The next three days were spent going backwards and forwards to the hospital, and Ellie was pleased to see her friend recovering well. The wound wasn't as bad as the men had first suspected, and Mark and Glenn went off to make arrangements to have her transferred to Mark's house, seeing about hiring a nurse to be with her until she was fully recovered.
Ellie sat next to the bed and smiled at Becky, the other girl sitting up in her bed and looking impatient to get out of there. "How do you feel today?"
"Okay, just a bit sore really. I wish I could go home," she moaned, grimacing.
"Home?" Ellie asked her, frowning. Why would she want to go back there?
"Oh, not home to...my father's house. I mean home to the cabin," she clarified, a small smile curving her lips. "It's really lovely there Ellie, and Glenn's so nice."
"I know, I like him. He's been really worried about you, especially since you haven't told anyone who did this. Becky, can't you tell me?" Ellie asked, taking her friends hand when she looked as though she were going to cry.
"Can't you guess?" Becky whispered, a tear trailing down her cheek.
"Isobel," Ellie said, looking angry at the woman who had hurt her friend like this.
Becky nodded and wiped at her eyes. "She said she wanted me out of the way for good, and she very nearly managed it too. At least I managed to fight that man off me. I preferred the thought of death to being raped by him."
Ellie frowned in confusion. "What man? I thought you said it was Isobel?"
"It was, but she had a man with her, someone Anne-Marie knows. His name was Richard, but I didn't catch his surname."
Ellie shuddered as soon as Becky said his name, knowing exactly who he was. "We have to tell Glenn and Mark, they'll be able to do something. Maybe we should call the police?"
"They wouldn't believe me. Why should they? Isobel's a respectable woman, or so it seems. It wouldn't do any good."
Glenn walked in and caught those last words and he moved to the bed, sitting down and grabbing her small hand in his. "It was your stepmother? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you can't do anything about it, not now. It's all over now, anyway," she said, sounding despondent.
Glenn's face hardened and his eyes glinted with anger. "It's not over, not all the time she's walking around free to do something like this again. And I damn well can do something about it!" he snapped, making plans already. He saw her eyes widen at his tone and he leaned towards her, cupping her face in his warm palm and smiling. "No-one hurts my baby and gets away with it," he said fiercely and kissed her with everything he was feeling, making her melt into the hospital bed.
He stood up and went towards the door, winking at her as he left. "Wow," Ellie said, grinning at her friend's red face. "That kiss was fairly volcanic!"
"I know," Becky murmured, still staring at the door. After a few seconds she smiled and looked at her friend. "Isn't he gorgeous?"
"Yes he is. But it doesn't matter what I think does it? You obviously think he is!" She gave a smile and then laughed. "It's nice to see you happy."
"The same goes for you," Becky said, really looking at her friend for the first time. "You look so much healthier than you did when you were living with Anne-Marie."
Ellie grimaced. "I never really lived with her though, did I? The main house was just for them lot, not for me. And then she sold me," she mused, shaking her head slowly.
"I know. Isobel took great pleasure in telling me about that, and telling me that she would try and find a suitable man to do the same with me. That's when I ran away." She raised her blue eyes to Ellie's and cocked her head to one side. "I thought I was going to die out there, but Glenn found me, and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. But what about you, Ellie? I mean, Mark seems so unlike the person everybody used to whisper about, but what's it been like living with him?"
Ellie gave a shy smile, her eyes lighting up. "It was awful, at first, because he treated me badly. But now, he's so sweet most of the time and...I'm happy," she said, shrugging.
"I'm so glad," Becky said, squeezing Ellie's hand. "And it'll be fun staying with you until I'm better. I don't know why Glenn isn't taking me to his house, but I guess he's got his reasons."
"He said something about needing it decorated, or something. I think he wants it to look perfect for you when you first see it!" she teased, laughing again at her friend's pleased smile. "Do you love him?"
Becky chewed her lip as she thought about that, but she couldn't deny how she felt. "Yes, I do. Sounds dumb huh? I've only known him a short time, but he's just perfect. I can't imagine not being with him now. How about you? How do you feel about Mark?"
"I love him, but he doesn't know that. He hasn't said anything to me, and I don't know what he's got planned for the future. He might get tired of me," she said, chewing her lip worriedly.
"What makes you think that? Has he said that to you?"
"No, but...I don't know, I keep thinking it'll end, you know? I don't deserve to be this happy," she said in a small voice.
"Don't be ridiculous! You deserve it more than anyone I know! Try not to think that way, and just enjoy yourself," Becky advised, patting Ellie's hand and smiling at her. "I bet he's a tiger in bed!"
Ellie blushed and then burst out laughing. She had forgotten how Becky could draw laughter from her. "He is, thank you! I bet Glenn is too?"
It was Becky's turn to blush now, but she grinned and nodded. "Yep, he sure is!"
They were both giggling as they thought about their respective men, and when Glenn and Mark walked back in the room they stared at them suspiciously. "I hope you're not laughing about us?" Mark asked, pulling a chair up next to Ellie and putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Would we laugh at you?" she asked, staring at him adoringly.
Mark's green eyes sparkled as they looked into hers, and he narrowed them thoughtfully. "Ya know, I think ya just might," he drawled, grinning as she blushed at his intent stare.
Glenn stared at them and shook his head, even as he was linking his fingers through Becky's and smiling at her in much the same fashion. "You can get out of here later today," he told her, grinning at her surprised face.
"Today? But they said I'd be in here at least another week!"
"Well, we pulled some strings, and we've hired a nurse, so they said you were free to come back with us," Glenn said, smiling wickedly. "I think that deserves a hug at the very least."
Becky giggled and opened her arms, wrapping them around his neck when he leaned towards her. She sighed as his arms folded around her carefully, and she laid her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered, and she felt his breath huff out in her ear.
"You're welcome honey, it's little enough to do to get you back with me," he murmured, closing his eyes and savouring her warmth.
Mark raised an eyebrow and looked at Ellie with pursed lips. "Maybe we should get out of here?"
Glenn caught his words and glared at him over Becky's shoulder. "And then how would we get to your house? We came in your car remember?"
"I forgot that," Mark said, rolling his eyes and then grinning at his friend. "Okay, I guess we can wait. How long until they release her?"
"The doctor said he'd be right up," Glenn said, pulling back from Becky with a warm smile and then taking her hand to prolong the contact with her. The way he felt about her was obvious to everyone in the room, and Becky couldn't take her eyes off him, only managing the feat when the door opened.
"Well, it seems you're going to be taken good care of somewhere else?" the doctor said, smiling at Becky and then studying her chart. "Okay, you're doing well, so I don't see any problem with that. I'll get a prescription for the pain left at the front desk, and you can pick it up on your way out." He looked at her and grinned. "You're free to go."
"Thank you," she said, incredibly happy to be getting out of there so soon.
As soon as the doctor left the room, Glenn stood up and opened the closet, pulling out some clothes he had brought in for her. "If you two want to get out of here, I'll get her dressed," he said to Mark and Ellie, holding up some sweat pants and a matching top.
Mark stood up and drew Ellie along with him, smiling and shaking his head as he left the room without a word. Glenn turned to Becky and gave her a wicked smile, dangling a pair of panties on one finger. "Seems I got the tough job," he murmured, pulling back the covers and making her sit forward so he could untie the unattractive hospital gown. He tried to ignore the smooth skin he revealed, but his body couldn't help responding to the enticing sight.
He put the top on her, omitting a bra, and then pulled her underwear off her, careful not to hurt her bandaged leg as he slid them down. It didn't take long to put clean underwear and the sweat pants on her, but he was sweating by the time he had finished, just from touching her sexy body. She couldn't help but notice and she bit her lip as she glanced at the obvious bulge in his jeans. Glenn looked down wryly and smiled. "See what you did?"
"I'm ill, I haven't done a single thing!" she said, smiling as he sat next to her on the bed.
"No, and you won't be able to for a while either," he grumbled, brushing a lock of black hair behind her ear. "I suppose I'll have to learn restraint."
"We can still kiss though, can't we?" she asked quietly, staring at his mouth.
"Try and stop me," he murmured, leaning in and kissing her gently. He drew back and looked into her eyes, seeing emotion reflected back at him. "Rebecca, how do you feel about me?"
"Why?" she asked, strangely reluctant to voice her emotions without knowing how he felt first.
"Because I love you, that's why. I want to know if you feel the same, I need to know," he said, flooring her with his honestly and the fact that he wasn't remotely reticent about voicing how he felt.
"You do?" she asked, her voice high pitched.
"Yes, I do. Well?" he asked her, looking faintly worried.
"I love you too," she whispered, lifting her hand to lovingly stroke his face, her fingers touching his scar. "I love you so much, Glenn."
He closed his eyes and pulled her against him, wrapping his big arms around her body, and she could feel his heartbeat shaking his big body. "God Becky, I love you! I didn't even realise until I almost lost you!"
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, smiling. "You can't lose me, not now I know you love me."
"I'm going to prove it as often as I can," he muttered, squeezing her. "I'll give you a baby, if you want one, and everything I own is yours."
"I only want you," she murmured, drawing back to frame his face and kiss him. "And lots of babies!"
"They'll be beautiful, just like you," he murmured, grinning as he thought of what his future would now be like.
A knock at the door made him look away from her, and he called out for whoever it was to come in, grimacing when he saw Mark standing there. "Great timing buddy."
Mark's eyebrows shot up and he gave a mocking smile. "So sorry. Just thought you might like to know that I'm going to bring the car around to the front. I assume you're ready to go?"
Glenn nodded and stood up, glad to find his body had deflated somewhat. "I'll bring her down in a second," he said, watching his friend leave the room. "Come, my lady, let's get you out of here." He picked her up carefully from the bed, but she felt no pain as she stared at the man she now knew loved her. She only hoped everything would turn out so well for Ellie.
