Chapter 23

I looked up and saw a figure entering my room, I smiled and tried to get up easy to welcome her.

-Hey.

Jennifer said, happy to see me. She came by my bed and gave me a short kiss after putting her things on the nightstand.

-How are you today?

-Better now that you came.

She chuckled at my joke and I pulled her closer to me, moving my hands up her hips and capturing her tiny waist in a big embrace. She leaned to me, her lips meeting mine in a passionate kiss. I dragged her towards me, making her fall on me. She pushed me gently, forcing me to stop kissing her.

-I don't think this is what we are supposed to do here.

-Feels right.

She looked around the room and then smiled at me in a freakish way.

-No cameras.

I smiled at her and slid my arms on her back, searching.

-No bra.

I said while undoing it. She smiled and pushed me on the bed, coming on top of me and kissing me hungrily. It was the first time we ever made love since we got together. The first time I touched a woman after Vivien.

She took off my shirt and I did the same with her, her undone bra falling down her delicate arms. I stopped and admired her small breasts before playing with them, making her sigh with pleasure. She started kissing my bare chest going down until she reached my pants. She slid them down altogether with my underwear, then covered herself with the blanket and pointed me to the bed. When she finished I forcefully took her down, coming on top of her. I kissed her tender breasts while taking her pants off. Without any hesitation I entered her and she screamed while holding the bars of the bed.

I stared at her getting dressed again, long after we finished. We stayed a little bit in bed, side by side, our breaths taken away by the wild love making. She saw that I was staring and gave me a wicked smile.

-Round 2?

I shook my head.

-You ended me.

She laughed.

-Are you tired?

-Yes.

I got up and grabbed my shirt, putting it on.

-You know, we didn't use any protection.

She finished tucking her shirt in her pants and came closer to me, giving me a short kiss on the lips.

-Don't worry about that. Now maybe we can start doing what we really were supposed to do.

I looked at her with an innocent face.

-I thought this is what we were supposed to do.

She laughed and came closer to me with a stick in her hand.

-Let's practice walking.

I took the stick from her hand and I moved to the edge of the bed. Without too much struggle I put all of my body weight into my legs and stood up with the help of the stick. She gave me a little bit of space but still stayed close to me. I started walking until I passed completely the nightstand.

-Good, let's walk until the opposite wall.

I straightened my back and proceeded to walk to the wall. I was moving slow but considerable better compared to the other times I tried. I felt Jennifer's steady gaze examining my every movement. When I finally reached the wall, I turned to her and she was smiling brightly.

-That was amazing, it was much better than the last times. Are you tired?

-No, not as much.

-Can you walk back to the bed?

-Sure.

I started walking to the bed with her closely by my side.

-So when do you think I am going to be able to get back to my job?

-It's hard to say, but you make big improvements every day.

-Can you estimate?

-Maybe in a few weeks you will be ready, are you so eager to go back?

-I don't want to give Mister Collin another reason to fire me.

-Marcus, don't worry. Mister Collin understands completely and will wait until you get better.

I sat back on the bed, Jennifer took the stick from me and sat beside me.

-Have you heard of Vivien?

-No, she hasn't visited.

-Did something else happen between the two of you?

-Not really, I am just her employee.

-You sounded like more than that when she talked about you.

She said while getting up and starting to gather her things. I looked up and fixed her with my eyes.

-What do you mean?

-She seemed to really care about you.

-Vivien?

-Yeah. Listen, I have to go now, but I will visit you later, okay?

-Sure.

She leaned and gave me a short kiss before going towards the door.

-Later.

-Bye.

I watched her leave, a grin crossing my face while admiring her body. I thought back to when I first kissed her, she leaned back, her big brown eyes penetrating mine, begging me for more. Then in the blink of an eye she was off the bed, back again standing and putting her things back in her bag.

-Are you leaving?

I heard myself ask, something was making me want her there with me. She stopped and looked at me, forcing gently a smile.

-I guess you don't need to be checked after all.

I looked down at my hands, at the covers hiding my momentarily useless legs, then I closed my eyes and said the first think that came through my mind.

-I don't want you to leave.

I glanced back at her who was standing beside the nightstand staring at me confused, then I saw her directing her gaze to the floor and slowly biting her lip.

-I know about you and Vivien.

-What?

-I know that you had a story going on.

-Which is over.

She raised her head at me, her eyes flickering in the dim light.

-What I am trying to say is if this is just an impulse because of what happened with Vivien...

-It's not.

After that we became closer and closer, we used our time together working on my ability to walk as an opportunity to get to know each other. I discovered in her a friend I could always count on and a loving girlfriend who always supported me.

Our relationship was going great with all of the weeks' days filled by meetings together. She was always with me as I was her number one priority among her patients. But as always, all the good things come to an end. The beginning of the ending was in one particular meeting, a few weeks after our first time.

I just finished walking around the room, barely needing the stick anymore. When I sat back she came at the edge of my bed, her eyes catching sad rhythms.

-I have some good news for you.

-What is it?

-You can go home.

-Really?

-Yes. You have improved in the past weeks, your legs are visibly better so you will be able to go back to your job.

-Since when?

-Tomorrow.

I got up and captured her in a big embrace, then kissed her and looked at her slightly sad face.

-That's amazing, what is it?

-No, it's nothing. I'm happy you are better.

-Hey, don't worry. I will do everything to see you as much as possible, ok?

-Okay.

She nodded and her sad face transformed in a big grin.

-We can celebrate this in our special way.

I smiled as well when I felt pushed back in the bed and I saw her coming on top of me, crawling to my mouth in the search of a kiss.

As I was putting on the clothes I wore at the accident flashes of pictures appeared before my eyes. I saw Matilda's steady gun pointed at us, then her dead body lying on the floor. A knock snapped me out of these thoughts.

-Enter.

Jennifer opened the door and slid through it, remaining in the other end of the room, watching me closely.

-Are you ready?

I turned to her, grabbing my phone and putting it inside my pocket.

-Yes.

She opened the door waiting for me before she exited. A car arranged by Mr. Collin was waiting for us in the front of the hospital, we got in without saying any words.

I felt my heart beating faster when the driver pulled at the house's main entrance. I looked at Jennifer and kissed her before leaving.

-I'll call you.

She nodded and pointed her attention back in the front as the car was taking off. I started walking to the door, my beatings growing faster until I opened it. Then I saw her and my heart suddenly stopped.