“What the hell?” Elaine muttered as she opened her eyes and looked around. She couldn’t recognize the room. What was with her waking up at random places?

She could remember the letter from Will. She sat up and looked around. Her temples throbbed and so did her eyes.

The letter and her phone were on the side table and she was still in her scrubs. She reached for her phone and saw six miss calls from Sam with 4 messages. It was 11 p.m. at night.

Elaine groaned and plopped back down on the pillow.

“You are up”

Elaine shot up again.

Aaron stood at the door with a tray of food and it sure a sight to admire. He was wearing sweats and a black t shirt which clung to his broad shoulder and muscular chest. His hair was still wet from the shower. Elaine snapped out of her drool fest and looked at the other side of the bed, her hormones wouldn’t have minded if he had slept next to her but she wasn’t going to let them make any decisions; she already couldn’t pull her life together.

“I have been outside in the living room all evening, don’t worry” Aaron said as he noticed her looking at the still made side of the bed in a not so subtle manner. She looked so confused; Aaron wanted to laugh at her expressions.

“You must think I am a mess, always finding me in passed out conditions God knows where.” Elaine said.

Aaron came to her side and kept the food on the table near the floor to ceiling window and opened the curtains, a breath taking view of the city came into sight.

“I dropped you off at the hospital”

“Yes I remember that”

“Then I remember I had some…personal matters to be handled at the hospital so I came back and when I was leaving, I found you crying in a store room and you were not in a condition to be left alone and you asked me to get you out of there. I bought you here and you have been asleep since afternoon. I was going to call a doctor but I decided to wait till morning and now you are up.”

“Thank you so much and I am sorry you must have other things to do rather than picking me up in messed up condition”

Aaron laughed “Well it does seem like my new job but I just can’t leave a lady in such condition and walk away.”

Elaine smiled and looked down at her hands. She really needed to pull herself together. The other day she got so drunk and passed out on a work night. She should be thankful that it was a respectable man with morals who found her in these situations otherwise who knew what could have happened to her.

Aaron studied her features as she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. She had that innocent kind of beauty that one wasn’t aware of her yet it floored the person who was admiring it.

Elaine looked up and Aaron quickly diverted his gaze and cleared his throat.

“So you seem to be taking this break up pretty bad”

“What?” Elaine asked. A break up?

“You were dead drunk the other night and yesterday you passed out from crying” Aaron stated as he looked at the letter.

Elaine followed his gaze and picked up the letter.

“This is from my younger brother. He passed away a week ago from brain cancer. He was the only family I had left.” Elaine said softly as she tried to control her tears. She wasn’t going to break down again. She knew she could never let go of the memories of her brother but she needed to let go off the grief. William wouldn’t be happy with her current situation. She had mourned his death, now it was time to pull herself together and smile back at all the good memories they shared as siblings.

Aaron closed his eyes.

“Way to go you fucking jackass” he thought.

“I am sorry” Aaron said, not knowing what else to say.

“It is alright” Elaine forced a smile.

“What about your parents?” Aaron asked

“They passed away over a year ago in car crash”

Aaron looked at her. He was trying to comprehend her current state of mind, having it all and losing it and here he was who never even knew what it was like to have a proper and functional family yet he had this hollowness within him.

“It is okay you don’t have to say anything. No one has control over such things, you just have to move on” Elaine said as she shrugged her shoulder but her outside brave exterior couldn’t understand the inside turmoil. She was trying to bring it together but would she be able to? Her family had always been so tight knit. Her mother was her best friend, her father was her guide and role model and her brother was her partner in crime and the go to person whenever she wanted to escape the reality of life. Now she had no one.

Aaron got up from the chair and sat down next to her. She looked lost and vulnerable and Aaron could see right through that strong front she was trying to put up because he himself did that all the time. He had this urge to hold her and protect her.

“What the hell?” Aaron thought to himself but before he knew it he had gathered in her in arms and she didn’t even resist once but simple kept her head against his the crook of his neck.

Elaine felt intoxicated by his spicy cologne and the hard contour of his muscular chest. She felt safe and warm in his strong arms after such a long time. She barely knew this man yet she was ready to follow him to the end of the world.

“What?” Elaine muttered

“You said something?” Aaron asked as he pulled back slightly and looked at her.

“No” Where the hell did the “follow to the end of earth” thing came up from? God she was going bonkers.

Aaron looked at her face. It was still a little flushed from the crying and her eyes were still red rimmed. She was so up close that he could see the blue of her eyes speckled with green, the color was truly exquisite. His eyes trailed down and focused on her lips.

Elaine gulped as she saw his eyes move from her eyes to her lips. Her hormonal brigade cheered, while her brain stomped around with a red flag.

She felt the increase in his heartbeat underneath her hand which was now placed on his chest and her other hand was curled around his biceps. His hands travelled down the curves of her body and settled on her waist.

“Elaine…” Aaron whispered. He wanted to kiss her so badly but he was holding himself back. She was emotionally exhausted and he didn’t want to take advantage of that but she was so enticing. He couldn’t resist the pull she seemed to have on him.

Elaine almost melted when he said her name.

“Oh kiss me already” Elaine thought and closed her eyes. She wanted to forget the present and get lost in this handsome man.

The shrill ring of her phone tore through the room and she felt his weight and warmth disappear from the bed. She opened her eyes and saw him standing up with his face wiped clean of any emotions.

“You should get that” Aaron said as he walked out of the room.

❤