Xavier

Brrrr.

I never thought it would be this cold in the middle of October. The streets are covered in black ice. I can’t even see the streetlamp posts neither. I shouldn’t have taken this road, there is nothing but black ice. Just as I was about to turn back around, I felt the ground shaking, along with it, the car too so I halt the car to a stop. I turn on the windshield wipers to take off some of the snow and the scenery in front of my eyes was not pretty.

A plane had crashed and there were bodies surrounding it, I don’t even think anyone survived but I pray someone at least hung out a little more. I put on my furry coat and with a prayer, I rushed out of my car and ran to the wreckage. I heard a soft groan coming from the wreckage, I’m really glad this person is at least alive because the two pilots are dead.

“I’m coming. Hold on just a little while.” I said to the person who groaned.

I came near to the groan and with all my might I lifted the iron off of the person. The man looked in complete pain, his chest had a piece of glass stuck inside it and his suit was almost entirely soaked in blood. I grabbed him and led him upright with his arm across my shoulders to my car. I sat him carefully in the passenger seat while I went and sat in the driver side and rode to the nearest hospital.

“Are you ok?” I asked him but by the looks of it, he was still in complete and utter pain.

“Dans cet état, je ne suis pas bien, mais je vous remercie madame.” (In this state, I’m not alright but thank you miss.)

In all honesty, I did not understand anything that just came out of his mouth. I wish I finished those French classes when my mom told me too. In sight, not too far away, was a hospital sign. I drove a little faster and in a couple of seconds we were heading into the hospital door.

Hospital staff saw the guy in critical state and immediately took the stranger out of my hands and took him into surgery. I saw a doctor rushing to go in the surgery room, but I caught up to him in time.

“So, doc, how long is the man’s surgery going to take and is he going to be alright?”

He sighed and replied, “Miss, the surgery is going to take like 4 to 5 hours and most likely, we don’t know if he is going to be alright but we will inform you after we have finished the surgery.”

He went straight into the room and just left me there. I brushed him off and sat down in one of the seats and closed my eyes. It has really been a long and cold day. I think a really deserved rest is needed. I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.

“Ma’am, please wake up. We have news for you.”

That voice was interrupting me in my sleep, but it wasn’t enough to draw me out of sleep. Someone started shaking me vigorously, having no fault in their actions.

The continuous shaking woke me up with dazed eyes, looking up to a person who I couldn’t recognize for anything.

“Ma’am, the man you brought in has survived but he is still in critical condition. We still have to keep him here for a few days and then you can take him home. As for the glass that was lodged in his chest, we managed to take out everything but it will leave a nasty scar on his chest so we put a bandaged over it and if he would like to get the bandage clean, he can come back and we can clean it for him.” The doctor stated before standing back, looking to go back to the front desk.

“Wait doc.” My small outburst stopped him from moving any further and he shifted his head towards me.

“Can I at least see how he is doing?” I asked, he nodded and led me to the room where the stranger I helped was in. When I saw the man, I wanted to say ‘omg you look so adorable when sleeping’ but I had to keep that in so I wouldn’t embarrass myself in front of the doctor.

“Wow he looks peaceful when he is asleep.” I commented on the stranger’s sleeping form.

The doctor nodded and left the room. I sat next to the man and stared at him, who is this man? He looks as if he is not from around here, somewhat foreign.

“Regarder mon visage pendant que je dors?” (Staring at my face while I sleep?)

I still couldn’t understand what he was saying but I was embarrassed being caught staring at him.

“I’m sorry for staring at you.” He looked my way and smiled.

“Its definitely no problem to the woman who saved my life. Thank you by the way. I am eternally grateful.” My eyes legit broke out of its sockets. Who know he could speak English and with a thick accent! This just made him even more edible!

“You’re welcome….” I pressed on and I think he got the hint.

“Dante. My name is Dante Blanc. What is your name mademoiselle? (means Ms)

“Well my name is Aurora Smith, Dante.” His face showed a small smile as he sat up in the bed.

‘Well Aurora, I really don’t do these things for people I just met but for you I will. I will help you with anything you need for the rest of the week even if you have any financial problems, I will help you.”

Those words that came out of his mouth were surprising to me, “Wait Dante, thanks for the offer but that is just too much from a guy I just met. You could be using the money you have for your family.”

Dante pressed his lips into a thin line, “Aurora, my family has enough money already but this time I would like to help somebody else who is in need of something. Whether it is building or fixing something, I would like to help. I deserve some time off from work.”

I crossed my arms and stared at him hard, “You really want to help me but yet you are still hurt. How will you possibly help me?” He shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

“I’ll find a way. Even if its putting my bo…” I cut him off in the middle of his sentence.

“You can’t put your body in such a risk. Let me take care of you until you feel well again. You can stay with me if you want or stay in the hospital and I can come over and keep you company.” I had to put my hands over my mouth to stop talking. Was I really inviting a stranger into my house just like that?

“I really like that offer Aurora. I would love to spend the night with you. It would be fun.”

I blew out a breath of relief and Dante gave me that deep chuckle again, “Don’t worry Aurora. I promise I would be out of your cross hairs as soon as I get healed. I won’t cause any problems at your home and I would treat you with the out most respect.”

I could not contain my awe; he was a perfect gentleman.

“Omg Dante, that was the best promise I ever heard. Wait aren’t you going to call your mom and dad and tell them that you are fine?” He shook his head and said no.

“I won’t tell them yet because I want to spend some time with the person who saved my life. Are we going to be leaving tomorrow or so?” He gave me that look that he really wanted to get out of here.

I gave him that look that said ‘you are going to be ready to hear this’ type of look.

“Um the doctor said that they have to keep you for like the whole night to make sure you are getting better because when I brought you in here, you were in a very critical state and they just wanted to make sure you’re alright.” He rubbed his hand over his said, “If I stay overnight, my parents will be over here tomorrow morning and its not going to be pretty.” He looked at me and took my face in his hands softly, “Aurora promise me you will stay the night with me so at least by 6 a.m. we can leave.”

I nodded in his hands and he let my face go, “Why are you in such a hurry to get out of here?” My curiousness was getting the better of me. The hospital isn’t that bad.

His whole face turned blank, “You really don’t want to know.” He turned his head to the clock, “Its late. We should be going to sleep.” I nodded was going to get a blanket for the chair I was about to sleep in but Dante took the blanket before I can.

“Aurora sleep with me. I would feel horrible if you sleep on that uncomfortable chair.”

Was this dude crazy? “Are you serious?”

“I am most definitely serious Aurora. I won’t allow you to sleep on that chair.’

He just gave me the reason to sleep on the chair. I took the blanket from him and sat in the chair with my feet up.

“Aurora, you shouldn’t have done that.”

“Do waaaaaaa!!” Dante lifted me up in his arms but one thing he didn’t know was that I was afraid of heights.

“DANTE, PUT ME DOWN I’M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!” I put my face in his chest and gripped his biceps hard.

“Damn girl your grip is hard.” I felt my body being placed on a soft surface along with a warm body.

Dante turned the lights out and said, “Good night Aurora. See you tomorrow.”

I said my good night and was about to fall asleep but before I drifted to sleep, I felt my body being pulled onto a next body and a person’s face on my neck.