won't endanger yourself like that again."

"If I hadn't gone in, Connor would have, and I would have still had to go inside to get him. You had to be there."

"Don't be flippant with me."

"I just…Can you yell at me later? The nurse hasn't given me the medicine yet."

He lets go of my hand and paces around the room. Every once in a while he messes up his hair as if he's trying to pull tufts of it off. I've never seen him this distraught. The nurse comes in and injects something into my IV.

"Thank you."

"Do you want some water?"

My throat hurts so I nod and she pours me a glass from the carafe that's on the table next to me. She puts in a straw that magically appeared in her hand and hands it to me.

"Sip slowly."

She looks at my disgruntled boyfriend and purses her lips.

"Don't worry. The doctor is going to discharge her in an hour or two. You'll be able to go watch the Woodland Falls Christmas parade together."

"My brother?"

"Same as you. He'll be ready when you are."

The nurse leaves the room. The temperature seems to have lowered with Gene's tense mood.

"You didn't promise."

I sip some of the water the nurse gave me and use that as an excuse to think of what to say.

"Lilah…"

"Gene, if someone is in trouble I have to help them. That's just the right thing to do. Don't you understand?"

"I'll go crazy without you."

"You don't have to. I'm right here."

"But to put yourself in harm's way? What if you are pregnant? The baby could have been hurt."

"I'm fine. They would have told me if I was pregnant."

That is a scary thought, but I don't let Gene know that.

"Will you take me to watch the parade?"

"You're hurting. Maybe you should stay here longer."

"If the doctor says that I'm good to go, I believe him. Let's go to the parade."

The doctors and nurses start to come and go from the room, making sure everything is in order for me to leave the hospital. Gene helps me shower and change into clean clothes he brought for me and then he goes to find Connor.

They need to do the wheelchair thing so Gene pulls the car around and waits for us. He's very tender with me when he opens the passenger door then buckles me up. I'm fully aware I still haven't promised him I'll stay safe. I don't know if I can make that promise.

I'm waiting for Connor to get in the car, but he just leans against my window.

"I need to find out what happened to the twins. I'll check back with you a little later, okay?"

"Be careful. I love you."

"Ditto."

He kisses my forehead and then runs off somewhere. Gene watches him for a bit and then comes into the car.

"They wouldn't give me any information on the kids. I told them I let them stay at the house some nights. I didn't want them to arrest them for trespassing. I don't know about the fire though. The mayor said there were electrical problems. The kids didn't know they weren't supposed to use those outlets on the first floor."

"Thanks, Gene. For taking care of me and Connor and his friends."

"That's what family does for one another, Lilah. You know that."

I look at him in awe. I want to tell him how I feel about him. How my thoughts while trapped in that inferno were all of the missed opportunities between us. Instead, I keep silent and we go find a place to watch the parade.

Woodland Falls knows how to throw a party. The parade was beautiful and the food and drinks they offered afterwards were divine. The group of old ladies we call the old biddies outdid themselves with their baked goods.

Some people came by to say they were sorry about the fire and that they'd help with the repairs. Their support for the youth center was appreciated and only one or two people were openly rude to Gene. He shrugged it off and said he deserved it.

"You are a good man, Gene Mitchell."

"I want to be a good man. For you."

We walk toward a hot chocolate stand and Gene orders mine exactly the way I like it. While we're sipping the delicious concoction we see Connor breathless and red in the face, running towards us.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

"The twins are in trouble."

"What do you need?"

"Can you come to the police department?"

"Let's do that."

When we get to the police station, we find the mayor there. Gene has a few words with him and then they both talk to the sheriff. There's a lot of nodding, so I'm hoping things are going well. I look beside me to see my brother is making the same connections in his head.

"Gene will take care of it, buddy."

"He's not as bad as I thought."

"Wow, that's a lot coming from you."

My brother smiles and we go back to staring at the mini show that's happening in front of us. In the end there are no charges pressed and the twins are free to go. The bad news is that they have to go back to their horrid foster family. Gene pleads with the social services lady but she only asks him something that makes him blush.

"Why did your face get all red when you were talking to the social services lady?"

"It was nothing. She was only teasing me."

"Gene…"

"She said when I was going to ask you to marry me."

"Oh."

"She thinks we have a higher chance to foster the twins if we're married."

"Oh. I want to help the kids but that's not a reason to get married."

"That's what I told her."

"Then we're on the same page."

"That we are."

Except. I don't think we are.