Katherine’s POV

It’s been fourteen days.

Fourteen days since Lionel went into a coma.

Fourteen days of silence from him.

Fourteen days without his smile, his teasing, his temper.

Fourteen days of hell.

Fourteen days of numbness in my heart.

Fourteen days since I’ve stepped into my office.

“Ms. Xavier… you should come to the office. I can’t manage anymore. There are a lot of pending files you need to sign,”

Charlotte, my assistant said carefully, her voice laced with hesitation. I didn’t blame her.

The last time she brought up work, I nearly fired her on the spot. I’ve been snapping at everyone who so much as breathed wrong around me.

“I’ll be ready in an hour,” I said stiffly and got up. I’d been sitting in the same uncomfortable hospital chair beside my unconscious boyfriend for fourteen straight days.

Cherry and I both turned when the door opened. It was Lionel’s doctor. His face had a trace of fear. Good. He should be scared.

“Ms. Xavier…” he began, his voice trembling, “I’m sorry to say this, but we believe it might be time to take Mr. Lawson off life support. It’s been fourteen days, and there’s been no improvement—”

I stopped listening. I knew what this parasite was up to. He wanted to pull the plug and pressure Lionel’s mother into donating his organs, for a damn commission. A dirty paycheck over my man’s life. He didn’t know who he was dealing with. I clenched my jaw.

“Take his life support off,” I said coldly, “and this building will be demolished the next morning.”

The vermin shrank back in fear.

I took a step closer and stared him down. “I will decide whether his life ends. Not you.”

And with that, I brushed past him, making sure to bump my shoulder against his on the way out.

******

Back at the office, I signed what felt like a gazillion papers. Sat through countless meetings.

I really tried, to push thoughts of Lionel out of my head.

Our new project got the green light. Meetings went smoothly. I functioned like a robot.

“Cherry, go home. You don’t have to wait for me,” I said and got into my car before she could respond.

******

Lionel’s POV

Darkness.

That’s all I knew.

I didn’t know where I was, or how long I’d been here.

But I knew who I missed.

Katherine.

Her face. Her voice. Her laughter. Her blush. Her lips. Her scent. Her fire. Her stubbornness.

Everything.

“Missing someone?” a familiar voice echoed.

My guardian angel.

I turned to find her sitting in a chair that definitely hadn’t been there before.

She glowed, literally. Her light was the only thing piercing this darkness.

“So… you finally decided to show up,” I said dryly.

“Well, I had to, since you decided to be so ignorant,” she snapped, irritated.

“Excuse me?! Care to explain what I did wrong now?”

She exhaled, like she was dealing with a slow student. “What’s the last thing you remember, Lionel?”

I wracked my brain.

I remembered telling Ravi to cancel my meetings. I wanted to take Katherine on a surprise date. I remembered her calling my name...

And then—nothing.

“That’s it?” she asked.

“Wait… don’t tell me you can read my mind!”

“Okay, I won’t tell you,” she said casually, twirling her long, dark brown hair. “But I can.”

She looked a lot like Katherine. If Katherine had a softer side. And, you know, wings.

“Anyway,” she continued, “You don’t remember standing in the middle of a busy road like an idiot and getting hit by a car? You don’t remember Katherine crying her eyes out, begging you to wake up?”

I got hit by WHAT?!

“A speeding car,” she replied to my unspoken thought.

Kate cried? My chest ached.

“Where is she?!” I demanded. “I need to be with her. Wait. Am I… dead?”

She rolled her eyes. “No. You’re in a coma.”

I felt myself panic.

“She’s waiting for you, Lionel,” she said gently. “All you have to do is listen.”

She reached out, touched my chest, and just like that, she disappeared.

Silence again.

I strained to hear anything.

Nothing.

“Please, Princess… say something,” I whispered, tears slipping down my face.

And then—

“Lionel… I love you. I’m sorry for not realizing it earlier. Please wake up, babe. I want to spend the rest of my life with you…”

Kate!

My heart soared.

She loves me? She loves me!

“Kate?!” I shouted.

Suddenly, loud beeping filled my ears, and the darkness started to fade. My body felt heavy.

But her voice was the only thing grounding me.

“Lionel?! Oh my God! Ravi! Call the doctor!” she yelled.

Light flooded in, and the darkness vanished completely.
***

Katherine’s POV

I was holding his hand, just like every other night, sitting on that god-awful chair beside his hospital bed.

His head was still bandaged. His face pale. So still.

I hated this.

“Lionel… I love you. I’m sorry for not realizing it earlier. Please wake up, babe. I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

And then, his hand twitched in mine.

I froze.

“Kate?” His voice was hoarse.

My breath hitched. My eyes widened.

“Lionel?! Oh my God! Ravi! Call the doctor!” I screamed.

Ravi burst in, stunned.

“Why are you standing there like a moron?! Go get the damn doctor!” I barked.

He blinked, then darted out of the room.

Lionel’s eyes fluttered open. My heart practically exploded with relief.

I handed him a glass of water, which he downed like a dying man in a desert.

He looked at me and smiled weakly.

“Kate?”

“Yes, Lionel?” I whispered, voice still raw from crying.

“I love you too, Princess,” he said, a soft smirk tugging at his lips.

I blushed. “Lionel… I—”

“Don’t you dare say you don’t love me,” he warned. “Or I’ll steal all the staplers in your office. I heard you confess.”

I laughed through my tears, remembering all the times he hid my stationery just to piss me off.

I leaned into his chest, finally feeling whole again.

“I love you so much, baby.”