Dr. Rian has been helping me around on my crutches, and I've been getting better. My knee isn't so sore, but it still is in pain. He's brought me breakfast, lunch, and dinner, sometimes dessert. No matter how much I insist, he always brings me something. After my awkward shower, I grab the hospital gown and put it on again.

I take my phone and turn the volume up all the way, and I'm moving the top half of my body while I comb my wet hair in the mirror. This song has been on repeat for the past few weeks, and whenever I hear it, I cannot help but sing it.

"I only love it when you touch me, not feel me..." I sing passionately.

"When I'm fucked up, that's the real me. When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, yeah." A deep voice sings.

I jump, and I turn around and see Dr. Rian smiling at me. My veins are also on alert, tingling with a powerful lust because he has such a pretty singing voice. Once again, every vein in my body is now rushing with adrenaline, and my heart thumps so hard that I can feel it in my throat.

"This is one of my favorite songs, you have great taste in music." He tells me, and I sigh.

"Jesus, you scared me." I exhale, holding a hand to my chest to feel my speedy heartbeat.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to." He says sarcastically, and I smirk.

"Hey! I could've had a heart attack, and then I'd have to be rolled over to a cardiology." I say jokingly.

We both laugh, and I lay back in bed, texting Xiu.

Alex: hey Xiu

Xiu: haaaaaaaayyyy

Alex: ugh I just want to get out of the hospital, but i don't want to go back to my mom.

Xiu: you'd have to eventually, sorry if that doesn't make u feel better

Alex: I kno, I kno. We should have a sleepover soon. Idk what we'd do, considering the fact that I'll be on crutches.

Xiu: hell yeh! I'll ask my parents when it's okay for u to come over. If ur mom pisses u off, u can just come over

Alex: thanks

I come back from my speed texting when I feel Dr. Rian's hands, removing my IV. That electric shock courses through my body again when I feel his smooth skin. The sudden skin to skin contact that we've been having always makes my skin come alive, and the spot that he touched would remain pulsing for a while.

"You don't need any medicine through IV, anymore. You'll have some pills for the pain, okay?"

"Got it." I smile.

I really don't need to be in the hospital anymore, but I'm staying by choice. I don't want to go back home to my mom, and I don't know if anybody else will take me into their place. I wouldn't want to burden Xiu or Savannah's parents by practically moving in with them, but at the same time, going home to my mother is pretty much a death sentence.

"Dr. Rian, I know that I don't need to stay here anymore, but I have nowhere to go." I admit.

My mother is still a maniac, and there's no way that I'm going to go back unless she miraculously pulls through and looks genuine about wanting to repair out relationship and take me home. The possibility of that happen is very rare.

"Wouldn't your friends Xiu and Savannah help you with that?" He asks curiously, arching an eyebrow.

"It would be up to their parents, and I don't know if they'd be okay with me moving in with them." I admit.

I'm sure they would, because their parents are so incredibly generous, but I wouldn't want to burden them like that. No matter how close I am to their daughters and how close I am to them, I don't know if they'd be comfortable letting me move in. Allowing me to move in would be amazing, but I know it won't happen.

"I know this will basically cancel out everything I've said, but maybe just going back to your place would be best." He suggests, and my eyes widen.

What?

"No, I refuse." I say stubbornly and cross my arms.

"Maybe your mother was being genuine when she said that she was sorry, just ask her." He says.

If only it was that easy.

My mother is a mess. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, she's been a wreck ever since my father died and I don't think that she'll change. Especially towards me. There's no resentment towards my sister or my brothers. Only me.

"Dr. Rian, I don't think you get it." I say, on the verge of shouting. "My mom, is abusive. She's manipulative. Nobody but Xiu and Savannah believed me when I admitted that she's hurt me before."

"So express how you feel. You cannot keep it bottled up inside, or else you'll explode like a grenade." He says, and I scoff.

"I am a grenade. I'm gonna blow up everything and anything that's in the way. I deserve something better, and my mom definitely isn't worthy of my respect." I spit.

There's an awkward, tense silence, and I look away from his gaze. He wouldn't be telling me this is he felt that this would be the best thing for me to do.

Maybe he's right.

Maybe my mother deserves my forgiveness. But I don't know if I can allow myself to do that. I'm not strong enough. Just looking that woman in the face is going to make me fall apart more than I already have.

"What if I fall apart?" I ask, choking on a sob.

"You won't."

"Yeah, I will. When she came to see me the day this happened, I fell apart." I say, completely dismissing his statement.

"Alex, it's okay to question yourself. I get it, family's tough sometimes." He says, and looking at me directly in the eyes.

I huff. "Okay, maybe you're right."

"Do you want to call her?" He asks.

"I'll call her right now, I guess." I say, and I hesitantly dial her number.

My hand is shaking as I'm patiently waiting for her to answer me, and I nearly drop my phone a couple of times. Maybe my father would want me to forgive her, and that's the only reason why there's just a small sliver of hope left in me that this will work.

"Hello?" She says.

"Hey, mom." I say, trying to stop the shakiness in my voice.

"Alexandrianna, I thought that you didn't want to have anything to do with me." She says, and I sigh.

"Dr. Rian suggests that we work out our problems, and I want to know if you're being real with me. I also don't need to be in the hospital anymore, and I need to resume school, so I'll have to come home."

"I'm on my way." She cheers.

I see Dr. Rian pick up my clothes and put them in my bag, which Xiu brought to me. He looks saddened, and I wonder why. The past couple of days have been pretty confusing, trying to figure out what I feel for Dr. Rian, if I feel anything at all, or if he feels anything. I need to just drop the situation and accept it for what it is.

My mother arrives sooner than I expected, and she has a smile on her face. The smile is almost identical to the smile she had when my father would walk through the door. It temporarily paralyzes me just how much she looks like my father with that smile on her face, giving me a sense of hope as I continue to watch her expression.

Maybe she is being genuine.

I get out of the bed, and Dr. Rian hands me my crutches. The look in his eyes looks so somber, and I notice he's clenching his jaw again. I'm not sure if he's angry or sad, but either way, his expression confuses me.

"You got everything?" He asks, and I nod.

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay, Alex. Let's get going." My mother says.

"Dr. Rian?" I say while looking back at him.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything over these past couple of days. It really helped." I say and smile.

His cheeks redden, and he has a shy smile. This causes me to smile at him, truly thankful for all of the care that he's provided for me.

"Glad I could help. I'll see you in a couple of weeks at your first orthopedics appointment then, right?" He asks.

"I guess so." I say.

He walks towards me, and he gives me a hug. My entire body feels like it's overheating as I feel his large hands rub my back. There's a pulsing energy rushing through me as we stay connected for a few seconds. When we separate, his blue eyes look overwhelmingly full of melancholy.

"Goodbye, Alex." He says.

"Goodbye, Dr. Rian." I reply.

As I'm getting driven home, I'm looking out of the window, and I can't stop thinking about Dr. Rian. I think about the look on his face as he realized that I had to leave.

Is he going to...miss me?

If so, I'm going to miss him, too.