Burn For Him by Kristan Belle Page A
Authors: Kristan Belle
pulled me off to one side of the corridor, away from the other visitors and out of Milligan’s earshot. “You need to get some rest. If we both burn ourselves out, who is going to take care of Dee then? She needs us and she needs us functioning.”
I looked at him in silence. He was looking drawn and tired himself. Harper always had so much light and life about him and it was worrying to see him looking so down like this. Nothing usually got to him. It was like the drain of the situation and the hospital environment was sucking him dry.
It made sense though, what he was saying. We could take shifts sitting with Dee and waiting around for information. He had a point there. But, that didn’t mean that I wanted to leave either of them.
“What about you? You shouldn’t be here alone, either.”
“I’ll be just fine.”
“Harper.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. Michelle is actually on her way to come and sit with me. So you don’t have to worry about me being on my own.”
For the first time in what felt like hours, I felt myself grinning at him. “Oh, so that’s why you want to get me out of the way, is it?” I teased him. It felt good to have a moment of lightness.
Harper shook his head at me before turning and waving a hand at the blonde who was quickly making her way down the corridor to us. “Be nice.” He warned me once again.
I glared over at him. Why the hell wouldn’t I be nice to her? I thought that it was really sweet of her to do this, to take the time out to come and sit with Harper at the hospital. She didn’t have to do that. They’d only just met. She didn’t owe him anything.
I smiled at her as she approached. She looked totally different now than she had at the club last night. She was dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie, with her hair scraped back into a pony-tail and no make-up. She looked natural and dare I say much prettier without all that fakeness on show.
“Hey, Michelle. Thanks for coming.” Harper smiled at her and I saw what I thought might have been a spark in his eye. I hoped that this traumatic start to things wouldn’t put them off. I looked over at Milligan and hoped the same for us. It was quite a situation to throw the four of us into. To say that I hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words to him before this had happened, he had been my unexpected rock tonight.
“How is she?” Michelle asked, looking concerned.
“She’s the same.” Harper looked down for a moment. “You remember Carrie, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. How are you holding up?” She turned her attention to me for a moment and I was pleasantly surprised by how natural and sweet she looked in the cold light of day. I had to admit that I thought that she was a bit of a Barbie doll last night and now I felt bad for making those kind of assumptions when I didn’t even know her.
“You know.” I shrugged.
Michelle nodded. Words couldn’t help anything now. All we could do was wait and see what happened next. It was out of our hands.
“I guess I can come back in a couple of hours and then you two can take off and get some rest.”
“Please do me a favour and try to get some sleep. I promise to call you if there is any change at all.” Harper assured me.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” He bent slightly to kiss me on the cheek. I couldn’t help but sneak a glance over at Michelle to check out her reaction. The girl passed the test. She didn’t look jealous or anything, which was a major point for her.
I walked over to where Milligan was still sitting in the waiting room and he stood up as I approached. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“Are you sure that it’s okay for you to drive me home?” I knew that he would, as he had already offered, but I didn’t like to just assume. I didn’t really know the guy, not really. I didn’t know anything about him. But, there was a deep connection between the two of us that just couldn’t be denied. His being there for me
I looked at him in silence. He was looking drawn and tired himself. Harper always had so much light and life about him and it was worrying to see him looking so down like this. Nothing usually got to him. It was like the drain of the situation and the hospital environment was sucking him dry.
It made sense though, what he was saying. We could take shifts sitting with Dee and waiting around for information. He had a point there. But, that didn’t mean that I wanted to leave either of them.
“What about you? You shouldn’t be here alone, either.”
“I’ll be just fine.”
“Harper.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. Michelle is actually on her way to come and sit with me. So you don’t have to worry about me being on my own.”
For the first time in what felt like hours, I felt myself grinning at him. “Oh, so that’s why you want to get me out of the way, is it?” I teased him. It felt good to have a moment of lightness.
Harper shook his head at me before turning and waving a hand at the blonde who was quickly making her way down the corridor to us. “Be nice.” He warned me once again.
I glared over at him. Why the hell wouldn’t I be nice to her? I thought that it was really sweet of her to do this, to take the time out to come and sit with Harper at the hospital. She didn’t have to do that. They’d only just met. She didn’t owe him anything.
I smiled at her as she approached. She looked totally different now than she had at the club last night. She was dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie, with her hair scraped back into a pony-tail and no make-up. She looked natural and dare I say much prettier without all that fakeness on show.
“Hey, Michelle. Thanks for coming.” Harper smiled at her and I saw what I thought might have been a spark in his eye. I hoped that this traumatic start to things wouldn’t put them off. I looked over at Milligan and hoped the same for us. It was quite a situation to throw the four of us into. To say that I hadn’t spoken more than a handful of words to him before this had happened, he had been my unexpected rock tonight.
“How is she?” Michelle asked, looking concerned.
“She’s the same.” Harper looked down for a moment. “You remember Carrie, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. How are you holding up?” She turned her attention to me for a moment and I was pleasantly surprised by how natural and sweet she looked in the cold light of day. I had to admit that I thought that she was a bit of a Barbie doll last night and now I felt bad for making those kind of assumptions when I didn’t even know her.
“You know.” I shrugged.
Michelle nodded. Words couldn’t help anything now. All we could do was wait and see what happened next. It was out of our hands.
“I guess I can come back in a couple of hours and then you two can take off and get some rest.”
“Please do me a favour and try to get some sleep. I promise to call you if there is any change at all.” Harper assured me.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” He bent slightly to kiss me on the cheek. I couldn’t help but sneak a glance over at Michelle to check out her reaction. The girl passed the test. She didn’t look jealous or anything, which was a major point for her.
I walked over to where Milligan was still sitting in the waiting room and he stood up as I approached. “Are you ready?” he asked.
“Are you sure that it’s okay for you to drive me home?” I knew that he would, as he had already offered, but I didn’t like to just assume. I didn’t really know the guy, not really. I didn’t know anything about him. But, there was a deep connection between the two of us that just couldn’t be denied. His being there for me