LOGINThe hospital room was silent except for the gentle beep of the monitor and the occasional noise of nurses passing by the door. There were dim lights in the room, and the city outside the window cast a weak glow behind the blinds. Ashley lay on pillows propped up at an angle; her shoulder still wrapped with bandages and she looked tired but awake. Nathan sat on the side of the bed with his hand resting on her leg, but his eyes continued to drift toward the door as if he thought someone might enter at any second.
"You hugged him," Nathan spoke in a low tone, almost trembling.
Ashley slowly moved her head toward him. "He was crying, Nate. He was falling apart right in front of me. He just needed someone to hold him for a second."
Nathan's jaw hardened. "He gave me t
He wished he could walk into the room. He wished he could shake them both awake and get them to look at him while he expressed all of his anger. Wished Ashley could see his face and remember the days when she screamed his name the exact same way.But he couldn't.He pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket, and his fingers began to tremble as he typed a single sentence he'd never send:You let him fuck you in view of everyone. You let him discuss me while he screwed you. You came for him while I waited right outside the door.He stared at the message until it became a blur. Then, he quickly erased every single word.He tucked the phone back into his pocket and
She reached for the thermometer lying on the bedside table just two feet from the bed.Nathan bent his head and whispered softly in Ashley's ear, "One last squeeze baby, show me who this pussy belongs to while she's standing right there."Ashley's breathing caught, panic and dirty arousal twisted and clutched tight, Ashley squeezed Nathan hard, pulling him in deeper.Nathan released a small groan, disguising it as a cough.The nurse paused mid-air, thermometer in hand, "You sure your alright? Your heart rate has increased on the monitor."Ashley forced a huge grin, possibly crazy looking, "I'm... I'm good. Just need a minute alone with my husband."
Except for the faint glow of the heart monitor and the weak city light leaking through the blinds, the room was pitch black. Nathan's mouth still felt damp with her when he pulled himself up, his eyes wild, his pupils stretched wide beyond normal limits by something far worse than lust."Get up," Nathan ordered. "I want everyone to see."Ashley sucked in a breath. "But Nate, someone is going to—""I don't give a shit." He was already moving; he pushed the wide glass door that led to the tiny veranda off the bedroom. Cold night air poured in. The city was alive and humming beneath their feet; cars moved by far away down the street; windows glowed brightly in the high-rise building directly across from theirs. Anyone could look up and see.
The hospital room was silent except for the gentle beep of the monitor and the occasional noise of nurses passing by the door. There were dim lights in the room, and the city outside the window cast a weak glow behind the blinds. Ashley lay on pillows propped up at an angle; her shoulder still wrapped with bandages and she looked tired but awake. Nathan sat on the side of the bed with his hand resting on her leg, but his eyes continued to drift toward the door as if he thought someone might enter at any second."You hugged him," Nathan spoke in a low tone, almost trembling.Ashley slowly moved her head toward him. "He was crying, Nate. He was falling apart right in front of me. He just needed someone to hold him for a second."Nathan's jaw hardened. "He gave me t
"I know," she said quietly. "However, he is currently in a hospital room and I am already in this hospital. If I walk away, I will think about it every night. I cannot ignore this."Nathan sat down next to her. "You are too kind for your own good."She smiled at him calmly. "Being kind is not being weak, Nathan. Being kind is something I choose because it feels right."Nathan let out a long, slow sigh. "I am afraid this will hurt you again.""It may," she said. "But I survived worse. I survived being shot. I survived everything Kimberly attempted to do. I can handle this conversation."Nathan put his head in his hands, and rubbed his temples. "I want to go with
Kimberly's demeanor changed. She looked both confused and angry. "You think you're strong," she said. "But you are really breaking."Ashley looked at Kimberly with a peaceful gaze. "We all break. The difference is how we stand up again."With that, Ashley turned and walked away. Her shoulder ached, but her step was steady. There was no sense of victory, only relief. It was amazing how sometimes peace felt like pure exhaustion.Later that night, Nathan came to Ashley's room. Mia let him enter the room cautiously. He immediately came to Ashley, who was sitting in the room with a cup of warm tea."Hi," he said as he stopped in front of her. "I heard you met with Kimberly."







