After fifteen minutes of trying to find a comfortable position to sleep, I give up, lay flat on my back and stare at the ceiling. I can feel the frustration coming off from Lucas too, so I close my eyes and count to ten, focusing on my breathing like the nurses taught me at the hospital.

The doctors said there wasn't much they could do about my ribs. So unless I had a fever, vomit or had problems breathing, I would be just fine in a few weeks. According to them, ribs mostly heal by themselves and a cast around my chest would just prevent me from breathing well.

"What can I do?" Lucas sits by my side on the bed and caresses my cheek.

"Can you kiss it and make it better?" I bite my lower lip, trying to keep a straight face.

"Hmmm, I think I could do that..." He presses his other hand to my side and I'm suddenly surrounded by him.

He leans his head and gives me a peck on the lips so fast I don't even have time to close my eyes. "Is it better, now?" He smirks.

"No, I think you can do better than that." I smile, savoring this moment with him.

His eyes search mine for a second, and I think he'll not give me what I want. But then I see the exact moment he closes his eyes, so I give in. He kisses me so tenderly I feel it through my whole body.

"What about now?" he whispers, his lips still touching mine.

"Lucas..." I hold his face with both hands and kiss him deeply.

The moment I feel his tongue touching mine, I realize that as crazy as it may be, I'm falling for him. I just hope he is there to catch me.

"Damn..." He breaks the kiss and nuzzles my neck.

"What?" I close my eyes, enjoying his touch.

"You." He looks at me, his eyes showing me I'm not alone with all these feelings.

"What about me?" I smile.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you? How crazy I am about you? I tried so hard not to fall for you... but deep down I knew I couldn't fight it."

"Lucas, I-" He touches his lips to mine, interrupting me.

"You don't need to say anything. Not right now." He caresses my cheek, his lips so close to mine I can't help but lean into another kiss that he, too soon, breaks.

"I just want you to know that I was terrified, and I had never seen myself as a weak man. Even when I lost the woman I thought I'd be spending the rest of my life with... My focus was my son, so I knew I'd be strong for him. But seeing you on that hospital bed... I hate how weak I felt, how helpless. I promised myself I would never allow myself to feel that broke again... But then.."

"I'm so sorry for everything you and Nate had to go through." I use both hands to touch his face, his neck, then his hair, hoping I soothe him in a way.

"Seeing you that day... I was terrified to lose you, to lose the second chance I was given." He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before focusing on me again. "I can't help but feel guil-"

"You're not-"

"I know how you feel about it..." He kisses my nose. "I just want you to know that I'm working on all that. I want you to know that I'm here... and that I'm sorry. Really sorry."

"You're really going to make me cry if you don't stop talking and start kissing me right now." I give him a small smile.

How did my life change so fast? How did I go from a broken heart to wanting a future with this guy?

*****

I don't know when I fell asleep but it must've been a while since it's already dark outside. I need to pee and shower in my own bathroom, but the handsome man by my side prevents me from moving anywhere.

"Stop staring at me," he says, his eyes still closed.

"I'm not," I lie.

"Come here." He pulls me to his side, making me flinch. "Sorry."

"That's fine. I'm just really sore." I sigh.

"What can I do for you?" He kisses my cheek.

"I need to pee." I smile.

"Okay." He smiles.

"And maybe take a shower?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Oh." He smirks. "I can walk you to the bathroom."

How can my body react so strongly to this guy after everything I've been through? I mean, my body hurts everywhere but at the same time, I want him so bad... I want to feel closer to him.

I look at him and shake my head as he stands up and helps me out of the bed. I try not to focus on the pain, but the way my heart feels. I'm happy. Just being near him and knowing we are fine is like a burst of energy I didn't even know I needed to keep going.

The moment we get to the bathroom, he looks at me and laughs. "Alright. Think you can pee by yourself?"

"You are such a jerk." I smile and motion for him to leave.

"Don't lock the door, okay? I'll make a call to check on Nate so just call me if you need anything." He kisses the top of my head before leaving.

After a much-needed shower, I feel somehow better. I know I'll have to take some painkillers at some point, but I just want to be with Lucas for a little while longer without feeling groggy. So, I put on the fluffiest robe I own and head to the living room to find him.

The moment I step into the room, I'm surprised to see Greg is still here, so my eyes go to Lucas, hating how his jaw is tense and his eyes are hard. I don't know what is happening, but I'm about to find out.

Lisa is sitting on the sofa, and I make my way to her side. "How are you feeling, girl?" She holds my hands and the moment her eyes meet mine, I know something is wrong.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Nothing, I was just telling them I decided to book a room for a few days. I was worried and decided to be close. You know, in case you need anything." Greg answers, earning a glare from Lucas.

"Oh?" I look at Lisa for help but she just shrugs. "Uh, thanks, Greg, but I'll be fine. Lisa is staying with me and I'm sure Lucas-"

"She has a boyfriend now, man. You need to back the fuck off," Lucas says, and I can see the anger pouring off him.

"Lucas-"

"Despite everything you may think, man, I care about her. We've been in each other's life forever! I know her and-"

"Are you just kidding me right now? You left her! You allowed her to move away on her own after making plans of sticking with her forever. So again, back off!"

"I'm staying as long as you need me, Alexia!" Greg says, now looking at me, and I silently thank my best friend when she answers for me.

"All right, how about that? Alexia has just suffered a car accident, guys! Come on, Greg, go back to your hotel room and I promise to call you back later to update you." She stands up and leads him to the door.

"Okay." He sighs and looks at me and then at Lucas. "I'll text you later, Alexia," he says before finally leaving.

"And Lucas?" Lisa smirks at him.

"Yeah?" he says.

"You got the girl, dude! Chill!" She chuckles.

Lucas shakes his head and looks down, but I can see a hint of a smile on his face. If there is something Lisa is good at, is defusing a bad situation.

I force myself to stand up and go to him. "Hey," I whisper.

"He wants you back." He looks into my eyes, and I hate the insecurity I see there.

"He broke up with me," I say.

"And he regrets it. Believe me!" He holds my nape and touches his nose to mine, making me close my eyes.

"You don't need to worry about it, okay?" I pull from his hold to look at him.

"Is it hot in here, or is it just me?" Lisa stands up and heads to the fridge. "You two are so in love it's disgusting," she says, making us both chuckle.

"Are you guys hungry? How about some pizza?" I ask.

"Starving," Lisa says while opening a bottle of water.

"I have to go get Nate first. Is it okay if he stops by?" Lucas asks.

"Of course, I'll have to get some painkillers at some point, so I'll just wait for you guys so we can eat first." I kiss his cheek and sit on the sofa.

"All right, then. I'll be back soon and I'll bring the pizza, ladies," he says before closing the door behind him.

"Okay, say it." I close my eyes and rest my head on the back of the sofa.

"What?" Lisa chuckles, sitting by my side. "He is really into you."

"You think?"

"Are you crazy? You should've seen the way he looked at Greg. He was ready to punch him."

"What's Greg doing here, anyway?" I look at her. I know he was worried, but him being here after all that we've been through so far is really confusing.

"I think Lucas is right, you know? I've known Greg for a long time, and... I don't know... He seems lost without you."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought he was fine when you moved here. I mean, the break-up was his idea and all, but he is sad, you know? I think he misses you."

"He's just told me he is over me. He came here and we talked. We are friends. That's all," I say, not really sure who I'm trying to convince: her or me, but I hope she sees that it's just concern on his part. The last thing I need right now is to deal with Greg still having feelings for me.

"Whatever you say, hun." She shakes her head and turns on the TV. I know she has more to say, but I'm glad she opts to let it go. I need to put this whole Greg thing behind me, once and for all.

After some time, I hear a knock on the door and Lisa rushes to answer. "Well, if you don't have good genes, Lucas. Isn't your kid cute?" I hear her say. "Come on in, guys."

"Nate, this is Alexia's friend, Lisa," Lucas says once inside.

"Nice to meet you, Lisa." Nate offers her hand, making us all smile.

Damn! I haven't realized how much I've missed this little guy until now.

"Nice to meet you, Nate. I heard you became friends forever with my BFF?" She jokes.

"She didn't know anyone here... She needed a friend." He shrugs as if offering to be someone's friend and sticking to them was a common thing.

"Well, thanks for taking care of her." She smiles and turns to me, mouthing the word adorable.

"Hey, don't I get a welcome hug?" I ask, looking at him.

He blushes but rushes to hug me. And the moment I feel him in my arms, my heart warms and I can't help but miss my students too. People underestimate the impact kids have on someone's life, but they're the most sincere and open-hearted creatures in the world. They've helped me to move on and I can't wait to see them again.

"I missed your face, buddy." I smile at him.

"Me too." He looks down. "But my dad wouldn't let me visit you at the hospital."

"That's okay, I'm glad you're here now." I touch his shoulder.

"I told him you'd be scared there by yourself." He frowns and Jesus if my heart doesn't skip a beat.

"See," I clear my throat, "my parents were there with me, so I was not really alone, you know?" I ask, and he nods.

"Okay," he whispers.

"Okay, uh..." I look at Lucas who's giving us a sad smile. Even though it hurt, I now understand his reasons for being apart. So, I just shake my head slightly and smile at him. "How about some pizza and a movie?"

"Yes!" Nate says, getting comfortable by my side.

*****

I am feeling really uncomfortable after thirty minutes of sitting in the same position. Nate refused to leave my side, and I don't really have the heart to stop seeing the movie with him.

Sensing my discomfort, Lisa offers to get my painkillers, and it doesn't take me much longer for me to feel asleep. I have to force myself to stay awake, but as soon as the movie is over, I'm ready to call it a day.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Lucas nudges my foot. "I need to get going,"

"Okay..." I yawn.

"Sleep with me tonight," he whispers close to my ear, surprising the hell out of me.

"What?" I ask, looking from him to Nate.

"Get your head out of the gutter." He chuckles. "I was thinking you could sleep with me tonight so Lisa could have your bed."

"Sleep?" I ask, trying to keep a straight face.

"You know when you close your eyes and your mind and body rest-"

"Right." I laugh and look at Lisa, who's smirking at me. My heart is ready to burst out from happiness, but I don't want to leave her here by herself.

"Fine with me, girl," she says, her eyes dancing with humor.

"What about you, Nate?" I turn to him, a little worried about his answer.

I know Lucas asking me to spend the night is a huge step on his part, especially with Nate at home, but the last thing I want is to make him uncomfortable or to break their routine.

"Is she really your girlfriend, dad?" He looks at Lucas who smiles at him.

"She is, buddy. Is that still alright?"

"Yay!" He cheers.

"Well, then it's settled," he says, before scooping me into his arms. "Let's get going."

And who am I to say no to that?

_____

A/N: Yeah, I mean, would you say no to that?

Thanks so much for reading! How are you enjoying the story so far? :)

XOXO

- Celeste