Binding 13

66

I won't leave you

Sha

"Sha

"Hi, Mrs. Kavanagh," I croaked out, feeling incredibly uncertain.

I'd been lurking around outside Joh

I knew his parents were in there, and that should have terrified me, but it didn’t.

Because I needed to see that boy more than I needed to be afraid.

Pushing off the wall, I clasped my hands together and asked, "Is Joh

"Well," she said, worrying her lip. "He's a little off form right now, love."

Oh, god.

Concern burst to life inside of me.

"Can I see him?" I forced myself to be brave and ask.

Mrs. Kavanagh frowned.

"Please? I'll be really quick," I begged, hoping his mother would take mercy on my fragile heart. "I just need to see him…uh, I mean, I need to check that he's…okay."

With a heavy sigh, Mrs. Kavanagh nodded and gestured for me to go inside.

On unsteady feet, I walked into the dark room, illuminated only from the lights of the city shining in from the other side of the window pane.

My eyes immediately darted to the bed in the middle of the room.

There was a man sitting in a chair to Joh

I instantly recognized the man as the one from the photograph in Joh

The hero.

His father was holding Joh

Meanwhile, I just stood there, in the middle of his hospital room, with my heart hammering in my chest, and my eyes glued to his slumped body.

"Hi, Joh

"Boom, boom, fucking boom, Da," Joh

His choice of words caused Gibsie to laugh loudly and Mrs. Kavanagh, who had rejoined us, to groan in despair.

"Bring the lights back, Da," Joh

"Joh

"I wa

My heart leapt in my chest.

"Me?" I squeaked.

"Always you," Joh

"He's not himself, Sha

"Uh…" I looked to her and nodded uncertainly. "Okay?"

His father switched on a small overhead light then, bathing the room in a soft glow.

With my heart racing, I took in the sight of Joh

He had wires strapped to his bare chest, and one coming out of his arm that was hooked to a drip.

For once, I managed to not ogle at his naked chest, concentrating on his beautiful, bruised, and tired looking face instead.

"See her, Da? See? So fucking beautiful!" Joh

Oh, god…

"Oh, Joh

"Leave him be, Edel," his father chuckled. "He can't help himself right now."

"Sha

"I'm here, Joh

"You're here?" He nodded, more to himself than anyone else. "Don’t leave me again."

My heart squeezed in my chest and my words came out in a small puff. "I won't."

I felt incredibly uncomfortably, having both of his parents in the room, but I pushed down those feelings and made my legs walk towards him.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, closing the space between us, choosing to come around Gibsie's side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Come closer," Joh

"Uh, okay?"

Stepping around Gibsie, I moved to his bedside.

"Don’t you dare!" Mrs. Kavanagh barked, causing me to jerk back and Joh

"Spoil sport," Joh

"John, tuck those blankets under the mattress," she instructed before turning her glare on her son. "I don’t care how high you are, Johnathon Robert Kavanagh Jr., I will cut it off if you so much as think about showing her."

"Show me what?" I asked nervously.

"My dick," Joh

Gibsie threw his head back and howled laughing.

Mr. Kavanagh joined him.

"And Jesus wept," Mrs. Kavanagh sobbed.

"He's high, little Sha

"Oh, well, that's okay," I whispered, feeling my cheeks flame in embarrassment.

"Hold my hand," Joh

I looked to his mother, unsure whether she would mind me touching her son in this condition.

Mrs. Kavanagh just sighed and nodded.

"I was worried about you," I told him, taking his big hand in mine. "You gave me an awful fright."

"And I was worried about you," Joh

He tugged hard and dragged me onto the bed.

"Joh

"It's okay," I assured Mr. Kavanagh before taking an uncertain seat at the edge of his bed.

I had no choice in this.

It was either sit on the edge of Joh

"I didn’t know where you were," Joh

He called you baby.

He called you baby again.

"I'm here now," I whispered, unable to stop my smile at how adorable he was in this moment. "And you're going to be okay."

"I love you, Sha

My heart stopped.

Did he just?

No.

No, of course he didn’t.

"I fucking love you," Joh

Oh, god.

He did.

He absolutely did.

Twice.

He's high, Sha

He doesn’t know what he's saying.

Don’t take this to heart.

"Gibs?"

"Yeah, lad?"

"My sperm chord didn’t snap." Joh

Gibsie snickered. "Good to know, Cap."

"See, Ma," Joh

"I…" I cleared my throat and exhaled a ragged breath. "I…"

"Sha

"Say it," Joh

"Joh

"Just tell me you will," he begged loudly. "Just say it, Sha

"Sure?" I croaked out, feeling faint. "Whatever you want, Joh

"Gibs," Joh

"I sure did, Bulldozer."

"Didn’t I do good, Da?" he continued to rave. "See? I found her!"

"You did a great job," Mr. Kavanagh coaxed.

"Sorry, folks, but Mr. Kavanagh is only allowed one family member to stay with him outside of visiting hours," a female nurse called from the doorway, both startling me and saving me from having to respond to Joh