Broken Bonds (Unbreakable Bonds #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

chapter twenty-four

CELINE

I cringed at the smile twitching at Dr. Alex’s mouth. He was very conservative in his expectations of women—seen and not heard was more like it. Despite this, he was the best doctor I had been to, and he knew how severe my condition was. Finding a new doctor was not in my best interest.

“Hello, Dr. Alex. How are you?” My father shot me a disapproving glare that had me wincing and stepped forward to shake the amused doctor’s hand.

“I’m well. My wife and I flew out before the storm hit and just arrived back this morning. I understand you weren’t that lucky.” His gaze flickered to me in Ryan’s arms and then down to my legs, almost as if he could see beneath the skin to the damage I’d done.

“No,” my dad agreed. “Celine got stuck at our beach house, then had to evacuate during the storm. She walked about fifteen to twenty miles in two days.”

“Ah, this isn’t good,” Dr. Alex said, his lips flattened into a grim line. He turned on his heel, beckoning us to follow him. “Come into the room. There could be some torn nerves and muscles, so I need to take a look. Ryan, bring her in here, and then you all can wait outside.”

Speaking for the first time, I looked at my mother. “Mom?” She must have seen the uncertainty and fear in my eyes because she stepped forward with Ryan.

“I’ll come, too.” Dr. Alex looked like he was going to decline, but instead, he nodded his head and led us into the first room without a word of protest—thankfully.

Ryan gently deposited me on the cot and kissed the top of my head. “You are the strongest person I know, Cece,” he whispered in my ear before he pulled away and walked out of the room, closing the door with a soft click on his way out, leaving just me and Mom in the examination room with Dr. Alex.

“Celine, can you explain the pain to me and show me where it is?”

Pulling my loose pants legs up, I showed him my black and blue discolored legs. His eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. My mother gasped loudly from beside me. “My baby, you didn’t tell me.” Mom’s voice was filled with pain. I couldn’t bring myself to look at her. To see the fear I knew would be etched into her expression.

“There’s a constant, raging burn, and sometimes, I can’t move my legs at all without the pain whiting out my vision. The pain takes my breath away each time. Every time I try hold my own weight, I fall. I’ve been taking Tylenol every four hours for the last five days, and the pain hasn’t subsided. It’s unbearable, and I just can’t take it anymore,” I confess, tears sliding down my cheeks as I finally opened up about just how unbearable it all was.

My mother reached for my hand and clutched it tightly in hers. I could feel her trying to take my pain away, but she couldn’t. This wasn’t something she could just fix.

“Does the pain start in your upper thigh area and shoot down through your calves? Predominately in the back of your legs?” Dr. Alex asked.

I nodded. “Yes; it just keeps getting worse.”

He nodded, resting his fingers against his chin as he ran his eyes over my legs. “Do you mind if I start a physical exam?” I flinched, the idea of his hands on my legs making me want to scream. Sensing my trepidation, he assured me, “I’ll be careful, my dear. I need to touch the area to make my conclusion.”

“Okay.” The word came out as a soft cry.

He placed his hands gently on my thighs, and I shifted uncomfortably when he applied a little pressure. He pulled his hands away quickly, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Celine, my dear, it appears you’ve torn your hamstrings in both legs based on the swelling here and here,” he said as he pointed at my upper thighs in two different places. “I can’t get an MRI ordered until the governor officially opens the state again. But it should only be a few days—a week at most.”

“So, she has to be in this pain for possibly a week until you can verify the severity of the tear?” my once-calm mother barked, now outraged.

“No, Mrs. Wilson,” Dr. Alex said in a placating tone. “I can implement a pain-management plan until I can issue an MRI. I want her to rest, and she must refrain from putting weight on her legs—that includes anything related to walking or standing. To avoid someone having to carry her everywhere, I recommend crutches. I assume you still have them from before?”

I nodded, trying to understand everything he was saying and the implications this would have on my life. But my mind was spinning. By his tone, I had a feeling surgery was going to be inevitable… again.

“Ice packs need to be applied every hour for twenty minutes to relieve the swelling and bruising. Her legs need to be elevated above her heart, if possible, at all times to improve drainage and minimize swelling. I’ll prescribe some pain medication that’s a bit stronger than the Tylenol to last until we can get a look at her legs via MRI. Then, we’ll reassess. Any questions?” he asked us, but he was looking at me.

Dr. Alex may have been a bit of an asshole, but he still deferred to me when it came to my treatment plans. I appreciated that, even if my mind was spinning so much, I could barely focus anymore.

I shook my head at him. We had been through this already, except before, I had to have skin grafts and numerous surgeries until I could walk. I had hoped this time would be different.

“What happens if she needs surgery?” Mom demanded. “What will that entail? How can we avoid it? I don’t want her going through that again. She’s already had so many. Oh, my poor child,” she murmured the last part, clutching my hands in hers. I still couldn’t bring myself to look at her.

“If her injuries are severe, which I’m inclined to think they are based on the swelling and bruising, then we will proceed with surgery.” Mom made a distressed noise. “When the injury is severe, the muscle can tear from its connection to the pelvis or shinbone, but this isn’t the worst case. It could be an avulsion fracture, which is when a small piece of bone is torn from the main bone. If that’s the case, then she’ll need extensive surgery. It’s not possible to avoid an avulsion fracture if it’s already torn, but if it’s just a torn muscle or ligament, then ice and rest will be the main treatment. When she can handle weight, then we’ll move to physical therapy.” He paused, putting his clipboard down to look at my mother. “I don’t want to operate on her again. I’m hoping it’s not as bad as it looks, but we won’t know until she has the MRI done. I’m sorry I can’t offer you more insight.”

Mom nodded, taking in the information. “Thank you for coming in to see us during these troubling times.” She stood and opened the door, calling for Ryan to come help me. He walked in, looking from my mother’s face to mine, and his worried frown deepened.

He didn’t ask the questions I saw in his eyes. Instead, he gently pulled me into his arms and followed Mom and Dr. Alex out of the room. Dad and Ace were standing beside each other, both clearly concerned, their gazes landing on me at the same time.

“What’s the verdict, Alex?” Dad strode over, his hand landing on my shoulder as if he could transfer some of his strength to me. I wished it were possible. I definitely could have used it.

Dr. Alex stood in front of my dad, arms crossed as he briefly explained everything that he told us in the room. “Mr. Wilson, it appears both her hamstrings are torn. I cannot see the extent of the tear until she has an MRI done. The facilities are closed per orders of the governor. Until he opens the state again—which could be up to a week—I can’t diagnose the injury. I have instructed Mrs. Wilson and Celine on a pain-management plan, which I advise to start immediately. I’ll put her information in the system, and she’ll have the first available appointment the day everything opens.”

“Thank you for meeting us under the circumstances. I greatly appreciate it.”

“She’s a special case, and I don’t want her situation to worsen. Please drive safely, and inform me of any changes immediately.”

The cab of the truck was silent and tense. Nobody spoke on the way home, and the radio was so soft, I could barely hear it. Ace stared out his window while Ryan looked straight ahead, his leg bouncing. It was clear all of them had been hoping for the best-case scenario, so this news had blindsided them.

At home, everyone piled out of the truck, and Ryan carried me inside to the white couch, putting me down carefully. Ace wouldn’t look at me. He was keeping his distance, looking at the ground, a frown etched onto his face. My gut filled with trepidation. Why was he being so stand-offish? Why wouldn’t he look at me? Was he really going to end what we’d started because of Ryan? I thought he said he could handle Ryan.

When Ryan left the room to go upstairs, Ace sat on the other side of the couch. Mom and Dad were in the kitchen, their heads bent together as they talked in hushed whispers.

“You didn’t tell me—” he started but couldn’t seem to get the words out.

Oh . This was what he was so upset about.

“Tell you what, Ace?” I asked softly, wishing I could grab his hand, but he was sitting too far away.

“Just how severe the situation was. You didn’t tell me.” His words came out slow—pained. “Why didn’t you tell me?” His blue eyes flickered to mine, and the pain in them crashed into me like the waves had days before.

“What would you have done?” I frowned at him. “It wouldn’t have made a difference, and you know it.” Looking away from his penetrating gaze, I stared at my feet.

He scoffed. “I wouldn’t have let it get this bad. Your legs are fucking black and blue, Celine, and you tried to pass it off as nothing yesterday. You told me it was normal . You lied to me.”

I whipped my head back up to look at him, my own anger bubbling to the surface. “Yes, I lied because it was none of your business, Asshole,” I hissed, getting angry. What would telling him have done? What could he have done to help me? Nothing. Absolutely nothing .

I heard Ryan bounding down the stairs before I saw him. Ace stood up abruptly. “I’m going home. I don’t have time to deal with your crap, Celine.” He pointed a finger in my direction and walked toward the door, brushing past Ryan angrily.

Ryan followed him, slamming the front door on his way out, and neither of them came back. I glared at the door for a few more moments as if I could burn both of them with my angry gaze. After a good minute, I ripped my eyes away and picked up my phone from beside me, my eyes widening at all the messages I had from Amber.

Amber: How’s the sexy piece of ass known as Mr. Asshole?

Amber: Must be good because I haven’t heard from you in over a day.

Amber: Sex marathon? I’m jealous!

Amber: Girl, are you alive over there?

Amber: Did you die from all those orgasms?

Amber: Okay, I’m getting worried. Are you okay?

Amber: Answer me, or I’ll stalk you and show up at your house and interrupt the post-hurricane sex.

Amber: Don’t ask me how but I got your address. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.

Shit! The last text was sent ten minutes ago. “Let me in! Celine is my friend! Celine! Celine!” the naughty redhead shouted through the front door. “Get your hands off me! Who the hell are you anyway? Celine!”

The front door burst open, and Amber, face flushed and red hair in a slight disarray, stormed into the house. My jaw dropped as she rushed in, her eyes darting to mine. Then, she rushed forward, pouncing on me, just barely avoiding my legs. “Holy shit—I thought you were dead !”

“Get off my sister!” Ryan picked Amber up, holding her off me as she kicked and hit him like a rabid animal.

“Put me down! Get your stinking hands off me!” Too stunned to say a word, I just watched… as did everyone else.

“Amber!” I finally snapped. Catching her attention, she stopped fighting Ryan to look at me. “He’s my brother. It’s okay.”

Her body instantly relaxed, red creeping up her pale neck onto her cheeks. “Oops, sorry.” Ryan put her down, and she turned to look at him and then back to me with wide eyes. “Did you say brother ?”

“Yes, she did, spitfire. Nice to meet you, I guess?” Ryan extended a hand warily, eyeing her with distrust. No doubt, he’d have a few bruises tomorrow.

Amber shook it eagerly. “Oh, it is nice to meet you. Very nice. Damn, you are good-looking. Shit, did I say that out loud?” Ryan was beginning to look highly amused. “I really don’t have a filter. I just say what I’m thinking; it’s such a bad habit.” Her cheeks were on fire.

“Didn’t catch your name.” Ryan smiled at my friend, his gaze warming.

“Amber. I’m so sorry for how I acted. I thought she died from amazing sex!” My jaw dropped as Ryan turned to look between Ace and me, rage coloring his once happy expression.

“Amber!” I shouted at her—absolutely mortified .

He took a threatening step forward in Ace’s direction. “You slept with my sister, asshole?” Ryan barked at Ace, his hands clenched at his sides.

“Oh, shit, I wasn’t supposed to tell him, was I?” Amber looked at me sheepishly, an apology glimmering in her eyes.

I quickly looked toward the kitchen, only to see my parents had thankfully left to go speak in silence about my diagnosis.

“It doesn’t matter what I did with your sister,” Ace snapped at Ryan. “That’s between her and me only.” Ace pointed a finger between him and me.

What did he just say? That asshole! We didn’t even have sex , for fuck’s sake! I got off—that was it .

“It matters! She’s my baby sister!” Ryan barked, taking another step forward before swinging his right fist, aiming for Ace’s perfect, handsome face.

“No!” I shouted, my heart in my throat. On instinct, I tried jumping off the couch to break up the two, but the pain in my legs crippled me.

Ace blocked Ryan’s fist and stepped back, shaking his head. “Don’t hit me, Ryan. You’re only going to hurt Celine. Look at her. Look what you’re doing to her!” Ace held Ryan back, shoving him into the back of the white couch, where my brother looked at me, seeing the pain keeping me glued to the couch.

“I told you to stay away from her. I told you!” He shoved Ace’s chest. “She’s been through enough; she doesn’t need another man to hurt her.”

“I told you I won’t!” Ace shouted at him. “I fucking told you, Ryan. Just listen to me. I don’t want to hurt her. And you can’t keep every guy away from her. She’s beautiful, intelligent, and hot as fuck.” Ryan balled his hands into fits as Ace raised his hands to block his face. “Just let me see where it goes with her before you beat the hell out of me,” he pleaded.

My heart fucking melted .

“No,” Ryan snapped. “I won’t let you try things out . I won’t let you into her life because her heart is fragile enough without all your shit on top of everything else she has to deal with.” He took another step toward Ace. “Now, get out of my house before I give you a black eye for even thinking about my sister.” Ace raked his shaking hands through his black hair, his eyes clenching shut in anger.

Grabbing Amber’s hand, I yanked her toward me. “Get in the middle of that now,” I whispered in her ear. Her eyes widened, and shaking her head, she took a jerky step backward.

“Hell no; your brother might kill me,” she whispered back, her green eyes focused on my raging brother.

I scoffed. “He won’t hit a girl.”

“You do it,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes at me.

“I can’t!” I snapped at her. She eyed me curiously but thankfully didn’t pry. Instead, she eyed my brother again, and after sucking in a deep breath, she sauntered over to his trembling form, swaying her hips.

I sighed, face-palming myself. Was she serious?

“Ryan, is it?” Raising a shaking hand, she trailed a finger over his shoulder.

Ace frowned at her in confusion as Ryan glared at her. “Don’t touch me,” he gritted out in anger.

She looked at me, raising her eyebrows as if to say, ‘You see!’

“How come I’ve never seen you on campus, handsome?” she seductively asked, falling into the role a little easier. Ace used the opportunity to take a step back, eyeing Ryan warily. I knew he didn’t want to fight with his best friend. Fuck, I didn’t want them to fight either.

Noticing Ace’s move, Ryan pushed Amber out of his way, then charged for Ace, who didn’t move, standing tall and strong like a mountain in the foyer of my parents’ house.

“I didn’t want to do this, but you left me no choice,” she mumbled before jumping onto Ryan’s back like a monkey. I gaped at her.

Ryan fumbled backward, Amber’s weight causing him to lose his footing. They both fell with shouts of pain. Ace looked at me, relief filling his entrancing blue eyes.

I’m sorry, he mouthed, looking away from me to the fools still groaning on the ground.

“You crazy bitch!” Ryan complained, getting up and glaring down at Amber, who was climbing to her feet and rubbing her elbow while glaring at him.

“Listen here—nobody calls me a bitch except for my mother, sisters, and this girl right here.” She jabbed a finger in my direction. “You just crossed a line, prick. Now, shut up, sit down, and leave the sexy asshole alone.”

Ryan’s jaw dropped in shock, and I saw Ace fighting a grin as the fiery girl told my brother, who was double her size, what to do.

“Thanks, Amber. I owe you.” Winking at her, I laughed at Ryan’s still speechless face. He took a seat on the single armchair, while Amber took a seat beside me, patting the spot next to her for Ace to sit down.

“Spill the tea, girl!” She bumped my leg as she shifted excitedly on the couch.

Jumping from the contact, I tried to muffle my cry of pain. “She’s torn both her hamstrings,” Ace informed her, his eyes watching me warily.

“What the—” She curbed her tongue just as my mother walked into the room.

“Celine, who is this, Honey?” she asked, smiling at Amber.

Amber jumped off the couch, extending her hand for a shake. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Amber. It’s nice to meet you.” She beamed as she shook hands with my mother.

“Named after that hair, are you?” Mom laughed, earning a giggle from Amber.

“You bet. My mom was so surprised to see the red when I was born that she had to name me after it.”

Mom smiled at her. “Do you go to college with Celine?”

“Oh, yes,” Amber nodded her head. “We have a class together where we’re the only girls, so I decided that we had to be friends.”

“I’m glad. My baby is too shy to make friends.” My cheeks colored. “She needs you, hun.” Mom winked at me, and Amber grinned.

“And lucky me—she has a hot brother, too.” Ryan’s cheeks flamed, earning a laugh from everyone in the room. Mom beamed at Amber, clearly liking her and the idea of Ryan together.

“Make yourself at home, love, and let me know if you’re going to stay for dinner. I’ll be ordering pizza later.”

Amber nodded. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Mom left, and Amber took her seat beside me again. “So, torn hamstrings?” she asked quietly, frowning at me in concern.

I shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I just have to rest for a few days until I can get some tests to determine how severe the tear is.” I didn’t want her fretting. My family and Ace were doing that enough.

“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll keep you company during the day until class starts up again. That way, we can get to know each other.” She smiled softly, placing her hand gently on mine.

I flipped my hand over and curled my fingers around hers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’d really love that.”

“What’s the deal with the grumps?” She pointed to the two men, who were glaring at one another. Both turned their glares to her simultaneously. “ Ooh , I’m so scared,” she giggled, rolling her eyes.

I sighed. “It’s a… long story.”

“I’ve got time!”

Ace and Ryan got up in unison, both wordlessly heading to the game room. I wondered what they were going to play, but I figured they didn’t need any more advice for now. Maybe with a bit of guy time, they could sort out their problems.

Mom brought Amber and me coffee and cookies. The two of us giggled like schoolgirls, talking about the two men downstairs, amongst other things. She stayed for dinner, and we sat at the table with my parents, sharing a few pizzas, talking about life and mostly our hurricane survival. It was late when Amber told us she was going to head home, earning a worried glance from my mom. “Why don’t you stay the night? It isn’t safe on those roads, honey. It’s dark, and most of the traffic lights still aren’t working.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay—really. I’ve driven through worse. Have you ever been in a snowstorm? Trust me, it’s way worse!” She laughed, grabbing her bag and walking toward the door.

“Ryan, why don’t you drive her home?” Mom tried again, clearly worried about my new best friend.

“Oh, but then my car would be here,” Amber told her with a kind smile. “Really, don’t worry.”

Mom sighed, concern washing over her features. “I’m a mother, dear; I’ll always worry.”

Amber smiled gratefully at my mom. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Just stay the night, Amber,” I urged, not really wanting her on the roads either. “It can be our first sleepover.”

Amber glowed at my words, a permanent smile on her lips. “Are you sure? I don’t want to overstep.”

“Stay, girl!” She laughed, nodding and falling back onto the couch beside me.

“We’re going to bed, so don’t be too loud, guys.” Mom kissed my head before following Dad up the stairs, leaving us to talk.

“I’m gonna grab a beer. Anyone want one?” Amber asked, standing up and looking from me to the men.

“I’ll help you,” Ryan offered, standing and showing Amber down the hall to the built-in bar.

“I should go home,” Ace murmured as he looked down the hall before coming to sit beside me, his hand reaching for mine on the couch.

“Please don’t.” I wrapped my fingers around his, clinging to him. This was the first moment we’d gotten alone, and I was desperate for so much more. Why did Ryan have to be such an asshole?

“Your brother isn’t happy about this. We shouldn’t—” Silencing him, I crashed my lips to his, feeling his body relax against mine. He groaned and kissed me deeper, his tongue tangling with mine for a beat before he pulled back, his lips brushing mine ever so gently. “Celine,” he rasped.

“Kiss me. Just kiss me,” I pleaded.

He attacked my lips like a starved man, his tongue swiping across my bottom lip, bringing forth a moan from my parted lips. He was nibbling on my bottom lip when I heard Amber’s loud laughter coming closer—a clear warning for me and Ace.

Pulling back, I stared at his swollen mouth, wanting more. Wishing I could have more. He pushed himself away from me, creating some space and dropping my hand, leaving me feeling empty as soon as he did. When I spotted Amber, she was already eyeing me and Ace with interest.

She handed me a beer while Ryan passed one to Ace. Bringing the bottle to my lips, I took a long sip, the cool liquid rushing down my parched throat.

“Thanks, Amber.” She smiled at me, knowing I was thanking her for more than just the beer.

An hour later, Ryan was carrying me up the stairs, all of us eager for bed. He brought in a blow-up mattress for Amber to sleep on, throwing one at Ace for him to sleep on in his room. I watched from my bed as Ryan and Amber set up the mattress, both blushing when their hands accidentally touched.

It made me just a tiny bit angry that Ryan could openly flirt with my best friend, but he refused to extend the same courtesy to his own.

Amber helped me get comfortable, bringing her bed close to mine in case I needed anything, even though I declined profusely. “I’ll be okay, I promise.”

“Better to be prepared. Wake me if you need anything, babe.” Amber turned off the small light beside my table just as my phone vibrated. Reaching over, I grabbed the device.

Seeing a text from an unknown number, I opened it, my heart pounding nervously.

Unknown: I want to kiss you again.

Who the hell texts someone this?

Me: Who is this?

Unknown: How many guys have you been kissing lately, princess?

Me: Asshole, is that you?

Butterflies erupted in my stomach. He wanted to kiss me again. He was texting me, even though my brother might read our messages. He really wanted this with me. I quickly added his contact to me phone, smiling at the name I gave him.

Mr. Asshole: The one and only.

Me: I want to kiss you too.

Mr. Asshole: Goodnight, baby girl.

Me: Goodnight Ace.

Switching the phone off, I placed it quietly on the bedside table.

“What has you grinning like an evil witch about to eat a poor, fat child?” Nearly jumping out of my skin, I looked down at Amber through the little bit of moonlight that had filtered into the room through the slit in my curtains.

I laughed. “Nothing, you weirdo.”

“Could it possibly be a sexy guy in the room next door who was totally giving you ‘fuck me’ eyes earlier?” she playfully asked.

I rolled my eyes, even if my cheeks heated. “It’s definitely him.” I sighed. “I’m in so much trouble, Amber.”

“Why?”

I rolled onto my back to stare up at my dark ceiling, my heart in my throat. “Because he’s going to break my heart; I just know it.”