My smart girl 3. Rewriting our stars

Sleeping with Jay was always warm and incredibly cozy, and my sleep was truly peaceful. I woke up long before dawn and simply lay there, basking in the warmth of my beloved doctor’s strong arms while listening to his quiet, steady breathing. Jay was still asleep, yet even in his dreams he held me tightly, shielding me from the night’s chill and any nightmares. So warm… so gentle… so… loved. I propped myself up on one elbow and smiled softly as I leaned over him. With feather-light fingertips, I traced the relaxed lines of his handsome face, wondering why I had resisted his love for so long. At first, he had acted like a typical bad boy who wasn’t used to hearing the word “no,” but then… everything had changed. I hadn’t even noticed how he had tamed me — easily, playfully — and made me fall so deeply and helplessly in love with him that now I was completely wrapped around his finger. He turned out to be nothing like what I had initially thought. “I’m not as bad as Ten made me out to be. Maybe only about eighty percent,” he had written to me on the day we met. Remembering that message made me smile. In reality, Jay wasn’t bad at all — not even one percent — despite his undoubtedly turbulent and very dark past. But the past was behind him now. The man he was today was kind, caring, attentive, and simply wonderful… almost like a giant teddy bear, even if his rugged appearance, perpetual black-and-leather style, tattoos, and piercings suggested otherwise. None of that reflected his true inner nature. My heart melted with tenderness every time I looked at him. And the quiet words he had whispered to me last night before I fell asleep in his arms still brought tears to my eyes. “…I love you… I’ll be with you my whole life…” Every girl probably dreamed of hearing something like that. I really was incredibly lucky that Jay had become my boyfriend… and not just because he gave me free stripteases on demand. I smiled and gently brushed a stubborn dark strand of hair away from his eyes. Then I traced my fingers along his soft, beautifully shaped lips and placed a tender kiss at the corner of them. They twitched slightly in a sleepy smile. Jay turned his head, pressing his cheek into my palm, and murmured in a deep, husky, sleep-roughened voice without opening his eyes: “Why aren’t you sleeping, Bambi…? It’s still very early… Go back to sleep, my dear… sleep.” “I slept wonderfully… thanks to you…” I said with a smile, leaving a light kiss on his warm cheek. He smiled and stroked my back, whispering: “I’m very glad to hear that, baby… But let’s… sleep a little more, okay?” “Okay, sweetheart. Sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you.” “It’s alright, darling…” Jay turned onto his side and pulled me closer, engulfing me in his strong, teddy-bear-like embrace. With a quiet sigh, he buried his face in my hair. I smiled and snuggled against his warm chest, covering his possessive hands on my waist with my own, before closing my eyes and drifting back to sleep. *** Ten All night and throughout the previous evening, I couldn’t find any peace. Rosé had a heart defect. God… It still didn’t fully register in my mind. Only God knew how much effort it had taken for me to stay calm and not let my worry show in front of my sister — to look her in the eyes and lie that everything was fine. As for Jay… there were no words. I had never seen him so devastated, and I understood his feelings perfectly because I felt the same. Without surgery, Rosé had no chance of survival. The only option was a full heart transplant, since her defect was inoperable and simply replacing the damaged valve wasn’t possible. Heart transplantation was one of the most complex operations, and finding a suitable donor was an incredibly difficult task. Still, we had to stay strong and hopeful… while hiding the truth from Rosé for as long as possible. *** In the evening, Lina called to ask about Rosé, but of course I didn’t tell her the truth either. I only said that my sister was still in the hospital. Upon hearing that, Lina promised to visit her the next day. And this morning, I met her at the entrance of the clinic and led her to Rosé’s floor. But as we passed by the window of her room, I slowed down and then stopped completely, staring in shock at the scene before me. Rosé was sleeping. But she wasn’t alone — she was sleeping with McFell, of all people! And from what I could see, he was… shirtless. Or half-naked. Either way, it didn’t change the fact. Noticing that I had frozen like a statue, Lina stopped too and looked at me in confusion. “Darling, what’s wrong?” I didn’t move, only exhaling in outrage: “Is he seriously sleeping half-naked with my sister?! Damn it, I get it — hormones and all that — but they’re in a hospital!” Lina finally looked in the direction I was staring and, seeing the two of them peacefully sleeping like lovebirds, simply smiled and stroked my shoulder soothingly. “Tennie… calm down. We already talked about this. Jay and Rosé are adults and can decide for themselves what they want to do. Look how comfortable and cozy they are together. Maybe she sleeps better with him… Just like I do with you. Jay is probably really warm.” I snorted. “I’m warm too!” My girl only laughed softly and shook her head, reassuring me: “I know, Tennie. But right now it’s not about you. Come on, let’s give them some privacy. Rosé needs this more than our company right now.” *** Rosé When I woke up the next time, Jay was no longer beside me. But I wasn’t angry with him at all — he had kept his promise and stayed with me in the room all night. I freshened up and even managed to eat breakfast before, around ten in the morning, a smiling Lina peeked into my room. “Rosie, hi… Can I come in?” she asked softly. Seeing her, I smiled and nodded. “Of course, come in. I’m really glad you came. Did you decide to visit me?” Lina entered the room, walked over, and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling me into a tight hug. “You scared all of us so much yesterday, sweetie. How did you end up here? I hope you’re okay? What are the doctors saying?” She pulled back slightly, looking into my eyes with concern. I sighed and shook my head, leaning back against the pillow. “I don’t really know, Lin. Jay and Ten both insist that I’m fine and it’s just the result of overexertion, but for some reason Jay won’t let me go home, saying they need to run some more tests. Overall, it all feels very suspicious to me.” Lina frowned at my words, but then gave me an encouraging smile and squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry, Rosie. I’m sure with a doctor like your Romeo, you’ll recover very quickly. Especially since he fulfills all your whims and even sleeps with you right here in the hospital.” Hearing that, I blushed brightly and bit my lip in embarrassment. “How do you know he slept here with me?” Lina smirked. “Ten and I saw you from the hallway. You two looked like the sweetest pair of sleeping kittens. Ten, of course, started grumbling as usual, but I quickly put him in his place.” “Oh God…” I laughed quietly and shook my head. “How embarrassing… But thank you anyway. I don’t know how much longer Ten would have been lecturing me if it weren’t for your good influence.” “No need to thank me, darling. And you really don’t need to be embarrassed. Like I said, Jay is your guardian angel. He loves you so much — it’s obvious to anyone — and he won’t let anything bad happen to you.” I smiled sadly and turned my gaze to the gray sky outside the window, whispering almost inaudibly: “I… really hope so."