Page 31 of Always Meant To Be
I’m in the hospital, and his brother is here, not him,his brother….
“You had me pretty worried, El…” he says as he stands. “Doc says a bullet skimmed your shoulder, but you do have one in your leg. He’s just waiting for your test results before removing it.”
His brother, not him….
I nod numbly, my eyes going to my wedding rings.
He protectedher, notme,after he spent the whole evening with her, leaving me alone.
“Elena…” Antonio starts, but loud voices echo.
One is Romeo’s. “Where the fuck is my wife!”just hits my ears before the curtain is moved and his disheveled figure comes into view, my father right behind him.
His body deflates seeing me, and he runs his hand through his black hair, but my anger erupts.
I don’t want him here; I don’t want my father here….
“Get out!” I command coldly, making Romeo and my father freeze in shock as Antonio winces. Romeo steps forward, and I snap, “I mean it; get out, both of you!” He stops in shock before the doctor walks in.
He looks around the cubicle and says, “Unless you're family, I need you all to leave.”
Romeo glares at the man and growls, “I’m her husband, Romeo Russo.” The man’s body stills at hearing my husband’s name. “Mikhail Mikhailov is her father, and the man sitting near her is her brother-in-law. Now, doctor, why don’t you tell me what the hell is wrong with my wife!”
The doctor swallows hard, face pale, and he stutters, “Your, uh, wife, uh, she still has a bullet in her upper thigh. It just missed any major arteries, but we couldn’t remove it until I had her test results. We, uh, had to stitch up her right shoulder, she’ll have a six-centimeter scar from where a bullet skimmed her.” He looks between my father and husband, then stutters, “Her, uh, test results are, uh, now in?—”
I cut the doctor off, angry he’s talking to them and not me, and snap, “Unless you want me to hobble out of this hospital with a bullet in my leg, then I suggest you stop sharing my private medical information, and get those two men out of here right now.”
The doctor looks my way in shock, as does Romeo and my father.
I raise a brow and sneer, “Get the hell out right now, the pair of you.”
“El…” my father tries but Romeo steps forward and rasps, “You’re hurt,farfalla. We’re not leaving.”
I chuckle at the irony. He won’t leave because I’m hurt, yet he jumps on my sister to save her while I was shot at.
Fuck him!
“Then it looks like I’m leaving with a bullet in my leg!” I state and try to get up, causing the doctor to rush over, but Antonio beats him to me, and grabs me.
“Fratello, leave now, I’ll stay with her,” he snaps. Romeo’s jaw ticks with anger before my father relents, and he drags him out, shutting the curtain. Antonio looks at the doctor, “Can you take the bullet out now?”
The doctor clears his throat, his gray eyes looking apprehensive as he asks, “Can I speak freely?”
I furrow my brows but say, “Yes, you can.”
He clears his throat again and asks, “Are you aware that you are eight weeks pregnant?”
My mouth drops open in shock, and I stutter, “I, uh, I, I can’t be pregnant, I’m on the shot, I, I got one two months ago….” I look at Antonio, who refuses to make eye contact, and narrow my eyes at him suspiciously.
“It’s possible it could have failed,” the doctor tries.
I don’t take my eyes off Antonio, and I question, “Even after getting it every other year, and having the pills in between for four years?”
The doctor doesn’t reply, knowing the likely hood of my methods failing as Antonio looks my way with guilt. I scoff, “Leonardo’s little nurse buddy…. She’s the one who gave me my shot. Let me guess, she replaced it with water?” Antonio winces and opens his mouth, but I shake my head and rasp, “No matter. I’ve fulfilled the rest of the contract. As soon as the baby is born, I’m leaving.” His eyes widen. Still, I ignore him and look toward the doctor, and ask, “Can you remove the bullet, please? My leg is throbbing.”
He swallows, his throat bobbing, but he nods and calls for a nurse to bring anesthesia, causing my father and Romeo to barge in.
I glare at them, but Romeo glares back and snaps, “If you think I’m not going to be in here while they remove that bullet, then you have another think fucking coming.”