One Wild Night

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m

Chapter 870 Dinner Invitation

Sonia shifted uncomfortably in the stiff hospital bed, wishing Bryan would listen so they could go back to the warmth of their own bed.

Despite the lingering fatigue in her body, a sense of calm washed over her. The doctor's reassurance echoed in her ears: everything was going to be okay.

Reaching for Bryan's hand, she squeezed it gently. "Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

Bryan eyes, usually a vibrant blue, were rimmed red was filled with a mixture of relief and terror, and his face etched with worry lines.

"Okay?" he echoed, his voice thick with emotion. "Sonia, you had me scared half to death! One minute we were talking, the next..." He trailed off, unable to voice the horrifying image that had flashed through his mind.

Sonia offered him a weak smile. "I know, babe. I was scared too. But the doctor said everything is fine. We just need to take it easy for a while."

Bryan shook his head, his voice trembling slightly. "Easy? You won't be taking it easy anywhere. When we get home, you're not getting out of bed. You're staying put, all day, every day. Resting."

Sonia chuckled, a soft sound that sent a wave of relief through Bryan. "Bryan, I will need to use the bathroom at some point, even if I'm resting."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that. I'll carry you. You won't even have to move a muscle."

Sonia's smile widened. "Bryan, you're being ridiculous. I can walk to the bathroom."

"No, you can't. You won't," he insisted, his voice surprisingly firm. "You need to rest. I don't want you thinking about anything, doing anything. Just focus on getting better."

"Were you very scared?" She asked, looking at him in concern.

He squeezed her hand, his knuckles white. "Scared doesn't even begin to describe it. Seeing you in pain, the bleeding... I thought..." His voice trailed off, a choked sob escaping his lips.

"I thought I was going to lose you both. I can't. I don't want to ever have to live without you," Bryan said and reared gathered in Sonia's eyes as she reached out and brushed a comforting hand across his cheek.

"Hey, shh," she soothed. "It's okay now. We're both okay."

"And I'm going to make sure you both remain so. No lifting, no bending, no stressing. You just relax and think about nothing."

Sonia couldn't help but tease him. "But what about all the work I have to do? Remember I have a deadline for my novel?"

"Mr Conner can wait," he declared dismissively. "The world can wait. Right now, all that matters is you and the little one."

Their moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jeff peeked in, a hesitant smile on his face as he held up a brown paper bag. "Hey, how's everyone doing?"

"We're okay," Bryan said, his voice gruff. "Thanks for coming, Jeff."

Jeff entered the room, setting the bag on the bedside table. "Made you some broth." 𝐟𝐫eewe𝗯𝐧𝚘ve𝐥.c𝚘𝚖

Sonia's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Jeff. I'm sorry we bothered you..."

Jeff grinned. "I don't mind being bothered by you two. I'm just glad to hear everything is alright.

They conversed a bit and Jeff tried to lighten the mood. Finally, after a while, Jeff announced he needed to get back to work organizing all that was needed for his cousin to make a smooth transition.

As he left, Sonia reached for the bag, intending to grab a bite.

"Here," Bryan said, taking the bag before she could. "Let me."

He opened the bag, retrieved a container of soup, and carefully spooned it to her lips.

"Seriously, Bryan, I can feed myself," she protested weakly.

He ignored her protest, his jaw set in a determined line. "Just open your mouth. That's all you have to do."

"But…"

"No bending. No lifting. No stressing. You're carrying our baby, so let me carry you and take care of you both, okay?"

Sonia sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. Despite the annoyance at his overprotectiveness, it was hard to deny the warmth that flooded her heart.

It was moments like this, moments of simple tenderness, that reminded her why she loved this man so much. His worry might be a little overboard, but it stemmed from a place of deep love and concern.

This was Bryan, the man who loved her so fiercely, the man who would carry her to the bathroom if need be.

The tiny life growing within her felt even more precious than before, and she knew Bryan would be an incredible father, a little overprotective perhaps, but an incredible father nonetheless.

She opened her mouth, accepting the spoonful of soup. As she ate the soup, content filled her and a sense of peace settled over her, a warm glow radiating through her despite the discomfort.

They had come close to losing something precious, but they were okay. And for now, that was all that mattered. She leaned into him, feeling safe and loved in his arms, and drifted off to sleep, the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor a soothing lullaby.

Away from there, Amy lay on her bed, staring at her bedroom ceiling as she contemplated whether or not to send Lucas an email.

In her hand, her phone felt heavy, a battleground of indecision. Should she send the email? The question had been plaguing her since she woke up that morning and it was over an hour already.

Taking a deep breath, she reread the draft she had written and deleted countless times. It was simple, a casual inquiry: [Hey Lucas, how's your day going? You're the first person I thought to reach out to this morning, so feel free to interpret that however you want – maybe I dreamt about you ;)]

A small smile played on her lips as she reread the message. It was casual, friendly, with a hint of playful teasing. It was harmless, right? Just a friendly message to a friend.

With a final click, she hit send. A wave of nervous anticipation washed over her, followed by a pang of regret. Maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe it would just complicate things further and make him feel like she was coming on to him strongly.

Far away from there, Lucas was sprawled on the couch opposite Tyler as they both watched an episode of House MD.

A notification chime on his phone startled Lucas, and he glanced down at the notification.

Amy's name sent a jolt through him, a mixture of surprise and a flicker of something he couldn't quite place.

He hadn't been expecting an email from her so soon, since they had texted that morning before he left for his classes.

He hesitated, his thumb hovering over the screen. Was this a good idea? To open a message that could potentially stir up a storm of emotions he wasn't prepared for? If he opened it, he knew he was most likely going to respond, and he worried that it would encourage Amy to keep texting him until it became a routine for them.

"Luke, you okay?" Tyler asked, when he said something and Lucas didn't respond.

"Yeah, fine," Lucas mumbled, his eyes glued to his phone.

"Anything wrong?" Tyler pressed as he took in Lucas' facial expression.

Lucas sighed. "Nothing. Just... a message."

"What does it say?" Tyler asked and Lucas shook her head.

"I haven't opened it yet."

"The message is from Amy I suppose?" Tyler guessed, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

"How did you know?" Lucas snapped, surprised by his own defensiveness.

Tyler held his hands up in mock surrender. "Easy there, tiger. You sort of get this strained expression whenever Amy's involved."

Lucas scoffed. "Strained expression? What are you talking about?"

"Like you're caught between wanting to run towards her and wanting to run away at the same time."

Lucas bristled. "That's nonsense. We're not even close friends or anything."

He didn't want to admit it, but Tyler's words held a sliver of truth. Amy was a tangled mess of emotions for him and he wasn't exactly sure why he felt that way about her.

And why was she even texting him by this time? He knew it was barely eight in the morning over there in Ludus.

Tyler's eyebrows shot up. "Well, open it then!"

"I never said I wasn't going to open it!" Lucas growled as he stared down at the phone, his finger hovering over the notification.

Sensing that Tyler was still watching him, he opened the message. The playful tone of her message sent a jolt through him, a mixture of confusion and a flicker of something he couldn't quite define.

"What's the hold-up?" Tyler asked, his voice laced with amusement as he watched him.

Before Lucas could respond, Tyler's phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Dr. Evans.

"Hold that thought," Tyler said to Lucas, his gaze flicking to the new message.

"What's wrong? Emergency?" Lucas asked when he saw the frown on Tyler's face.

"It's an invitation to dinner with the Rosewoods tomorrow," Lucas said with a sigh. "Mr Rosewood invited me, some kind of thank you for helping him find his wife."

"Oh, boy," Lucas said, knowing how Tyler probably felt about going to dine there now that he knew the whole truth.

"Do you think I should tell Tom about this?" Tyler asked, and Lucas nodded.

"Yeah," Lucas said and rose, "Let's call it a night then. I'm tired already. Say hello to Lucy."

"I guess you are going to respond to her email? Why not just give her your number so you can both chat properly instead of…"

"Mind your business," Lucas muttered as he headed for his bedroom.

"Nah. I told you I'm never minding my business anymore when it concerns you and your relationships. I did that once. Im never doing that again," Tyler called after him and Lucas chuckled as he walked into his bedroom, not bothering to give Tyler any response.

Alone now, Tyler took a deep breath as he dialed Lucy's line. He was going to tell Tom about the invitation, and if Tom asked him to reject it, he would do just that.