Broken Bonds (Unbreakable Bonds #1)

Chapter Twenty-Six

chapter twenty-six

CELINE

ONE WEEK LATER

The days passed by quickly, each one spent the same—Amber, Ryan, Ace, and I lounging around, watching countless movies, and eating our fair share of popcorn and chocolate. Classes had been postponed for a week and a half, mainly because half the state was still without power, campus being one of those places, but class was set to resume the coming-up Wednesday.

We were fortunate enough to have a fire station right outside our neighborhood, which made it a priority zone. Amber and Ace had been staying overnight at our house, taking full advantage of the hot showers and electricity. Tomorrow would be the first Monday since the storm, and Ryan and Ace were going to help my dad at work, cleaning up the debris and taking down the shutters, getting ready for work the next day.

Essential businesses could open on Tuesday, which meant I would finally be getting an MRI. As Dr. Alex promised, my appointment was the first one in the morning at eight o’clock. I was so nervous, it made me nauseous every time I thought about it. Because I had a feeling that the MRI would show I needed surgery again. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it.

Ace brought my attention back to the superhero movie we were watching when his thumb started tracing a circle on my thigh under the thick blanket covering my legs. My skin sparked at his simple touch. Every move he made, every touch he gave me, set my blood on fire. I was so aware of him. I never knew it was possible to be so aware of someone.

I turned my head to look at his face, which was illuminated by the TV in the darkness of the room. His startling, deep blue eyes were staring right back at me, sucking the breath from my lungs.

The past week had been a thrill of stolen kisses and hidden moments because we didn’t want Ryan—and definitely not Amber—to catch us. That girl couldn’t keep her mouth shut about anything, and I didn’t want Ryan and Ace to fight even more than they already had.

I suspected my mother knew something was up from the gleam in her eyes when she saw me and Ace drinking coffee together every morning before Ryan and Amber got out of bed. Mom hadn’t said anything to us—just smiled and offered to make breakfast, which we declined every time. Having her in the kitchen would ruin the little bit of peace we’d found with each other, and the smell of food would have Ryan and Amber waking up and rushing down the stairs.

Even with the thick blanket, a shiver wracked my frame, the four ice packs on my legs freezing me to the bone. Everyone had been on top of following Dr. Alex’s pain-management plan, and to everyone’s dismay, nothing had changed. My legs remained black and blue, the bruises seeming to get bigger each day instead of better.

Between Ryan and Ace, I was carried everywhere, even though I had a pair of crutches lying against the couch, just waiting to be used. No one wanted me putting even the least bit of strain on my legs if it could be avoided.

Ace’s thumb swiped over my skin again, stealing my attention once more. This time, he didn’t move, his thumb continuously rubbing gentle circles on my thigh, the rest of his fingers splayed out over my skin, a warm contrast to the cold packs. This was right. He was right. I wanted there to be more; I wanted an us . But I didn’t want him to lose his friendship with Ryan just so I could have him.

And Ryan was there—standing right in the middle of that intersection, stopping Ace from making a move every time he edged closer.

A loud boom blasted from the TV, making me suck in a sharp breath of surprise. I turned my attention back to the movie, the explosion catching my attention as Amber swore, throwing her arms up into the air. “They could have seen that coming!”

The girl had absolutely no filter, always saying exactly what was on her mind. Her flaming red hair matched her personality perfectly. She kept everyone on their toes—but in a good way. She kept me laughing all day long, and I was thankful for her constant presence. And my brother was infatuated with her, it seemed.

“Then we wouldn’t have had a huge explosion, genius,” Ryan retorted, playfully shoving her. Those two had an interesting relationship forming—always flirting and teasing. But unlike my brother, I wasn’t going to interfere because I wanted him to be happy, even if it meant he found that happiness with my best friend. Why couldn’t he just let me and Ace have what we wanted, too?

“You know there was no logic behind that at all. What freaking superhero misses that key detail? Admit it.” Crossing her arms, Amber glared at my brother.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, spitfire.” Ryan pushed Amber’s head off his shoulder. She whipped around and smacked his arm hard enough for him to grunt and cast her a dirty look.

Ace chuckled, his shoulders moving with the deep sound, his head shaking as he turned to grin at me. If I hadn’t been sitting already, I would have fallen straight on my ass. God, this man was beautiful. He had no right to look as good as he did.

I never wanted him to stop looking at me that way—the way that set my entire body on fire despite the freezing cold ice packs weighing me down. The intensity in his blue eyes pulled me in, and his lips turned up in a grin.

I was a goner.

This man was stealing my heart piece by piece.

On Tuesday morning, our routine changed. Amber stayed the night again, helping me to the shower the next morning like she had for days now. She always waited outside to give me privacy but to also remind me I wasn’t alone. Her kindness for someone she hadn’t really known but a few days astounded me, yet she already had a place in my heart.

Mom was whipping up breakfast when I hobbled into the kitchen with my crutches, Amber’s hand on my back, reminding me again that she was there.

“Good morning, girls!” Mom beamed while dishing up oatmeal and pancakes onto plates for all three of us.

“Good morning,” Amber and I both chirped back, the smell of food wafting into the air and making my stomach rumble.

The three of us were sitting at the table eating when my mother’s voice broke the silence. My mind was far away on a certain asshole, who wasn’t there. God, I wished he was. I didn’t want to face this appointment with him at my side. “Ready for the appointment, Honey?”

Truthfully, no, was what I wanted to say, but I didn’t. “Totally,” I lied. “I want to know what’s going on. The pain management hasn’t helped. If anything, it’s gotten worse.”

“Will you call me when you know what’s going on?” Amber asked, drawing my eyes to her. “Not right away, obviously. Just sometime later?” I had come to realize that Amber rambled when she was nervous, which wasn’t often—only when she was doubting her place. And right now, she was questioning her place as my friend.

“I’ll call you the moment I find out; I promise.” Relief flooded her features, and a small, hopeful smile bloomed on her face.

One thing I loved about Amber was that she was always smiling. Always.

“Thanks, Cece.”

We fell into a comfortable silence, and then Amber helped my mom clean the kitchen while I sat and watched, feeling helpless. But I didn’t let the smile fall from my face, not wanting Mom or Amber to know about the pit of nerves that were twisting in my stomach.

The two had fallen into a conversation about Amber’s sisters when my phone vibrated on the table.

Mr. Asshole: Good luck, princess.

Me: Thanks.

Mr. Asshole: Don’t be nervous.

Me: I’m not.

Mr. Asshole: Right and the Pope isn’t Catholic.

Me: Do you always have to be an asshole?

Mr. Asshole: Only with you. Don’t be nervous. You’ll be okay. You will survive whatever is thrown your way.

Me: Thanks, I’ll see you tonight?

Mr. Asshole: Where else would I be?

Me: See you later.

Mr. Asshole: Let me know the results.

Me: Why?

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell him the results, but a part of me worried if I was just some piece of forbidden fruit he couldn’t help tasting. Did he really care? I hated that I was spiraling. I knew I was. But I couldn’t stop it from happening.

I watched the three dots dance on the screen as he typed. A hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. Holding the phone to my chest, I looked up at Amber.

“Who ya texting?” She laughed. “Who am I kidding? With the look on your face, a sexy-as-sin man is on the other end of that conversation.” My mother laughed from the kitchen, shaking her head.

“It’s Ace. He’s asking about the appointment. No need to be a bitch.” Amber laughed, rolling her eyes, not taking offense to my words.

“We knew it was Ace, doll. What other man completely has your attention?”

A blush stained my cheeks as the phone vibrated in my hands against my chest. Bringing it to my face, my heart skipped a beat at his words.

Mr. Asshole: Because I care about you.

Me: Okay, I promise I will.

Putting the phone in my back pocket, I looked up at Amber. “I’m not telling you what it said, so stop staring at me.”

She huffed and even stomped her foot, making me laugh. “Damn it, you suck!”

“Yeah, I know. Help me to the car, why don’t you?” Helping me up, she walked behind me with my mom, helping me get into the black SUV. Putting the crutches in the back seat, Amber left with one final wave, getting in her car and reversing out the driveway.

I had been wheeled around in a wheelchair from room to room, my mother following behind, holding papers, and asking a million questions as a nurse rushed along. I tuned most of it out, already internally panicking and unable to handle even more on top of everything else I was already dealing with.

My mother wasn’t allowed in the MRI room during the fifteen-minute test, where I was expected to lie in a tube-like machine and not move—not even a finger. The loud noise scared me at first, echoing through the small room, but eventually, I drowned it out, thoughts of Ace filtering through my mind.

We were now sitting in one of the rooms at Dr. Alex’s office, waiting for him to deliver the news. Mom’s hand rested lightly on my thigh, a gentle, quiet reminder that she was here, that I wasn’t alone.

I clutched her hand when Dr. Alex walked in, his eyes downcast, his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth set in a grim line.

Oh, no.

“Good morning, Celine, Mrs. Wilson. I hope all is well. Have you had your power restored yet?” He didn’t look up from the papers in his hands—the test results. My fucking future.

“Alex, I’ve watched my daughter suffer for a week now,” Mom said, cutting right through the bullshit. “She tenses every time someone touches her. She’s religiously taking the pain medicine you prescribed, and she followed the pain management plan to a T to no avail. So please, enough with pleasantries and small talk. Tell me what the hell is wrong with my daughter.”

Dr. Alex looked up from the papers now, his gaze switching between my enraged mother and me. Tears made vision blurry, fear almost crippling me.

He sat down on the small stool and rolled toward us, his one hand landing gently on my knee, his eyes softening. “Unfortunately, your injuries are more severe than I originally thought.” My mother sucked in a sharp breath, her hand tightening on my leg, causing a ripple of pain to shoot through me.

Dr. Alex’s soft eyes landed on her before switching back to me. “I had originally thought this was just a hamstring tear, which is easily fixed with rest, ice packs, and physical therapy. Not that a week would have been enough time to see any noticeable changes—it would have been a three-to-four-week period before the swelling would have subsided.” He paused, glancing at the papers in his hand.

“However, I did previously mention the possibility of you having a hamstring avulsion fracture, which is a very serious injury that does require surgery. Based on the scans, Celine, you do have this avulsion in both of your legs.”

No.

He continued talking, his voice low, soothing almost, but I couldn’t hear him. The word ‘surgery’ ran through my mind like a runaway train as I came to terms with the outcome I already knew was coming.

Why me?

“Celine, dear, are you listening?” I looked up from my legs to Dr. Alex’s face, my vision blurred from the tears welling in my eyes. I shook my head, feeling the first hot tear roll down my cheek.

Not again.

“Let me explain to you how I’m going to fix this. I’m going to fix it, Celine.” My throat was burning. I didn’t trust my own voice, so I nodded, staring into his aging face, the tears rolling freely down my face now.

Why me? Hadn’t I been through enough?

“During the repair, I’ll pull the hamstring muscles back to their normal attachment and cut away all the scar tissue from the hamstring tendon. Afterward, I’ll reattach the tendon to the bone, and within a few months, you’ll go back to a normal life with a small scar as a reminder. You will survive this, Celine. It is not like last time.”

“Will I be able to walk again?” My shaky voice filled the silence.

“Yes, child, after a few months, you’ll be able to run and even swim, if you choose,” he assured me.

“What’s the next step, Alex?” My mother sighed, her hand tight around mine now that she’d finally let go of my trembling leg.

“Let’s book her for surgery next week. Keep with the ice and elevation. I suggest getting a wheelchair to get around. It’ll be much easier than the crutches, but that’s up to you.”

“Can I go to class in the meantime?” I asked. I needed normalcy. Needed something else to focus on other than this upcoming surgery and all the future physical therapy appointments. “It starts back up tomorrow.”

“As long as you stay off your feet and ice your legs at home every hour,” Dr. Alex told me. I breathed a sigh of relief. “You won’t be able to go to class for a week or two after the surgery. You need to make arrangements with your professors, and I can have the nurse provide you with a note.”

At least I still had school.

In the car, Mom spoke to my dad the whole way home, the phone pressed to her ear while I texted Amber.

Me: I’m having surgery next week.

Amber: What the hell?

Me: I’m coming to class tomorrow. Don’t worry. I won’t leave you alone with Professor Dickwad!

Amber: I don’t care about him. Are you okay?

Me: I will be.

Amber: Want me to come over tonight?

Me: I’m okay, really. Enjoy your own bed!

Amber: I don’t believe you, Cece.

Me: Believe me, I’m okay.

It was official—I was the worst liar. I wasn’t okay. I was freaking out and panicking, and it felt like the end of the world all over again. But I didn’t want her to worry about me because, in a few months, I would be okay. She had been sleeping on the floor in my room for numerous nights now, and I wanted her to sleep in an actual bed for once.

Amber: Call me anytime okay?

Me: Deal.

Putting my phone down, I stared out the window at the trees whizzing past while Mom still talked to Dad. I was only able to dissociate for a couple of minutes before my phone vibrated once and then three more times in my lap before I got the chance to read the texts.

Mr. Asshole: You didn’t tell me what happened.

Mr. Asshole: Ryan is freaking out along with your dad.

Mr. Asshole: Why haven’t you said anything to me?

Mr. Asshole: Are you okay, Celine?

I saw the three dots forming on the screen as he typed out another message, so I quickly typed out one so he’d stop freaking out. It was only making me feel worse.

Me: I’m okay.

Mr. Asshole: Bullshit.

His response was instant, and I briefly wondered how much he heard of my parents’ conversation. Just the thought made me wince. If he overheard them, then he was getting the raw, unfiltered version of it all.

Me: I will be okay.

Mr. Asshole: Don’t shut me out.

Me: You don’t need to be dragged into this mess.

Mr. Asshole: What mess ,Celine?

I could practically feel his rage bleeding through his messages, leaving me to contemplate my next words, to choose them carefully. He didn’t need this stress on top of everything else he was dealing with.

It’s for the best , I kept telling myself.

Me: I’m going to be out of commission for a few months, Ace.

Mr. Asshole: What are you saying?

Me: You suggested ending whatever this is a few days ago. I’m agreeing with you.

Mr. Asshole: Why are you pushing me away?

Me: Because I’m going to be having surgery next week, and then I’ll be stuck to a bed for weeks. The recovery time is three to four months.

Mr. Asshole: What does that have to do with us?

Me: I’m just going to be dead weight.

Mr. Asshole: I’m not him, Celine. I’m not your fucking ex.

Me: Let’s be friends and try a relationship in a few months.

Mr. Asshole: I’ll see you later.

I winced at his last message, unsure of what that could mean. But instead of responding, I just locked my phone with a soft sigh. My heart raced as we entered the driveway, Mom finally ending the call with my dad. She got out of the car quietly, coming to stand in front of my door with my crutches. Helping me inside, she got me settled on the couch with my legs raised on pillows with ice packs.

“It’s going to be okay, baby. You aren’t going through this alone. You have Amber, Ace, and your family. You’re going to be okay.”

“I know,” I said softly. “I just don’t want to go through this again.”

“It’ll fly by; I promise.” But would it, really?

Dad, Ryan, and Ace stepped through the door a few minutes later, all looking worn out from a day of work. Ryan sat next to me nervously on the couch as Ace took my other side.

“On the bright side, you get an excuse to miss class and to stay in bed all day,” Ryan said, trying to lighten the mood. But it just freaked me out even more. I wanted school. I wanted normalcy. “Imagine all the TV you can watch.” Ryan threw an arm around my shoulder, trying to ease both of our nerves.

“Do I detect jealousy?” I teased, not letting him see the internal conflict I was having.

He laughed, the rich sound vibrating from his chest. “You definitely do.”

We sat watching whatever was on the TV, me stuck between the two men until Ryan eventually left to go shower.

“We need to talk,” Ace muttered as he shifted closer to me, his electrifying gaze on my face.

I frowned, staring at the TV, unable to bring myself to look at him. “I’m not girlfriend material, Ace. Not right now, anyway.”

He scoffed. “Shouldn’t I get a say?” My chest tightened at his words—at the anger and pleading in them. “I want to be with you, Celine. I want to kiss you every time my eyes land on you. To touch you. To fucking take care of you.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I can’t just be friends. Not with you. I can’t be around you and not want you.”

I swallowed thickly, opening my eyes to stare down at my lap. If I looked at him, I would cave and only wreck us both in the end when he realized I was too much to deal with. “I want you, too, but Ace, it’s just better this way.”

He gripped my chin, tilting my head up so I was forced to look at him. I wanted to cast my eyes away, but his intense, blue-eyed gaze pinned me in place. “I’m going to prove you wrong. I’m not him. I’m not your ex, and I’m not going anywhere. I want to be with you.”

“Ace, please.” My voice trembled.

He leaned forward, his eyes darting behind me to check the stairs. “I want you, Celine, and nothing is going to get in my way.”

When his lips brushed mine, my eyes fluttered closed, the fight leaving me.