Y/n Pov

I stared at the devilishly handsome boy before me. His eyes filled with a mix of dismay and fear. He was rooted to the spot, frozen. My head was pounding, my body sore. But even that didn't stop me from pranking. I sat up, adjusting myself on the hospital bed. It was dark outside, and the room was dim. Thank God because my eyes hurt at the slightest trace of light. I pressed my lips together, fighting a smile.

"I'm sorry, Five." He frowned at me, confused, astilting his head slightly to the side, his mouth partially open. "I guess it was a bad joke."

He gave me a puzzled look before shaking his head. A faint smile curled up his lip. "Bad joke?" He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're an evil woman." His tone was teasing, and I chuckled.

"Please, don't make me laugh. I'm all sore."

"You started it." Five shook his head, now smiling broadly. "You frightened me to death."

"Are you mad?" I asked.

He brought his hand to my face, caressing my cheek. "I couldn't be mad at you. I'm over the moon that you woke up." Five leaned into my ear and lowered his voice. "I'll punish you later."

He winked at me before leaving a soft kiss on my lips before our eyes locked.

"For a moment there, I thought I lost you." His tone was low, soft. "And it was the worst feeling I've ever experienced."

I drowned in the his greenish-blue eyes, butterflies dancing in my belly. I wanted to tell Five that I was falling for him or that perhaps I already had, hard. But I couldn't. The words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I was scared it was too soon, and I would scare him off, lose him, and that thought was frightening. Five slid his hand to the back of my hand, gently leaning in to kiss my forehead.

"I'll call a doctor," he whispered, and I shook my head, yes, breathing out heavily. I haven't out heavily. I hadn't found the courage to tell him that I loved him.

"Everything seems fine," the doctor, a pleasant Hindi beauty, stated as she wrote her notes down on the patient record. "You'll be good to go home tomorrow. We'll keep you for observation for the night."

I nodded, acknowledging, smiling at her. Despite that being her job, I was grateful for her help. Five was standing next to me, resting against the wall next to the window. His hands crossed on his abdomen. I scanned him carefully all the way from his black dress shoes up to his black suit, wondering what secrets he had. What dark things I didn't know about this boy I was falling for.

"Your family is waiting outside to see you," the doc's soft voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Do you want me to let them in?"

I glanced at Five, who stood by my side like a bodyguard, taking a deep breath, As much as I didn't want to see my father, I knew it was inevitable. "Yes, let them in, please."

The doctor nodded and gave me a polite smile before she left. I heard her soft voice through the door she left ajar, updating my family about my condition before telling them they could come in.

"Y/n, shit, thank God!" Jayme ran through the door, reaching her hand to hug me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just... sore."

"We were so worried about you, Number eight." My fathers stern voice rang in my ears.

Wow... he really has some nerve.

Sloane sat on the edge of my bed, caressing my hair, staring at me with her brows furrowing and a worried gaze. "The doctor said we can take you home tomorrow. We'll take care of you. I promise."

An image from my quarrel with my father flashed before my eyes and an uneasy feeling of anxiety rushed through my body, and I flinched. I looked at my father and Five. They were exchanging deadly stares. Five's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched.

"You should leave now," Reginald shrieked, still staring at Five. "She's with her family, and her boyfriend is waiting to see her."

I couldn't believe the audacity of this man. Even after everything that happened, he still wanted to use me, pushing me into the arms of the man who cheated on me. The man who responsible for everything that had happened since. Maybe I should thank Ben because if it weren't for his betrayal, I wouldn't have met Five.

"Are you serious?" I winced. My family straightened up, swallowing hard. They all looked like a scared puppy, afraid to even open their mouths.

"Come to your senses, Number eight," my father hissed.

"Yeah Y/n, don't throw away your whole life away because of... him." Marcus barely refrained.

"No, you know what? You leave." I shook my head, a wave of resentment rushing through me. I looked to the side to see Five, who respected my need to talk to my father even though I knew how much he despised my father, especially after I confessed to him the night before. Five glanced at me fleetingly, instantly knowing what I needed. He read me like an open book. He understood me without words, and that made our bond so special.

"I think that's your cue to leave, Reginald," Five stated, his voice calm yet firm.

He came closer to my bed, covering my hand with his, and in an instant, I feel safe. Five's presence made me stronger and braver, not afraid of my father. I looked out of the window, refusing to look into my fathers in his eyes. My father clearly his throat before speaking.

"Come along children."and with that he walked out of my room, with my siblings following him . I didn't have high expectations when it came to my siblings not listening to him but knowing that they gave up so easily overwhelmed my soul with desolating despair.

Five sat beside me, pulling me between his arms for a comfortable hug, I took a deep breath, inhaling his addictive scent that kept me sane.

"Move in with me," he whispered.

I slowly pulled back to look at him, our eyes locked, and I couldn't hide the astonishment.

"I'm not staying forever, but at least until you're fully recovered. Or until my family event." His voice was so soothing it was like a palliative remedy for my pain, a cure gluing my broken heart back together. "I have to go back to New York, at least for some time, and I don't want to leave you here. Come with me. Please."

I was lost at words. The idea of flying to New York with Five was something I wanted the most. But it was all happening so fast, and I was afraid that one day I would drown in the deep sea I was thrown into. Just a couple of days ago, I had a long-term boyfriend and a life I'd known. It wasn't perfect, but it was familiar. Five, in contrast, was new territory for me. The question was... did I want to explore the new, uncharted territory?

"Okay." I nodded, unable to fight the smile curling on my lips.

Five looked at me, startled, as if he didn't expect me to agree. A broad grin formed on his face, showing off his adorable dimple. He chuckled softly before embracing me, his arms felt like home. I realized home isn't a place. Home is where you feel safe, loved, at your best, where you want to be, and where you want to return after a long, bad day. And for me, it was Five's arms.

"Excuse me, Five?" A vaguely familiar male voice reached my ears as a tall man dressed exactly like Five lurked at the entrance of the room, peeking through the slightly ajar door.

The first thing that caught my eye was his accent and his slicked-back dark brown hair and multiple ear piercings. I couldn't see his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. It was funny that he wore dark sunglasses inside and in the middle of the night, but there was nothing funny about that man. Five switched his attention to his friend, employee, or whoever the man was, and the dark-haired man stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. A dangerous kind of darkness emanated from him in the exact same way as when I first met Five. I tilted my head to the side, scanning the man with my eyes inch by inch. I had a feeling we'd met before but I couldn't recall where. Until he took off his glasses, revealing his greenish eyes, and the world stopped turning.

"Zachary?" Five asked somewhat impatiently.

"I just wanted to check in, see if you needed anything." He cleared his throat, avoiding my gaze.

"No. You may leave. I'll stay here for the night," Five stated, searching his pockets.

"Five , you don't have to stay here." I squeezed his hand, smiling at him comfortingly, but he only smiled back, leaving a gentle kiss on my cheek before approaching his friend.

"Here. The keys to my place. You'll stay with me there until we fly back back to New York."

"Gotcha." He nodded, fleetingly peeking in my direction. "Get well, Miss Hargreeves."

"Thank you, Zachary." I barely managed to say his name out loud, giving him a faint smile before he walked out of the room.

Five took his blazer to his suit and threw it into the chair before sitting on the bed next to me, resting his back against the wall and sliding his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm right where I want to be," he said softly, kissing the top of my head.

I sank into his arms, making myself comfortable. I was more grateful that he stayed then I cared to admit.

"Who's he to you?" I asked a little too quietly.

"Zachary?"

I nodded.

"He's my right-hand man."

"Right-hand man? As in helping you with business?"

Five took a deep breath before replying, "Yeah. With business. He's also my friend."

I inhaled deeply.

Well, that complicates everything.