Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The sound continuously echoes in my head until it pulls me out of the deep sleep I'm in. my eyes shoot open and are greeted by a plain white ceiling.

The shade, accompanied by the brightness of the daylight streaming makes me immediately shut then closed again.

Trying once more, I open them and after a few seconds my retinas get used to the bright light.

It doesn't take long for my brain to gather that I am at a hospital, in a very cosy room. The beige walls mixed with calm, soft hints of peach, calms my mind. I look to my left to find that the beeping sound that woke me was a heart monitor. The blue pulsating wavelength showing the steady beating of my heart.

What melts my heart is the sight of my fiance sleeping with his head bowed near my blanket covered legs. I run my fingers through his hair and this rouses awake from his slumber. He lazily turns his head to me and I am captured by his blue eyes.

I have missed seeing him. I missed getting lost in his gaze.

"Hey", his voice groggy and deep.

I smile at him, "Hi", my voice equally groggy from sleep. Only when he leans back into the chair and sits up straight do I notice that he has a small bandage under his right eye. There is another one above his eyebrow and his right hand has a bandage wrapped around his knuckles.

His gaze follows mine, "It doesn't hurt", he says with a shrug as if the fact that he is physically injured is not a big deal. It is for me though, I would still be worried even if he had a paper cut.

"What happened?", I ask. I need to know what took place after I passed out.

He releases a long breath before he speaks, his eyes locked on mine, "First of all, Paul will never hurt you again. He is in police custody and will never come near you".

Well that's good news.

His uninjured hand wraps itself around my right hand. "Rose, I was so so angry and all I could see was red.", he takes a moment to compose himself, "When you were laying on the floor, my heart broke into a million pieces but the hurt fueled the anger and all I could think of was how it would make me happy to crack open Paul's skull like a coconut".

That's dark...

"Did you?", I can't help but to ask. There's a pit in my stomach from the anticipation.

His thumb absently rubs circles over my knuckles, I think it's to calm him more than me.

"If Tommy and Bryce had not pulled me off of him then I would have. I wanted to kill him and all I can remember from that moment is hearing the satisfying continuous crunch of his nose breaking as my fist kept connecting with his face"

The mental image I'm getting is so gruesome that I physically shake my head to get rid of it.

"And your face?"

He chuckles at the question, "Well, he did get a few punches in but I got the upper hand". He sounds proud that he 'won' the fight. Men and their egos I tell you!

"Thank you for coming for me".

He stands from the chair and leans down towards me. He places a kiss on my bandage covered forehead.

"I would walk through hell to get you back". He says as he pulls back. My heart melts into a gooey puddle. He has a way with words that always pulls at my heartstrings.

I shift to the side and pat the spot next to me for him. He doesn't hesitate and slips in next to me. He spoons me and I relish his warmth and the safety that his arms bring to my soul as he drapes an arm around me and pulls me close to him.

We sit in silence for a few seconds. Just listening to our breaths and the beeping of the monitor.

"Hey Lex?" I call out to him.

"Yes baby?", he answers.

I turn around and maneuver a way with the IV attached to me to lay my head on his chest. Inhaling his scent, I settle on his chest, listening to the beating of his heart.

"I love you".

His hand moves to tilt my head up to stare into his handsome face, and mesmerizing eyes, "I love you more". He then leans down to gently place a soft kiss on my lips.

He gently squeezes my body and places a kiss on the crown of my head before we both drift away to sleep.

***

"How are you feeling?", mom asks for the millionth time since they walked into the room.

I roll my eyes at her, "I'm okay mom, just a slight headache that's all".

She fixes my pillows and purses her lips almost as if she's sucked on a lemon, "Should we get a doctor? Do you need some pain medi-".

"-Mom, I'm fine. Please calm down".

Her teary eyes meet mine, "Don't tell me to calm down. You almost died".

She is totally exaggerating. According to the doctor I suffered a mild concussion. The bleeding was from a cut I got from hitting my head on the edge of one of the stairs. After my nap with Lex, a nurse and doctor came in to check up on me. The evaluation was quick and when they left, I had a shower and breakfast. All with Lex's supervision of course.

The man has not left my side the whole time since I woke up and according to my mother, he has been here since I got admitted a few hours ago.

"I won't calm down until Belle is caught and put Behind bars with Paul", she says anxiously.

The police are still on the lookout for Belle. I don't know how she managed to slip past them but she is nowhere to be found and right now she is being hunted down like a dog. Paul did not give out a lot of information on her because he apparently knows nothing. All he wanted was me and didn't care about Belle's plan beyond that.

"How's Nana?", I ask dad.

Him and Lex have been sitting aside having a silent conversation. Something tells me that they're updating each other on what happened and what to do about the fact that Belle is still out there.

Mom's face drops at the question, "Not good honey. This whole thing has drained her strength".

Poor Nana. my heart breaks for her. This is an addition to the pile of health issues she was already dealing with.

Lex and dad walk towards mom and I . One of Alexander's hands immediately attaches itself around one of mine. The sadness I was falling slowly disappears. Being near him and physically connected to him always calms me down.

"Reggie", dad leans down to place a kiss on my forehead.

His face ashen with worry and relief simultaneously. "You're one tough cookie to take on Paul the way you did". Pride coats his words.

My heart melts with so much love. I am so glad to be around my family again. I've missed them so much. With them here with me right now, it almost feels as if the past week and half has been nothing but a terrible nightmare.

He pulls me into his arms and whispers in my ear, "It's good to have you back Reggie".

Tears sting my eyes. As he moves to stand next to mom. The relief visible on each of their faces. I'm pretty sure that my face is a mirro of theirs because I am so thankful to be back with them.

My parents stay around for a few minutes and leave seconds before Gigi and Bryce walk in hand in hand. Gigi engulfs me in a tight hug the moment she sees me.

"You're back", she breathes out as her arms tightly squeeze me. The tears start flowing from both of our eyes the second we pull away from each other.

"How are you ?", I ask her.

She gives me a wobbly smile as she tries to contain her crying, "You're the one laying on a hospital bed. I should be asking you that".

"I'm okay. I'm just glad to be out of there".

"Paul's a psycho", Bryce pipes up. My gaze drifts towards him and I shoot him a grateful smile.

"Thank you for saving me".

He shrugs, "It was all Xander". I look at Lex and mouth 'Xander'. He winks at me with a ghost of a smile visible on his lips. I guess him and Bryce are now pals.

I'm glad to see that my abduction got them to forge a friendship in the burning fires of worry and anger.

The following minutes are spent catching up and me informing them on what happened while I was in captivity. Throughout the whole conversation I keep my hand clasped in on Lex's, the anger radiates off from him as I speak, so I give his hand an occasional calming squeeze every few minutes.

While Gigi is expressing her anger at what happened, Bryce's gaze meets mine and he mouths that 'we need to talk'. I think that I have a feeling of what he needs us to discuss. So I do my best at getting the man glued to me to give us some space.

I nudge his shoulder with my arm, "Hey honey?".

His blue eyes meet mine as he wraps his arm around my shoulders, "Yes my love?".

I try not to blush in front of Bryce and Gigi but it's hard not to. I feel the heat make its way up to my cheeks. "May you please get me chocolate pudding from the canteen?". I add a pout and puppy dog eyes to drive my request through.

He takes a moment to mull through it in his head. I can tell he really doesn't want to leave me alone. But I won't be alone. I'll be with Bryce.

Gigi helps out. "I need some too. I'll go with you Xander", she cheerfully says to him. This seems to calm him down a bit. He leans down to gently kiss my lips. I almost protest when he stands up straight. It feels like an eternity has passed since I've felt his lips on mine.

"Don't die", he jokingly says before stepping out of the room with Gigi following behind him.

In the silence of the room, Bryce pulls a chair and plops right on it with a lopsided smile. His green eyes, bright and sparkle with emotions.

"If there was any doubt in the world that Xander doesn't love you, then this past week has proved otherwise". He says.

I smile at him, "You're the fourth person to say that today". Mom, dad and Gigi have said something along those lines. I see it too. I see how much he really loves me. I love him just the same if not more.

He chuckles, and holds my left hand in his right, "I missed you RJ". With just those four words, the atmosphere in the room shifts.

The lump in my throat returns as I hold back unshed tears, "I missed you too B".

His gaze shifts to our intertwined hands, and he keeps it locked there as he speaks, "I'm sorry for how I acted that day. I had no right to shout at you or to question your relationship with Alexander. I was just hurt by the fact that I was too much of a coward to make my move on you".

A coward? I've seen him in various lights as a person before, but never a coward. Bryce is one of the bravest people I have met in my life.

"I liked you RJ but I was scared that if I pursued you and then we didn't work out that it would ruin our friendship. But then I still selfishly wanted you to not be with anyone" he scoffs , "Which was very stupid of me".

I never saw it like that but now that he says it, some sense is being made.

"I sort of felt like I was owed a chance with you and my ego didn't take it well that you went past me to Alexander. But talking with Gigi helped and I really see that I was wrong and I shouldn't have reacted the way I did". For the first time since he started speaking, his eyes look up to meet mine.

"I'm a bad friend and I should have been supportive. RJ, not speaking to you for five months has to be one of the most stupid I have ever taken in my entire life and I hate myself for not being around, missing out on what was going on in your life. From now on, I promise to be better and to never let my stupid ego get in the way of our friendship".

My heart is turning in my chest from all the emotions I am feeling. I missed him too. I missed our talks, the fun times we used to have. I missed hugging him and being around him. I missed being his friend. He has been there for me for the past two years in more ways than one. He has seen me at some of the lowest points of my life and has supported me through so much.

Him and Gigi have been a shoulder to cry on and a pillar to lean on when I need to gather strength.

"I'm glad you came to your senses'', I say playfully punching his bicep. "I missed being your friend, and I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. But on the other side of the spectrum, you never acted upon what you felt for me. I liked you too Bryce and once upon a time, a part of me entertained the idea of us being in a relationship."

"My feelings and the love I feel for Lex is just beyond anything that I thought I would ever feel for someone. He has completely captured me. He makes me happy and I love him so much".

Just talking about this brings a smile to my face. I love Alexander David Cain and I would move heaven and earth to be with him all over again, even in the afterlife. He completes me.

"And he loves you too, anyone with eyes can see that. You guys are meant for each other", he comments.

I smile at him, "I could say the same thing about you and Gigi". This causes him to blush. I take the opportunity to tease him.

"Bryston Elliot Woods, are you blushing?!"

"Not my government name!", he whispers as the pink tinge continues to spread on his face.

It's been a year since I last called him by his full name, he hates being called Bryston, hence why he always introduces himself as Bryce.

"Stop blushing and tell me about you guys", I say getting settled on my pillows.

He sighs, a smile still plastered on his face, "I'm sure she told you about us". He is trying to avoid talking about how he feels about her. This is how we got to not talk for almost half a year because he is scared of opening up.

I don't give up though and try to pry open the door that's closing that part of him off, "I heard it from her point of view. I want to know how you feel about y'all".

Silence floods the room for a few seconds before he relents and speaks, "Gigi...she balances me out. I always saw her as a friend but since we started dating, I've just been seeing her as who she really is.".

I nod, urging him to continue, "she's an awesome person. She makes me laugh, I like seeing her smile. I like watching her sleep and how she cuddles so close to me whenever we watch a movie.".

The blush is now accompanied by a sparkle in his green orbs. The sincerity and genuine regard for Gigi palpable in every word he says.

"I like her RJ. I really like her and that makes me overjoyed. I've never felt this way about a girl before".

I gasp in mock shock, "Not even me", I ask with my bottom lip jutted out.

He chuckles, "Sorry RJ, not even you".

"You've got it bad Bryce. I'm so happy for you guys".

This is what I've always wanted for both of them. For them to find happiness and be with people who would appreciate who the other person truly is. Especially Gigi. I hope that this is the real thing for her. And that she doesn't mess it up like she does all her past relationships.

I swear her self-sabotage will be the death of her love life. I need her to learn to love freely and fiercely. I now realise that getting hurt is part of growing up and that it is something that prepares you for the next person that you meet in life.

I'm grateful for meeting douchebags like Darren. I am now with someone who loves me completely, who sees a future with me. A future that I can't wait to build with him.

The opening of the door pulls me out of my thoughts and back to reality, when Gigi and Lex walk in with chocolate pudding and coffee in their hands. Lex removes the lid and shoves a small spoon into the chocolatey goodness before handing it to me.

"Thank you". I say to him.

He shoots me a smile, "You're welcome love" . leaning down closer to my ear he whispers, "Did you guys have a good conversation?".

I look at him in shock and he winks at me, Gigi must have filled him in . I smile and nod at him.

"Good" , he says before, we turn our focus to the couple next to us and talk until visiting hours are over.

***

I hate hospitals.

I've always hated them. The smell, the walls, the beeping of machines, I just always had a deep loathing for it and now that I am getting discharged, I cannot wait to get out of here.

I've been stuck in bed for three whole days and I am just happy to be getting ready to leave. I finally was able to convince Lex to leave my side. He is at home preparing to come fetch me. The past two days have been quite eventful for me.

A detective from the police station came in to take my statement. He wanted a full rundown of what happened when Paul and Belle took me away, and I cooperated and told him every little detail of what I could remember from when they drugged me right up to the clear memories of being held prisoner by Paul.

When he left, he seemed happy with the information I gave him. He apparently had already taken statements from Gigi, since she was with me on the day of my kidnapping then Lex, Bryce and Tommy since they were the ones who found me.

I had asked Lex about how they found me and he revealed to me that it was Belle's own sister who gave them the tip off about Belle's actions. Lex did say that he already had his suspicions about Belle but his investigators found no dirt on her and nothing that could pin her to me at the time, until her sister came through with the information that she had.

From the conversation we had I gathered two things, number one is that Belled is a crafty little weasel and number two, I need to meet her sister and thank her for what she did for me and my family.

With Belle out on the loose, Lex had placed two guards at the door of my hospital room. The man really fears for my safety and those guards are partly the reason why he agreed to go home and come by during visitor's hours. Though he breaks the rules and stays for more than the allocated time.

He is Alexander Cain, I guess he can do whatever he wants since he is a major financial donor to this hospital. Each day I find out something new about this guy. It's freaking awesome!

Once the nurse is done with my evaluation she walks out, leaving me to get off the bed and go to the bathroom to take a shower. This fancy hospital room has a beautiful bathroom. It almost makes me forget that I am in a building that is housing patients with various injuries and diseases, but I feel like I'm in some expensive hotel room.

Stripping out of the hospital gown, I step into the shower and switch the water knob on the tap. The warm water descends up on my body, loosening all the tight muscles and bringing forth a relaxing sensation. I lather my body in the complementary vanilla scented shower gel and then let the water rinse it off.

Once I am done, I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my body. I grab another one to dry off my hair. After drying off and rubbing some lotion on my skin, I quickly slip into a pair of grey sweatpants and a black tank top.

One good thing about being in hospital for three days was not wearing a bra and I am fully taking advantage of that even today. I am braless under this top and I don't care how it looks.

.

As I step out of the bathroom I see a nurse with a dark brown hair standing near the bed. What makes me drop the toiletry bag I am holding is the fact that she has a gun pointed right at me.

I freeze for a second, not knowing what to do and who the hell this woman is. That is until she speaks. "I should have killed you when I had the chance".

Belle.