Chapter 6

Chapter 6

My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. The lights in my room kept flickering like something out of a nightmare, and that damn monitor screamed nonstop. I tried to sit up but pain shot through my ribs and leg, pinning me to the bed.

The door flew open. Ethan stormed in, his white coat flapping behind him. His eyes locked on me instantly, dark and intense. Two nurses rushed in after him, but he barked at them to check the equipment while he came straight to my side.

“Lila, breathe. I’m here,” he said, his voice low and steady. His hand found mine and squeezed. The flickering stopped after a minute, but my pulse still raced on the screen.

“What the hell is happening?” I whispered, gripping his fingers tight. “They know everything. My new room, the calls… they won’t stop.”

He leaned down, shielding me with his body like he could block the whole world. His free hand brushed my hair back from my face, then moved lower, resting on my shoulder before sliding down to my waist. Even through the thin hospital gown, his touch burned.

“You’re safe with me,” he murmured against my ear. “I won’t let them touch you again.”

The nurses finished their checks and left quickly, probably sensing the tension between us. As soon as the door clicked shut, Ethan sat on the edge of the bed. His hand moved bolder now, cupping the soft curve of my belly. He rubbed slow circles there, like he couldn’t help himself.

“God, Lila… you have no idea what you do to me,” he said, voice rough. “This body. These curves. I think about them constantly. Your heavy breasts, these thick thighs… everything about you drives me crazy.”

Heat flooded my face. I still couldn’t believe someone like him wanted me like this. My exes always made me feel like I needed to hide, to shrink myself. But Ethan looked at me like I was everything.

He kissed me then, deep and hungry. His tongue swept into my mouth as his hand slid up to squeeze one of my breasts through the gown. I moaned softly, arching into his touch despite the pain. He groaned in response, his fingers teasing my nipple until it hardened.

“You’re so soft here,” he whispered, breaking the kiss to trail his lips down my neck. “So fucking perfect. Don’t ever doubt that.”

I wanted more. I wanted his hands everywhere, but my body still hurt and fear sat heavy in my stomach. “Ethan… the call mentioned your family. What did they mean?”

He tensed, pulling back just enough to look at me. His hand stayed on my thigh though, stroking the thick flesh there like he needed the contact.

“My father,” he said quietly. “Richard Black. He’s powerful. Controls a lot in this city, including parts of this hospital. We don’t see eye to eye on… many things.”

Before I could ask more, his pager went off. He cursed under his breath and checked it. “I have to go. Emergency in the OR. But I’ll be back soon. Stay in this room. Don’t open the door for anyone but me or the head nurse I assigned.”

He kissed me once more, hard and possessive, then left. The room felt colder without him.

I lay there trying to rest, but sleep wouldn’t come. Every creak in the hallway made me jump. Hours passed. When the door finally opened again, it was Ethan, looking tired but determined. He locked the door behind him and came to me immediately.

“Missed you,” he said simply, climbing carefully onto the bed beside me. He pulled me gently against his chest, careful of my injuries. His hand roamed again, worshipping every inch he could reach. He squeezed my hips, traced the stretch marks on my belly with his fingers, and kissed the tops of my breasts where the gown dipped low.

“You’re mine now, Lila,” he whispered. “No one else’s. I’ll protect you from all of it.”

We stayed like that for a while, talking softly. I told him more about my past, the fat-shaming I’d faced, how it made me doubt every compliment. He listened, then proved his words with his hands and mouth, making me feel desired in a way I’d never known.

But peace never lasted long. Around midnight, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. Unknown number. I showed it to Ethan before answering on speaker.

“Stop asking questions about the crash,” the distorted voice said. “Or next time we won’t miss. And tell your doctor boyfriend his father sends his regards.”

The line went dead.

Ethan’s face turned hard as stone. He took the phone and made a call to hospital security. While he spoke, I noticed something new, a small bruise on his wrist that wasn’t there before. Like someone had grabbed him.

When he hung up, I touched his arm. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He sighed and pulled me closer. “My father wants me to marry Sophia Langford. She’s a surgeon, from the right family. But I don’t want her. I want you.”

My stomach twisted. Sophia. I’d heard nurses whispering about her, how perfect and slim she was. The kind of woman men like Ethan were supposed to be with.

Before I could respond, the door handle rattled. Someone was trying to get in.

Ethan jumped up, positioning himself between me and the door. “Stay behind me.”

My heart hammered again. The rattling stopped, then footsteps ran down the hall. Ethan called security once more, but I could see the worry in his eyes.

Later, after things calmed, he helped me settle back in bed. His touches turned softer, more comforting than heated this time. But I could feel how much he wanted me. His hands lingered on my thighs, squeezing gently as he kissed my forehead.

“We’ll figure this out,” he promised. “Together.”

I wanted to believe him. But as I drifted toward sleep in his arms, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to get much worse. And when my eyes finally closed, I dreamed of shadows watching us from the corners of the room.

The next morning brought more trouble. A hospital administrator came in early with papers about my upcoming discharge. But the look on her face told me it wasn’t good news.

“Dr. Black has requested you stay longer for observation,” she said, “but there are… concerns about your relationship with him. We need to talk about that.”

Ethan walked in right then, his jaw tight. The air crackled with tension as he stepped between us.

This wasn’t over. Not even close. And with every new threat, I wondered how much longer we could keep our secret before everything exploded.