Elena

"I don't think you should be going home tonight, Elena. It's late and our apartment is like two whole hours away." Cara reasoned, but I wasn't listening.

I wanted to be away...far away from them.

Just being in my suite, knowing they were in the same building I was, made my skin crawl.

"I don't care, Cara. I just want to go home." Maybe if I crawled into the warmth of my own bed, I wouldn't feel like my walls were closing in on me again.

"Look, don't think about them. First thing in the morning, I would have Jason arrange for a driver to take us home."

Speaking of Jason, he had arrived a few minutes ago, and despite needing my best friend more than anything, I knew that his arrival meant a lot to her.

They hadn't seen each other for weeks. It would be unfair to keep her from seeing him. And I wasn't about to spoil a relationship that was genuine at least.

Heck, Jason hadn't even planned to come for the wedding! His coming was a surprise after Cara had probably haounded him for not attending.

The wedding..

Lucas had not loved me. Never loved me.

"I'll be fine, Cara. Just go to him. Besides, a drive would do me some good." I assured her, then picked up my bag.

The truth was, I wasn't even planning on going home.

Not immediately.

Cara was between the door and me. "Think about this carefully." She of all people knew that once I set my mind on something, I wasn't backing down.

I saw the moment she accepted defeat. "Call me."

Few minutes later and I was making my way out of the hotel.

My vision was a little bit blurry by the time I walked out the entrance doors and I reached dto wipe my eyes, only to bump into a velet.

"I'm so sorry!" My voice was cracked, and whilst I was doing my best to hold in the sobs, it wasn't working.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" The young valet asked, reaching out to steady me.

I could only nod.

"Do you already have your car waiting for you? Should I call a taxi?" He looked genuinely concerned about my wellbeing, but it only reminded me of Lucas, as while I was here crying my eyes out, he was up there with my own sister.

"I'm fine. Thank you." I mustered and walked away.

Where was the taxi I called?

I needed to be out of here.

Not wanting to continue standing under the scrutiny of the valet and the others who had picked up on my predicament, I stepped into the pavement.

I mean, I could meet the taxi driver up front.

It was better than standing in front of a five star hotel crying and a mess.

Only I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have.

The sound of screeching tires tore through my eardrums, followed by a bang, before I was pivoting backwards.

No.

I wasn't having an accident was I?

Screams sounded just as I felt my body hit the ground. My whole head vibrated from the impact.

"Shit_"

It was a male voice.

Deep, and distinctly familiar, but I couldn't think as all I could hear was only static.

My vision was white.

Strong arms, admist the screams and shouting reached around me and lifted me.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" The voice came again.

And that was the last thing I heard before everything went white and quiet.

~

I opened my eyes and immediately squinted when the light hit them.

A loud ringing assaulted my ears, before it with was abruptly cut short like someone had lifted a receiver and slammed it really hard back on.

Wait...

I blinked and tried to sit up, grunting when my whole body protested.

"I won't do that if I were you." Came the spiciest baritone I had ever heard. One I didn't mind hearing over and over again.

I frowned slightly.

Was I in heaven?

"You took a pretty hard fall earlier and the quicker you recover, the better it is for both of us."

I hadn't even realized I had shut my eyes back until the voice came again and they flew open.

I flipped my head to the side and almost fell of the bed I was when I saw who it was, sitting just a few feet away from me, a hard look on his face.

Xavier Price.

Lucas's stepbrother.

And he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Wherever that is.

I blinked. Then blinked again.

Then looked around, to see that I was in a hospital.

"What am I doing here? Why are you here? How_"

Xavier let out a growl, cutting me off. "Incase you didn't hear me the first time, you need to rest so we can leave here." He wasn't looking at me.

Instead, his focus was on the magazine in his hands.

I frowned, then looked down to see the needle buried deep in my hand.

My head throbbed and with my free hand, I reached upwards and felt the bandage around my head.

That's when the memory hit me.

I had been in an accident.

Was_

"Yes, you just had to be a drama queen and launch yourself in front of my car so I could help you end your misery." Xavier said casually. "I mean, I expected better, but then again, I expect too much from people."

Blood immediately rushed to my head, and without a care in the world, I sat up, biting back the pain.

I wasn't going to let another Price walk all over me again.

Even if this one was the handsome devil that always had a scowl on his face the few time we had met.

"What the hell_" I didn't finish what was saying as the door opened and a nurse walked in.

I watched mutely as Xavier put the magazine down and got to his feet.

The busy woman taking my vitals could not distract me from the imposing figure in the corner of the room.

I could tell it was still night time, so how the hell was he still in a suit?

Under that perfectly tailored charcoal suit were muscles upon muscles. The type that made my mouth water.

Fuck.. i shouldn't be thinking about his muscles...

Especially not when my eyes were still swollen from crying all night.

That stack reminder had my heart squeezing painfully.

"Okay....you are good to go, Miss White." The nurse was saying, forcing me to drag my attention back to her.

I cleared my throat. "Uhmm..thank you very much. If you will kindly show me where to make payment for my bill." As I spoke, I was aware of Xavier's gaze on me.

The nurse gave me a weird look, then glanced briefly as Xavier before turning her gaze back to me. "Miss White, this is the Price hospital, and all of your hospital bills have been fully paid for."

Air hung in my throat. I didn't need her to speak further to know who paid them.

Now I owed him?

"Uhm_"

"That's enough now, Mary, you can leave us." Xavier said, interrupting me.

The nurse was out in a blink of an eye.

I turned my gaze to him. "I will pay you back."

Was I even supposed to? It was he who ran me over with his car..

A smirk played on his lips. "Oh trust me, you will surely pay me back. And in more ways than one."