Chapter 3: Get Well
The days had passed swiftly, one bleeding into the next with relative ease, and for once, Rebecca didn't mind. She spent her days at work, keeping busy until she signed off and then spent her nights with Trent, talking until he fell asleep, and then she would either head home to sleep and return the next day, or fall asleep beside him.
It was simply amazing to her how quickly they seemed to have bonded. She was getting used to his phrases of affection and had stopped correcting him when he used them, as they no longer made her feel awkward. Was this how it was supposed to be? Did it always feel this good to want to spend time with someone who actually wanted to spend time with her back? She didn't know, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.
She was in for a surprise, though, when she came to visit Trent after work. Upon walking in, the first things she noticed were the sounds. No more rapid beeping. No more loud machines rattling in the background and when she came around the half-pulled curtain, she froze. Eyes wide. Trent...was sitting upright in bed. No body cast. Had he healed that fast?
"Trent!?" Her shock and surprise evident in her face and voice. "You're... you're not...!" She smiled brightly at him, stunned into place.
Trent beamed at her. "That's right, babygirl," he chirped. "I'll be in physical therapy for a while, but I can move a little bit. Can you believe it? After only four months!"
The last few months had been really nice. He always enjoyed Rebecca's company, but the fact that it was more natural, that neither of them was forcing anything, made it even better. He felt the gnawing hole within him, which he had tried in vain to fill with success and accolades from his coworkers and peers in his field, slowly filling as Rebecca was on the road to accepting him.
Now that he was out of his body cast, he could actually gesture, and, more importantly, they could possibly even hold hands! The very idea sent him into thrills of bliss. Maybe he would ask the nurse to bring them some board games to play.
His excitement bled into her as she walked over and sat on the bed beside him instead of in her usual chair. Her smile couldn't possibly be brighter. He was going to be ok!
"That's...that's great! Means you'll get to get out of here soon." She was excited for him, and it showed.
But this also changed their dynamic a little bit. Always he had been unable to move, his eyes being the only thing he had with which to communicate with, but now, he could move and wasn't restricted and that changed things a bit. She tried not to let it make things awkward between them, not wanting them to slide backwards between them when they had come so for.
Reaching over, she boldly laid one of her hands atop his as she smiled over at him. "I am so glad you are better, Trent. You have no idea how happy this makes me! Seeing you out of that cast and getting back to being whole once more."
He positively melted at her excitement. He loved being reminded that she really did care about him. He gently flexed his hand, entwining their fingers. "My body has always been perfect," he said with a sort of cheerful matter-of-factness. "I heal quickly whenever I'm injured, and you have no idea how much your presence has been helping me." He knew it was his job to take care of the woman in his life—his mother had drilled that into him all his life, particularly after his father had left—but for now, it felt nice to know there was someone who was okay with taking care of him when he was infirm.
Looking down at their joined hands, she bit her lip and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, as much to reassure him as her.
"Well...I am glad that I could be here for you," she replied with a soft smile, glancing back up to meet his eyes so he could see she was sincere.
"We take care of each other now, right? Now it's my turn... to... take care of you..." She trailed off, blushing a bit. She wasn't used to such declarations of feeling. But she knew he would need help as he continued to improve. And then there was the whole 'where was he going to stay' issue they had yet to address. He couldn't very well live in LA by himself.
"That's also something I wanted to talk to you about, Trent." She leaned gently against him, nudging him lightly. "When you get out... where will you go?" Her eyes furrowed slightly as she posed her question. It was harder to broach then she thought. "Cause your house in LA is so far away...and you'll need some help while going through therapy so I thought... maybe... you'd come... stay with me...for a while...?" She posed it as a question, not yet thinking that Josh still lived as a roomie in her home. The fact was, that she WANTED Trent with her. He had done so much for her in the past, now...it was her turn.
Trent loved the idea of living with Rebecca, legitimately, without having to bribe or blackmail his way there.
"Are you kidding?" he asked, his voice full of emotion, much the way it had been when she had asked him to have sex with her. "I would love to."
There was that boyish excitement again and it made her blush deeper. The way he looked at her, so full of love and adoration. Did he really mean it and was she really ready for such a big step?
"Keep in mind that there will be a few house rules, but yes. I want you to stay with me, while you heal... and then, afterwards, we might discuss... the possibility of... long... term." She cleared her throat and bit her lip to keep from turning even more red. Gosh, she was just diving into this headfirst, wasn't she? But she meant it... every single word.
His mind started racing, but he took a breath and reminded himself to hold steady. "Let's take it one day at a time," he heard himself say. "I don't want to pressure you into anything. Not like before." A strange calm settled into him as he said this. That's right, staying power required patience and confidence. His actions, before, had been a result of anxiety, though he hadn't wanted to admit it at the time. No-one who's truly confident in their relationship feels the need to use tricks or games to get what they want.
"Tell me about the house rules," he said. He wanted them to be on the same page from the start. "I'm guessing... you want me to return your underthings and not 'borrow' them anymore," he added sheepishly.
"Yes. That would be one of the house rules, Trent. Most definitely." She almost snickered at his words, looking up at him to see if he was indeed serious.
Yes, he was serious, and a little embarrassed. But in his defense, he thought if he had asked to borrow her socks and underwear at the time, she would have been creeped-out and insulted him, just like practically every time they had interacted before these past months.
"For starters... My room...is mine, unless I invite you in? Your room is yours. Alright? Just till we get more comfortable with each other," Rebecca started.
He listened to her thoughtfully. He could agree to keeping to his own room and not invading her privacy anymore. Besides, a little mystery was sexy, or so he'd heard.
"There will be a schedule for the things we will have to do during the day, obviously. So I will need to know when to ask off work to take you to therapy and things like that, so keep me in the know, please," she continued.
He blinked. It sounded like she was going to insist that he go to therapy. He didn't know what good that would do him, but since he knew she had been in therapy for a few years, maybe it wouldn't be too bad.
"Also, if something bothers you, no matter what it is, we talk about it. No more hiding things from each other. Other than that... that's all I got right now. We can figure the rest out as we go, ok?" she asked.
Of course, open communication was not a problem for him. He didn't really like lying or keeping secrets anyway, although he wasn't fond of conflict.
She smirked up at him and for the first time in years, she felt closer to him than she ever had before. "Things will work out alright, Trent. We just have to talk to each other and be there for each other. All else, will work itself out in time."
Her last words were reassuring and mitigated some of the trepidation he felt. He nodded, then asked, "... Therapy?"
"Yea... your physical therapy..." Rebecca blinked up at Trent and then it hit her. The way that came out, how it must have sounded to him. "OH! Oh Trent...No..." She giggled softly to herself, pulling her hand away from his to cover her face as she chuckled softly, embarrassed. "I didn't mean that type of therapy..." She lowered her hands till she was all but peeking out of her fingers. She just wanted the ground to open up and eat her. Right here and now.
"Ohhh, that makes sense," he said, relieved. "I'm not sure I'll need outpatient physical therapy, actually. I didn't last time, and I'm healing faster this time."
"I mean, I am going...and it...helps, to an extent, but I would never suggest you do such a thing, unless you felt the need to. No. So sorry babe, that's not what I meant at all." She giggled again and buried her face into his neck, hiding her blush. Not yet realizing her change in attitude towards him, nor her words. She had used affection towards him. Open, warm affection and it just felt...natural.
Babe! He was babe now! He couldn't help but smile brightly at that. No matter how often she showed him friendship or affection, it lit him up like a beacon from the inside, every single time. He felt the tension ease out of his body, and said, "Maybe I'll consider it. There are things you and I can talk about when we're getting to know each other, but if it gets too heavy, then you can send me to therapy. The emotional kind."
She felt the tension melt from him from where she was still huddled up against him. Pulling back a bit, only to meet his eyes with her own. "That's mighty big of you, Trent." She tried for a compliment, but it didn't sound exactly right. "Took me a long time, to realize my issues... not that you have any...anyway...thank you, for at least thinking about it."
"No, I... I do have some issues," he admitted. It was the first time he'd said something like that out loud. "Obviously, you know by now that I don't know how to start being someone's boyfriend in a normal way. My mom never told me how she and my dad met, but she did tell me all the things a man is supposed to do for the woman he loves. She just never told me at what point the woman loves the man back, that's all." His voice was as cheery and upbeat as always, not a hint of bitterness in his words or his tone. He had no way of knowing that how he had grown up wasn't normal. Some kids had two parents and some kids had one, and that's the way the world was, he had always thought.
Hearing how he was raised, now everything made more sense than it had before. The way he acted towards her was now seen as his declaration of love, and not the creepy, forceful way she had thought it to be. The way he lit up every time she said or did something that pleased him was genuine, and she felt her heart go out to him in that moment. He had been told about love and how to go about getting someone's attention and all the things a man was supposed to do, but never told how the woman should react, or how far he should go to get said lady's attentions. It all made sense now. That he was willing to admit that he had issues was a big step in, of itself.
"This is good, Trent." Her words were soft, gentle as she took his hand once more back into hers. "This gives me insight to who you are. Never be afraid to share that with me. What you do, I know now, that you do out of love and while I am not fully there yet, I do care for you."
Here she gave his hand a soft squeeze, for she remembered well the night she had broken his heart. The awful things she had said, 'I will never love you. Ever.' How could she have been so hateful? How could she not have seen what she saw now? That he honestly didn't know any better, and his trying wasn't meant to be creepy or scary, but the only way he knew to get her attention.
Trent was a little puzzled by her initial words, but he just kept smiling placidly as usual. Of course he did the things he did out of love; he'd said that repeatedly, hadn't he? Besides, why else would he do them? But he didn't dismiss what she said because it was important he understood how her mind worked, too, beyond just being able to mimic her inner fantasy life. Her admitting she cared for him was progress indeed, and, if he was not mistaken, she was suddenly showing signs of actual human empathy towards him!
She could tell that her words puzzled him, but she let it go for now. They, for the most part, were on the same page and that was enough for her. She didn't want to explain to him that his childhood had been... well... not exactly normal, but then, whose was really?
She bit her lip. "Perhaps we could go together at some point. Work out things between us that way too. Couples therapy." She giggled softly as she tilted her head and watched him. "I really want this to work between us, Trent. I really, honestly do." Her words were said with such earnest, that even she felt the depths of the emotions she had put behind them.
Couples therapy didn't sound like a bad idea, now that he was coming round to the idea of therapy as a whole. Especially when Rebecca outright confirmed that she was suggesting it because she wanted things to work out between them. But how could they not? They both loved each other, or at least, he loved her and she was getting there. There were a few hurdles between them, but all couples had some problems. Nothing was insurmountable, unless one of them just stopped caring, and he couldn't picture that—nor would he want to.
"Thank you," he said, softly, sincerely. "It means the world to me that you're willing to meet me halfway." And it did. He wasn't an all-or-nothing man; he knew how to be patient in at least some aspects of his life (namely, in business and in bed), and now it was time to extend that patience to other aspects.
"And you to me, that you meet me halfway as well." She looked at him and smiled brightly. So many emotions flooded her that they were clear as day on her face. Was she... actually falling in love with him? She had to take a moment to ponder that. She liked having him around, now that they had actually discussed their issues with each other and had come to an understanding. She had been there every step of the way during his healing, even going so far as to falling asleep beside him every few nights so he wouldn't be alone. Those were not the actions of someone who just 'cared'... and she knew it.
"I do care for you, Trent." She reiterated, meeting his gaze as she said it. So he could see she meant it. "I promise to try to be understanding and patient with you. Any problems we have, we will discuss, together. I...I won't cast you aside if we disagree on something. I won't hurt you...ever, ever again." She said with such feeling.
He didn't point out that it was impossible to predict whether one might accidentally hurt another, because the important thing was that they were both willing to try. He nodded his agreement to discussing disagreements, and he resolved to do so in a mature way, rather than resorting to desperate measures. She was willing to work with him, and he with her.
"When do you get out of here, by the way? That might be a good thing to know first?" She hoped sooner rather than later. He was already healing so fast. Able to sit up on his own and not confined anymore.
"They'll probably discharge me when I've completed inpatient physical therapy," he said. "When I can move close to how I used to." He gazed at her fondly as he considered the possibilities inherent in having a fully functioning body once more, and an average pain scale of 0.
Looking up into his eyes and seeing the love, the trust within them made her melt as she found herself scooting closer to him. Suddenly, it became very hard to breathe, and she found she couldn't look away if she tried.
"Trent...?" Her voice soft, a question, before she moved and claimed his lips in another gentle, tender kiss.
Trent barely had time to react to his name before he found his lips claimed in a kiss from his beloved. After a moment of surprise—the same surprise that had held him frozen when she had nuzzled him earlier—he kissed her back, tender and passionate all at once. Unlike the first time they'd kissed, four years ago, he didn't use tongue this time.
The way he responded, so sensitive and caring, ohhhhh...it made her body feel like it was on fire!
There was something between them... more than just their shared pasts. More than they were both willing to admit at the moment, and while she had no intention of crossing the sexual line with him yet, least of all here, she wanted... no... needed an answer. She pulled back a bit to look at him, her free hand coming up to gently caress his cheek. She knew better than to rush things, taking contentment in the moment and knowing without a shadow of a doubt now how he really felt about her, as she was coming to understand just how she felt about him.
He leaned his face into her hand, contented as a housecat.
"What was that for?" he wanted to know.
Seeing him nuzzle into her touch made her smile. He was so damned cute and didn't seem to know it. "Because I wanted to... Because I wanted to let you know how much I am growing to really care for you. When words fail... actions cannot." She blushed faintly as she chuckled at herself. She sounded like a damn fortune cookie.
"That's beautiful," he said sincerely. He liked the scent of her skin, soft and feminine.
"Want to do it again?" she half-teased, wondering why he hadn't take the 'lead' like most of the men she knew, but then, Trent wasn't like most men... and she liked that about him. "I wouldn't mind if we... cuddled for a bit... I do have to go home tonight though...so... until then..." She glanced back up at him. This was MAJOR for her... and frankly, it both scared her to death and thrilled her to no end.
"We can do that as much as you want, babygirl," he murmured, "but if you just want to cuddle, that's okay too. We take this at your pace this time." It was essential that she be comfortable, this time and forevermore.
His words made her melt even further. How was it that he knew just what to say to get the most reaction out of her? It was uncanny, but she could tell he meant it. He had not once, since she had come to him that first time in the hospital, pushed her or cajoled her in any way to act in a way that she had no want or desire to. She appreciated that so much.
"You're handsome...you know that?" She randomly blurted out and then turned away, biting her lip and rolling her eyes at herself.
Yes, he did know he was handsome; it had been pointed out more than once by others who had wanted to date him, but he had eyes for only one woman: the one beside him right now, who had been keeping him company and nursing him back to health. He appreciated the compliment a hundred times more coming from her, and his gentle smile blossomed into a full-on beam.
She chuckled and turned back to kiss him once more. She just couldn't resist, it seemed. He WAS a very good kisser, and it made her insides burn.
Her kiss made *him* melt further, and he moaned appreciatively as he kissed her back. They made a good pair—at least, so far, he amended. He had to remind himself to check himself before he wrecked himself again.
"You are so special, Trent." She said as she lightly pulled back, her breath warm against his lip as she looked him in the eyes. "Thank you...for forgiving me, for being here, for so many, many things."
Special? He, Trent, was special? He knew he was different, but to be called 'special' instead of strange or creepy or a freak or... He felt like Buddy the Elf on Christmas. Well, maybe not quite that kind of 'special'.
"I should be thanking you, for visiting me, for staying by my side, for forgiving me," he uttered. "I always knew you had a beautiful soul, and now I get to see that first-hand. I'm so honored."
"You are such a sweet talker..." Rebecca giggled softly as she lightly rubbed her nose against his. "I like that. It makes me feel all giddy inside sometimes." She couldn't believe she was being so forthcoming to him, but she had promised...always be honest and that was honestly how she felt.
"We promised each other, a fresh start. So I want to spend as much time as I can with you. I really feel, that we have something between us, Trent... and I want to know what that is." She was rambling again, and it made her blush.
"You are special, to me, Trent. You have something about you that... I don't know... it's so... mystical in a way. You're so giving, so gentle, and I know how strong you are." She smirked lightly up at him as she moved in such a way that she was cuddled up against his side, moving his arms to lightly wrap around her and she had to giggle softly to herself that she had to do that for him. He seemed so sure of himself most times, but in this he was shy? So cute.
Her words were like a favorite food that he only got to indulge in once in a while. He had been living on shrimp ramen and her newfound eagerness to spend time with him was lobster fettuccine and Tuscan stuffed portobello mushrooms and chocolate cheesecake topped with strawberries. Finally, finally she felt that connection between them, the one he had sensed they could have the second he had seen her in their freshman year at college. He savored these words of hers, and when she leaned into him and put his arms around herself, he gave her a gentle squeeze.
Upon looking at the clock though, she nearly groaned. It was almost 9pm, and she had to be up at 4am for a dissertation at work. "I really don't want to go, but I didn't realize how late it was," she said with a slight grump to her voice, tilting her head back to gaze up at him.
"I will come back tomorrow though, I promise." She sat up slowly and moved to hug him, careful not to hurt him and kissed him again, softly. "You be good for the doctors in physical, ok?" she teased as she managed to slide out of his embrace and stood, pulling the blankets back around him and tucking him in in a sense. It was an affectionate gesture.
When she had looked at the clock, he reflexively glanced up, too. Any time spent together was a blessing, but it was endearing to see her so reluctant to go. He hugged her back gently and promised to be a good patient.
"I will see you tomorrow, Trent. Sweet dreams." She smiled at him in that adoration-filled way, before she turned and walked out the door.
That look in her eyes…. It was what he had always wanted to see from her. He had craved it, needed it, and now here it was and the hole in his heart devoured it like a starving baby finally being fed after crying for hours in the NICU. The sweetness of her gaze almost brought tears of joy to his eyes, but he managed to remain composed.