Chapter 1003 - He is back (1/2)

”I'm sorry I made you wait for so long…”, Aiden whispered while wiping her tears away.

Sarah sniffled and cried while smiling. She was a mess. ”Silly… I'm sorry for crying selfishly without asking you how you feel. Are you in any pain?”

”I feel…”, he thought for few seconds. ”…rusty. I could use a good stretch… and a shower… I'm hungry.”

She smiled while thinking how that is just like him: cleanliness and food. But he puts her first, so he let her cry. ”Let's take it easy on stretching, and I can help you with the shower, as for food… let's start with water. I'm sure you need to start slowly... a popsicle, maybe? Let me call Anna and ask…”

Aiden held her hand, preventing her to reach for her phone. ”Food can wait. Give me water and let's shower.”

Sarah gave up on getting her phone and turned toward him. She didn't want to call anyone either. They would all gather around, and she would not have him only to herself.

”Why are you whispering? Can't you talk?”, she asked while he took few sips of water from the glass she gave him.

Aiden swallowed and cleared his throat.

”It hurts, but it's better after water.”, his breaking voice was like a beautiful music to Sarah's ears.

In the shower, Sarah hugged Aiden and washed him and rubbed her face on him while he supported himself on her shoulders. She could not believe that this is real. He is awake. Now that he is standing in front of her, last three months feel like a bad dream.

Sarah sat at the edge of the tub and watched Aiden brush his teeth and shave, without blinking. As if she was afraid that if she blinks, he will disappear.

Sarah helped him dress up in fresh clothes and get back on the bed. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he is much more stable on his legs than when they went to the bathroom.

”Don't cry.”, he said softly before kissing her forehead.

”I'm not sad.”

He kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes when his lips brushed against hers. Oh, how much she longed for this… to feel his lips move against hers. She kissed his unmoving lips numerous times and now her whole body trembled from that familiar feeling she didn't experience for what seems like forever.

Aiden's arms were around Sarah, and he kissed her slowly, almost shyly at first. He deepened the kiss and a sensation ran though Aiden, forcing an involuntarily whimper to escape him when he remembered his time in the void, and that presence which forced him to stay focused… her warmth is so familiar, with a difference that now she is solid and in his arms.

Sarah fisted his t-shirt while enjoying his scent, and the softness of his lips, and his taste… a hint of the minty toothpaste mixed with the sweet taste of Aiden… and that feeling of his body pressing on hers. And she knew that it's real. He is awake. Holding her and kissing her desperately like there is no tomorrow.

”I'm sorry for allowing this to happen. I can't imagine what you went through in last three months.”

”It's not your fault. You protected me and…”, Sarah saw a confusion in his expression. ”How much do you remember?”

”I remember the company meeting, and your presentation…”, the more he thought about it, the more images came to him, but it was blurry.

”After the event, the two of us stayed behind to debug a high priority production issue. That was a sabotage done by Alexander. He was a spy sent by the Voronins to watch over you.”

Sarah paused to give him time to process that information.

He noticed that she spoke about Alexander in past tense, but he didn't want to interrupt with his questions. If Alexander was a Voronin, Aiden does not care what happened to him.

”Continue…”, Aiden urged her.

”On the street, Evalina showed up with a gun. You protected me. You have two gunshot scars on your back, and I was hit in the arm. Evalina was working for Voronins as well… And then we were kidnapped by King's men. They removed bullets from both of us. They released me because I'm of no use with my left arm not working, and they injected you with some chemicals which put you in a coma.”

Aiden looked at Sarah's left arm. ”Not working?” He remembers that in the shower she used it.

Sarah smiled and flexed her fingers. ”There was a shattered bone and nerve damage. But Anna operated on it, and I got an upgrade.”

”An artificial bone?”, he guessed.

Sarah confirmed. ”More than one.”