His attention turned back to Melissa's prone form and he sighed.
“I've got to call her mom,” he said, pushing to his feet.
“Do you need moral support?” I asked but he smiled wryly and shook his head.
“No, I should probably learn to dosomethings on my own,” he said.
Snorting, I pushed to my feet, feelingitchy.I needed to get out of here, to breathe fresh, non-hospital air.
“Call me when you're ready,” I said and went around the bed to him.
At the last second, I was afraid he would push me away, but forced myself to offer a hug. To my relief, he sank into my arms for a long moment, returning the embrace.
But he broke apart rather abruptly, his gaze flying to Melissa as though afraid she may have woken up in that short moment and received another shock.
Chuckling, he pushed me gently.
“Okay, go so I can deal with the in-laws.
“You're going to tell them what happened?” I asked.
He shook his head.
“I don't think so. Not everything. Me and Melissa need to talk, before the whole family gets involved.”
I smiled, leaned in and then thought better of it at the last moment, looking at Melissa with the creepy feeling that she actuallyhadwoken up.
“Okay, not in front of her,” I agreed.
Kamran chuckled softly.
I settled on squeezing his shoulder because it sucked not being able to touch him. Then, when I got outside I realized that it sucked even more not being able to be at his side at all.
His words kept swirling around in myhead on repeat and it was probably for the best that I stayed away while I processed the reality of it all.
Mistakes were made. Big ones.
I had no doubt that our love was real but we had both gone about it all wrong.
And Kamran might blame himself, but I was the one who should have held him back and told him to wait instead of caving at the opportunity to selfishly take what I had always wanted.
NINETEEN
Kamran
I got off the phone with the insurance company and turned to look inside the door to Melissa's room. Her mom and dad had left to get her something other than hospital food to eat and Michelle was still sitting at her side. None of them had started acting like they hated me, so I assumed that meant that Melissa hadn't told them what had happened yet.
“Never forget the silver lining,” Michelle was saying. “Your body may be battered and bruised, but at least your face is fine.”
Melissa chuckledand then winced because of her rib. She placed a hand over it and then her gaze flickered up, meeting mine where I was standing by the door.
She smiled softly, sadness in her eyes and I tried to return the gesture because I appreciated it, but my gaze blurred with tears and I knew I probably looked even sadder than she did.
“Chelle,” she said, “Can you give me and Kamran a few minutes?”
Michelle nodded and pushed to her feet.
“Good luck,” she whispered as she passed me at the door.
