Tristan’s POV
I am worried about Elona, and it crushes me that she has to go through something like this. She doesn’t deserve this at all. I will do anything to be by her side, even if that means spending most days at home and doing my work in the comfort of my study room. I let go of her hand as I leaned back in the chair. I felt bad about having sex with her when she wasn’t feeling well. It was ripping through me on the inside.
“I really feel bad that I just went ahead and had sex with you. You should’ve told me you were not well. I was selfish.” I let out a shaky breath.
“It’s not your fault. I wanted to satisfy you. I love to satisfy you and I had to bite on my teeth through the pain, it was like the breath in my lungs was punched out of me. It was excruciating, and it was the first time I had sex while in pain. It was a lesson on my side too. I just… I just wanted to make you happy.” she looked down. That made me feel even worse.
“Sex doesn’t satisfy me, and it doesn’t make me happy. You are the only person that satisfies me because I love you. You make me happy. I can go days, months, and years without sex. I have done that since Estelle passed away. It’s mind over matter. I won’t even mention the one-night stand I had with Maggie because I was trying to get you out of my mind. But never think that you have to satisfy me with sex because I don’t care about that. I care about you. If you’re not feeling well and if you’re in pain, please tell me so that I also know that sex is off-limits, because your health is my priority and I don’t want to put you in pain. I am so, so sorry that I was selfish,” my voice nearly broke, but I held it together.
“You were not selfish and stop blaming yourself. I will inform you next time as long as you stop blaming yourself. It was not your fault, you didn’t know, and it was a lesson for myself,” she reassured me and I nodded.
The door opened. “Hey, how are you feeling?” David rushed to her side, and he leaned down, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I only saw the text now, thanks,” he stood up straight as he looked at me.
I nodded in response as his gaze fell on Elona, “I have some pain, but that is what always goes down, right?” she let out a sigh. I still can’t believe that this strong Elona whom I have always known and saw grow up with my daughter, is in pain, and she tries to be strong, which is admirable.
“Hey,” Cris entered, “Uncle David got me along the way and told me that you’re out of surgery. I’m so sorry about this. I didn’t know that you had this condition. Am I even allowed to say it?” Cris asked. Her eyes were still huge as if she didn’t get over the initial shock of the news earlier. She stood at the foot of the bed.
“Cris, it’s nothing. This is something that I am used to dealing with on my own and with the help of my father, but I was careless and this happened.” Elona said, wincing as she tried to sit up.
“Is it okay for you to even sit up?” I blurted out, concerned because she had just got out of surgery, I was now on the edge of the chair, my arm reaching out to her, ready to step into action if anything went wrong in this moment.
“Relax,” Elona smiled.
“With Elona’s surgery, she had a laparoscopy. They only make some incisions close to her belly button, and work through those little incisions to remove whatever tissue of the endometriosis. However, she will be discharged later. This surgery doesn’t require her to be kept in hospital.” David smiled, and then I shifted in the chair again, getting comfortable.
“Okay, I suppose I need to learn these things… for whenever you’re not around,” I said to David.
“Yes, you do.” He replied.
“I guess I need to do research too. If you need anything, then we are here for you, or you can sleep over by us whenever Uncle David is not around,” Cris shrugged.
“No,” Elona blurted out.
“That’s a brilliant idea,” I said, furrowing my brows at Elona who just stared at me for a brief moment before she looked at her best friend.
“That would be great. I won’t take no for an answer,” David chimed in.
“Okay, I guess I will be sleeping over when my father is not around,” Elona finally agreed.
“Awesome!” Cris was happy about it, and it only made my heart swell more. “So, this means that I’m never going to be an aunt,” Cris seemed sad about it and I looked down at Elona’s belly, which was covered with the hospital sheet.
I’m reminded of how badly Cris wanted a sibling. She knows that she won’t get one. Now she thought that she would be an aunt, Elona and I decided from the beginning not to have any kids, so in this case, the endometriosis is a reason for Cris to understand that Elona can’t have kids. But I do hate to see my daughter being sad, but we won’t be giving her those titles of big sister or aunt.
“Unfortunately, you won’t be an aunt. I don’t want kids at all. I have gone through so much pain and I don’t think I can do that. It is something that I decided years ago. I won’t even try and, please, don’t encourage me to try because you are not in my shoes and I would gladly have respect for my decisions,” Elona said. That’s my girl for standing her ground on her decision as an individual and with me as a couple.
“I totally understand. I’m sorry for bringing it up,” Cris was quick to apologize.
“You are both learning.” Elona smiled at Cris and me.
“Does anyone want coffee or something to eat?” David asked.
“I just came from the cafeteria, but I won’t say no to more coffee,” Cris smiled at him. But there was something that I had noticed about the way that David was looking at my daughter. A look that I had not seen before. Was he into her? Was it my daughter that he was talking about? My heart picked up its pace, almost sending me into a heart attack.
“Tristan?” I snapped out of it when David looked at me, expecting an answer. “Would you like coffee or anything?”
“Um… no, thanks,” I replied. David and Cris left the hospital room, leaving me alone with Elona. “I’m sorry for the questions and statements from Cris. She could come across as insensitive when asking about these kinds of things. She only cares about you and she is worried. I can see it in her eyes,” I said.
“It’s okay. I have to get used to it because my father and I have kept this a secret for so long. So, it’s not a big deal,” she smiled.
I stood up and leaned over her, pressing my lips against her forehead before pulling away. “I love you, always remember that. You are my strong angel that came into my life when I had least expected it,” I smiled down at her.
“I love you too, thank you for being my strength,” she returned the smile.
“We have to lean on each other when times get tough. Whether it is when one of us are sick, or when we are down and angry. I want to be that person for you. I know I’m an ass, but I am trying to be the man that I used to be before I had built up my walls.” I stroked her hair.
“You are showing that side of you even more. I love you more and more for the person that you are and are yet to become in a better way, but I don’t want you to change the person that you really are. I love you for who you are,” Gosh, she was so wise with those words.
“You surprise me,” I smiled and leaned down one last time to place a kiss against her forehead.
My phone started to ring, and then I pulled away, taking my phone out of my pocket. It was work and I answered, “Crane.”
“Mr Crane, we have another lead, which is a breadcrumb of the hacker. If you don’t mind coming in… it seems as if it could be coming from a building close to The Dakota Agency.”
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, “Stay on that, and I will be there soon,” I hung up and turned back to Elona. “There was a lead for the hacker. I am needed, but if you are home later, I will pop in.”
“Please, go and find that hacker. I will text you later.”
I kissed her before I rushed down the corridor, bumping into David and Cris along the way, telling them my reason for leaving so urgently. I hope that this hacker is found and is put behind bars after this.