Chapter 19

Chapter

Nineteen

GRACE

Marriage. Hayze. Otto. Surgery. My father.

Those are the five words that flash on a repeating cycle as I attempt to sleep. My eyes stay closed all night and into the morning, but I'm not sure how deep I slept, considering when the room is bathed in sunlight and when I finally open my eyes, I feel exhausted.

As if I ran a marathon in my sleep. And maybe I did, even if it was only my brain running.

Otto groans beside me, his fingers twitching against my side. He needs pain meds. I know he does. It's been too long since he's taken any. Quickly, I roll out of bed and hurry to the bathroom to fill his cup with water and shake the pills he needs out of the bottles.

By the time I make it back into the bedroom, he's got his back propped against the headboard, a pillow cushioning his back against the hard wooden plank.

"You should be asleep. Are you in pain?" I ask as I hold out both of my hands, one containing pills, the other a glass of water.

He takes the water and pills from me, then shakes his head. "Hungry," he grunts, swallowing the pills and taking a huge drink of water. "But let me get up. I can cook."

I chew on the inside of my cheek as I think about that. He could probably make a better meal than I could. I spent my time in college ordering out, eating handfuls of whatever was in the fridge that was easy, drinking coffee… and booze.

"It's honestly probably best, but at the same time, I don't think you're ready to be standing at the stove. What if I ordered something?"

He chuckles softly as if he thinks I'm cute—at least I hope that's what he's thinking. I honestly don't know for sure. He reaches out, extends his index finger, and touches the tip of my nose.

"It's my cheek that's fucked up, honey. Not my hands."

I know that only his cheek is busted, but that doesn't mean he isn't on strong pain meds. Chewing on my bottom lip, I inhale a deep breath through my nose and let the air slowly out of my mouth.

"The meds don't make you dizzy or anything?" I ask.

He snorts. "Honey. I'm good."

I flick my gaze down to my lap before I slowly lift my eyes to meet his. "If you're not?" I ask in a whisper.

"I'll tell you."

With a smile, I nod my head once, then stand to my feet. "Okay," I whisper as I hold out my palm for him.

Otto slips his fingers through mine and throws his legs over the side of the bed to stand. I watch for any sign of wooziness, but I don't find it. He seems completely in control of himself and stable.

I don't know if it's because I'm falling in love with him, enamored by his strength in general as an athlete or maybe as a man. Whatever the case, I know that he is probably not even affected by those pills. And even though he shouldn't drive, I think he probably could and do so safely.

His strength doesn't stop me from watching him carefully as he walks down the stairs, ready to catch him if he falls, knowing damn well that I couldn't catch him if he did. He'd probably smash me completely, but I would try.

Once we're downstairs, I notice that a couple of the guys are standing around. They stop what they're doing, their gazes swinging over to Otto, and each one of them frowns before they smile.

"Big dog's finally awake," Forrest shouts.

Otto chuckles. "Barely," he grumbles.

"Let us feed you," Alexei says.

And all my worries are gone because these men, Otto's family, begin to prepare a large brunch for us. None of them even allow me to help. I'm ordered to sit on the sofa. Forrest shouts from the kitchen for me to relax, considering I spent two days in the hospital at Otto's side.

OTTO

There are a few things that need to be discussed between me and Grace. But not right now. She leans against my side, her legs curled up on the sofa, her head resting against my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and hold her close to me.

Turning my head, I touch my lips to the top of her head. My cheek hurts, but it's more of a dull ache at the moment. I'm sure that once this shit wears off, it's going to scream in pain the way it did when I woke up this morning.

"There are a few things we need to talk about," she whispers.

Lifting my hand, I pat the top of her head a couple of times. "I know, honey. We will," I rasp as my eyelids grow heavy.

I'm starving, but I can't keep my eyes open. Maybe Grace was right, and I shouldn't have been cooking or doing anything else. My muscles relax almost instantly, and I slump against the cushions of the sofa.

I'm not sure how long I sleep, but the smell of bacon assaults my senses, and I blink a few times until my eyes open, but not all of the way. Everything is blurry, and I know it's because of the meds. I probably should have eaten before I took them, but I was in pain.

Hopefully, I won't have to take them much longer. I really don't like the way they make me feel. When I squeeze my arm around Grace, she pushes up to sitting and looks over to me, her eyes a little wild, her face absolutely stunning.

"Smells like food is ready," I murmur.

Grace jumps up to her feet. She hurries away and tells me to stay where I am. It's adorable as fuck. Turning slightly, I watch as she smiles and thanks the men around her for the food. I don't have to thank anyone—I'd do the same for them—but I do anyway.

The plate that's handed to me is so heaping full of food that I don't think I could eat all of it, even after a full day of working out and teaching. Then it hits me. My clients. I haven't been to see them.

"What about my lessons? Did anyone get ahold of my students?" I ask nobody in particular in the room.

"I did," Forrest announces, which surprises me because he's the least responsible one of all of us. "We divvied your clients out among us. Reid and Thomas helped out as well. In the end, all of us just took on one more kid."

"Thanks," I rasp.

Forrest rolls his eyes to the ceiling before he flops down in his normal chair. We all have our undesignated/designated spots in the living room. And Grace has found hers, tucked into my side.

I wouldn't have her any other place.

We begin to eat, and the men start chatting and asking Grace questions. None of them know the truth yet, though, about the coach—her father. I think about telling them. But I decide it isn't my place. When she's ready, Grace can tell them who her father is.

She doesn't need to say anything today. This can be just a day for us. And that's what it is. We play cards, and I nap off and on. She doesn't, though. Grace keeps me medicated per doctor's orders. Alexei keeps me fed.

It's a day to write home about or call.

I'm not sure how late we stay up, but when we all stumble into bed, I climb in and watch as Grace stands at the side of my bed. "Are you staying again?" I ask.

She sinks her teeth into the corner of her bottom lip, tugging on the flesh slightly before she nods twice. Then she grasps the hem of the shirt that she's wearing. Her roommates brought over some clothes, along with some store-bought cookies, because I'm convinced none of them can actually cook.

They can cut up cheese, veggies, and fruit before placing it all on a tray with cold cuts, but I'm pretty sure that's all they can do. So, store-bought cookies it is, and they were pretty damn good.

"I'm staying," she exhales as she begins to slowly strip out of her top.

I watch her as she stands in front of me only wearing a bra and short lounge shorts. She reaches down to hook her thumbs in the waist of her shorts and tug them over her ass, then lets them slide to her ankles.

"We have some things to discuss, don't we?" she asks.

I nod my head, although it's beginning to escape me what exactly we need to talk about. I want to see her naked. She reaches behind her back, unclasping her bra before she allows the straps to fall down her arms and onto the floor.

My eyes take in her tits as she breathes. Her chest rises and falls. Slowly, I tear my eyes from her hardening nipples as my gaze lifts to meet hers. I try to think about the things we're supposed to discuss, but they have all been lost on me completely. Her naked body distracts the absolute fuck out of me.

"There's the matter of my proposal," I start.

"You remember that?" she asks.

Nodding once, I suck in a breath. "Of course, I remember. Did you think I wasn't serious?" I ask.

She shrugs a shoulder. "I thought the drugs were talking, not the man," she says in a whisper.

"Take off your panties, climb up, and give me your answer."

She tugs her panties down and climbs up on me, her thighs straddling my hips. I grip the outsides of her thighs. Her palms rest against my chest as she looks into my eyes.

I wonder if she is disgusted by the ugly red suture line across my cheek. I would be if I had to look at it all the time. "Does my face bother you?" I ask.

I'm not sure what made me ask. I'm not a vain person. But having something like this across your whole-ass face, having a bionic cheek, it makes me feel self-conscious. I knew losing teeth was a possibility. I'm lucky I have all mine intact, but I never imagined this.

"Never," Grace whispers. "It could never. Not even if you were mangled beyond recognition."

She pauses for a moment as her eyes roam my face, then they connect with mine and grow intense.

"I've fallen in love with you, Otto. So, my answer is yes."

My lips curve up slightly before I tug my athletic shorts down and toss them onto the floor. Carefully, I take my shirt off, too. My face aches and my pain meds are beginning to wear off, but I don't give a fuck. This moment is not going to be ruined by my face.