Chapter Thirty Eight
Raleigh
“I’ll see y’all later,” I tell my brothers, poking my head into the living room as I make my way to the front door.
“And where are you going?” Rowan asks, pinning me with a concerned look. Ever since the party where Brady took advantage of me, they have been much more protective, almost unbearably so.
I know that it’s because they are concerned, but I’m almost eighteen, and them wanting to know where I’m going when I get to my destination, and then to also let them know when I’m leaving, it’s getting to the point of making me feel like I can’t breathe, as though I’m being smothered.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t check life360 to check up on me.
“I’m going over to Lincoln’s. His stepsister, Aspen, woke up from her coma a few days ago and I finally got the okay to go over and visit her.”
“And you’re going straight over there and then right back home?” Ryler asks, adjusting his position on the couch.
“Yes, *Dad*,” I say sarcastically, as I try my hardest to not roll my eyes and release a huff of irritation. Without waiting for them to say anything more I dash outside, the door thudding loudly behind me as it shuts.
Excitement courses through me as I pull into the Jones’s driveway, this is only the second time I’ve been here, the first being when I was invited over to join their family game night, and I can’t wait to see everyone again.
“Hey Baby,” Lincoln greets me with a smile on his face as he opens my door for me. Before I get the chance to say anything in return, he’s swooping me into his arms and crushing his mouth to mine in a kiss so hot that I’m breathless when we finally break apart.
“Hey,” I respond breathlessly, Lincoln’s stunning blue eyes darkening with desire as he presses his groin into my stomach. “Missed me, did you?” I ask, my voice low and deep as I close the distance between our mouths once more.
“Are you sure you want to go in there?” Lincoln asks, his voice deep and husky as he breaks our kiss this time. Thrusting his hard cock against me once more, he groans and says, “I can guarantee you a better time if we go anywhere else but in there.”
“As tempting of an offer as that is, I’m here to see Aspen.” Then with a wink, I say, “I’ll be sure you get get your turn later,” before slipping out of his arms and up to the front stoop. Just before I get the door open, Lincoln’s arms are wrapping around me from behind as he pulls me into his hard body as he lowers his head, his warm breath sending goosebumps throughout my entire body as he begins nibbling on the shell of my ear and making my core pulse with desire. When he feels the raised flesh on my arms, he releases a husky chuckle and says, “I’m going to hold you to that.”
Escaping him, I rush inside, finding Ashlynn coming down the hall just as I step inside.
“Oh, hi. Mrs. Jones. Is it okay if I go up and see Aspen?” I ask awkwardly.
She smiles, her eyes twinkling as she glances over my shoulder to the man who is stepping inside behind me, her smile growing wider. With a knowing look, she nods and says, “Go on up. She should be in her room.”
Afraid that Lincoln may try to distract me again, I rush up the stairs and down the hall to the last door, hoping that this is still her room.
Knocking gently on the door, I poke my head inside as I call her name, "Aspen?" When she looks up at me from the spot on her bed, I say, "Hey, your mom said that I could come on up." She looks at me confused, as though she trying to figure out why I am here, but shrugs it off, offering me a slight smile as I step into her room. Shutting the door behind me, I make my way over to her, taking her in. Her tanned complexion has wanned since I last saw her, but I guess spending a month in a hospital bed with no sunlight will do that to a person. She has dark circles beneath her eyes, eyes that look wholly lost and confused.
Taking a deep breath, I remind myself that this girl before me, although she’s been in a coma for the past month, is still the girl that I’d come to think of as a friend, and then make my way over to her.
"How are you feeling?" I ask, sitting down on the bed next to her. My earlier excitement is replaced by nerves and my palms begin to sweat. As surreptitiously as I can manage, I begin wiping my hands on the thighs of my jeans, trying to rid them of the moisture.
I watch as the strong, self-assured person that I’d come to know Aspen as draws in on herself, shrugging her shoulders and turning her attention to anything that isn’t me, namely the invisible fuzz on her white comforter.
"I don't even know how to answer that," she murmurs, her words barely even audible. She looks up at me, nibbling at her bottom lip before she says, "I'm sorry...but, what's your name?"
Surprise startles me. I know that Lincoln had said that she was having problems with her memory, it was part of the reason why their parents wanted to wait a few days before letting me come by to visit her, I still didn't expect it.
I guess it’s not really something that you can fully prepare yourself for.
"So, it's true?" I ask gently, instead of answering her question, "You really have no memory from since before you moved here?"
She shakes her head no, and suddenly the realization of everything that she must be feeling, how hard all of this has to be for her, hits me. "That must be so hard.” I murmur, then hold my hand out as if this is the first time we’ve met one another and say, “I'm Raleigh. Lincoln and I are seeing each other, but we kind of hit it off also and I think we were on our way to becoming friends."
"Really?" she asks, sounding dejected. "I'm sorry. I really wish I could remember.” And I can tell that she doesn’t say those words just to say them but actually means them.
*Poor Boston*, I can’t help but think. He so desperately wanted her to wake up, and then when she finally does, she doesn’t remember him or their relationship together.
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