Lox's POV...

I'm beginning to second guess this whole bionic arm contraption.

First off, every minute of wearing it is painful. This thing extends my elbow a small degree each time until my arm reaches full extension. My arm hasn't been fully extended in over a year. I've tried to get it there, Greya's tried, PT almost gets it there the one time a week I attend, and this high tech brace manages to straighten my arm in a nearly unbearable hour. It hurts like hell. I look ridiculous too.

"I c...can't sit like this and eat a...at the same t...time."

I don't mean to be short with her but I'm frustrated and hurting. I'm also tired after staying up half the night researching about my father and the prison he's currently serving time in. If I knew a little more about the operations he ran maybe I could find out if he's really looking for me. I'm not sure what I'm looking for exactly and it's stressing me out the longer I can't be sure if we're safe or not.

"Well, PT suggested you wear it while laying down. Why don't you lay on the couch while I clean up here?"

"We'll b...be late for c...class."

The original plan was to wear the brace after Greya helps me stretch, so I'd be wearing it while we eat breakfast together and do some school work before we leave for classes. The problem is, I can't sit at a table or in the car or focus on school work while the brace extends and flexes my elbow and opens and closes my hand at the same time. It gets in the way or my hand ends up hitting the table or chair I'm sitting in, while I feel like a knife is stabbing me over and over again. Pt suggests I lay down somewhere and let it do it's thing, but that takes up more time.

I haven't moved yet from the kitchen counter. My hand has hit the chair a few times and I haven't touched the scrambled eggs Greya made us.

Greya walks up to me and turns my body in the swivel stool so I'm facing her. My arm's hanging by my side in a constant bend and straighten motion along with my fingers. I sigh deeply when her hand reaches up and her fingers slide through my hair. I'm getting worked up over nothing. I know this brace is supposed to be helping me. Greya told me I used to have panic attacks, now I have seizures. I'd rather not have either today, so I try to breathe through the pain and focus on her soothing touch.

I feel her thumb as it softly brushes over the scar that begins just above my eye and reaches the back of my scalp then I feel her lips press against my temple
and I close my eyes.

"We have another hour before we need to leave so I know your arm isn't the only thing bothering you. Talk to me B."

Relationships work with honesty and I need to be honest with her, especially with all the issues I have, though everything I need to be honest with her about will only worry her.

"Look at me Handsome."

I do and she cups my face with both her hands.

"You're in pain. I see it on your face, every time you wear that. But the brace is helping so let's figure out how to keep your mind off the pain while you're wearing it."

There's one honest thing I don't need to admit. She knows me well and if I'm honest with myself, I can only tackle one thing at a time and this arm pain is at the top of the list.

Her hands leave my face and find the hem of my shirt. She smiles while I just stare at her and she quickly slides her fingers up under my shirt. The warmth of her skin against mine causes a flutter in my chest and the air in my lungs to expand. She has this effect on me whenever she touches me, something I can't explain yet makes everything else cease to exist.

Soft hands delicately roam my torso and my body caves into her. I'm up off the stool and standing in front of her before my brain has a chance to catch up. I know what I want though and it's her, always her.

I reach up with my free hand and hold the back of her neck while I lean down and capture her lips.

"How many minutes are left?" She breathes.

"Twenty," I keep kissing her and suddenly twenty minutes more of this brace no longer feels like eternity.

"You think we can make out that long?" She chuckles and continues pressing her lips to mine.

"I think w...we can," I smile back.

We both wrap an arm around each other as our mouths are locked together and we fumble our way to the living room. At this point I don't care that my other arm is rhythmically bending up and down at my side and Greya doesn't seem to mind my bionic fingers bumping the side of her ribs when my elbow bends. That's the whole point of this great distraction, right?

As soon as the back of my legs hit the couch, I pull her down with me onto it. I lay across all three cushions while my braced arm and leg hang off the side. She climbs up on top of me, her hands under my shirt and her fingers causing goosebumps to erupt over my entire body. She's killing me, that's what she's doing. My manhood straining against my boxers and I wish we were doing so much more than this.

Lying here kissing her with her hands all over me is fine too. I almost forget I have two limbs immobilized in titanium.

Her thumb tickles over my nipple and her lips graze the skin just below my ear and I can't help but squeeze her flush to me so she can't move.

"You're teasing m...me."

"Mmm hmm. Is it working."

"Definitely w...working but I w...want to rip off all y...your clothes right now and I c...can't."

She removes her hand from under my shirt and rests her head onto my right shoulder, her body still flush on top of mine. I kiss the top of her head and her free hand reaches for the side of my face, her thumb brushing my cheek as she tilts her face up to look at me.

"We'll find the time later, I promise," she smiles.

This right here takes all my pain away. Half my body doesn't work right and my brain is messed up and she's still promising to be with me. How have I managed that?

She nuzzles closer, if that's even possible. Her arm snakes between my ribs and bionic arm and glues to my back. There's literally zero space left between us and I'm again flooded with another emotion that's beyond words. I've felt this way with her before, years ago before I was shot. I remember the profound power it had over my terrified mind and abused body. I feel it again now when we hold each other this way, like I know everything that's broken about me will find a way to mend. She's not going to give up on me.

Which is why I'm going to deal with my father once and for all. I'll keep her safe like she tries to keep me.

"Ding...ding...ding...ding..."

My phone alarm goes off, indicating I can remove the arm brace.

We both untangle from each other and sit up. I take off the brace and place it on the coffee table and rub my sore arm. I like how my arm is able to straighten all the way afterwards though it only lasts for an hour or two before my elbow reverts back to a bent position. PT says it will take some time and consistency of wearing the brace for my arm to naturally stay straightened for longer periods.

"How's it feeling?"

"Better n...now it's o...off."

She grabs the lotion she keeps on the end table and squirts some into her hands before massaging the lotion onto my arm. The light massage helps after having the brace on for an hour and the lotion helps protect my skin. Greya's been making sure to do this for me twice a day and I appreciate her even more for it.

"I haven't b...been sleeping w...well since the Collins c...came for dinner. That's why I've b...been a little c...cranky lately." May as well throw more honesty into the air.

"That was five days ago, why haven't you told me?" She doesn't ask in an accusatory way, more like she's worried for me.

"Because y...you're not going t...to like the reason f...for my lack of sleep."

She stops rubbing my arm and shifts sideways on the cushion to get a better look at me.

"Try me," she says calmly. I'm not sure she'll be so calm after I tell her.

"I've b...been researching about m...my father."

I gage her reaction. Still calm and very quiet. Okay, I should probably be nervous.

"I wanted t...to know about h...his crimes and w...what gangs he w...was or still is p...part of."

Greya's scaring me more than my father with the way she's silently staring at me.

"I w...was thinking of v...visiting him and f...finding out what his intentions are w...with me or see if h...he knows who I...I am and..."

"What!" She stands up from the couch and forcibly places the bottle of lotion down onto the coffee table.

Shit, she's not happy.

"That is NOT a good idea Lox! That's how you'll get yourself murdered. Or kidnapped and forced to do horrible things. Or kidnapped and murdered!" She's pacing in front of me and then walks off towards her bedroom.

"Where are y...you g...going?"

"To get my book bag so we're not late!"

I've never seen her upset with anyone, especially me. She's always seen me in a different light and treats me with endless patience. This might've made her patience run out.

Damnit! My crutch is in the kitchen. On good days I can walk without it but since I haven't been sleeping this week, my leg hasn't been cooperating.

Greya comes back as I'm hobbling towards the kitchen, grabbing onto the furniture for support.

"What are you doing?"

"My crutch i...is in the k...kitchen."

She sighs. "Stay there," and walks over to retrieve and brings it over to me.

"I'm s...sorry."

She looks up at me with an eyebrow raised and her arms folded across her chest.

"For m...making you angry w...with me, for c...causing a fight."

She sighs again and uncrosses her arms.

"We're not having a fight, we're having a disagreement. I don't agree with you willingly putting yourself in danger."

She grabs both our book bags and her car keys and walks towards the door, opens it and waits for me to step outside with her.

I follow her to the car and climb into the passenger seat. We're quiet the first few minutes of our ride and it's bothering me.

"Do y...you still w...want to meet m...me at the pool after c...class?" I'm treading lightly here. I'm not used to her being mad at me or if she even wants to be around me the rest of the day.

She's sighing again. I don't think I've ever heard her sigh at me before either.

"Of course I'm going to meet you. And after I finish packing Chase and I for our trip tomorrow, I'm going to come over and do what we've usually been doing." The calmness in her voice returns though I'm not convinced I'm out of the woods yet.

A few more minutes of awkward silence and we pull into the parking lot.

"You're m...mad at m...me. I didn't m..mean to make you up...upset."

She parks the car and turns the ignition off. I watch her lean back into the seat and turn her face towards me.

"I'm not mad at you. It took me a long time to process what happened to you and to try to live with you being gone. Since you've been back, I've been so happy and so scared at the same time and it's been hard for me to separate those feelings so that I'm not terrified any more. You mentioning wanting to visit your father almost had me teetering over the edge."

"Shit. I'm s...so sorry. Why don't y...you ever talk t...to me about that? I'm h...here for you t...too."

"I know you are. Sometimes I can't explain what's bothering me, but I promise I'll try. You're being honest with me, and I'll do the same even if we don't always agree with each other."

Greya's scared because of me, or she's scared for herself and for me. Her reasons are obvious and are difficult to fix. Meeting my father is probably the worst idea I can come up with, yet could also be the only logical one for assuring everyone's safety. At what cost though?

"Promise me you'll try to come up with a better idea that doesn't involve losing you...please!"

"Come h...here," I lean over the console and reach my arm out to her. She leans over and I hug her.

"I p...promise," I tell her.

"We have all week next week to talk with Cohen and Mr. and Mrs. Collins about it too. Maybe we can all figure something out."

"Yeah, h...hopefully."

We both open our doors to get out. Our classes are in separate ways this morning.

"Can you make it to class okay? Your legs really bothering you isn't it?"

"Is it th...that noticeable?"

"Kind of," she shrugs.

"I'll m...manage. The p...pool should help some. See you in n...ninety minutes?" I double check she'll still be there.

"I'll be there... And B?"

"Yes L...love?"

"I love you!"

"I love you too. S...see y...you soon."

We hesitantly part ways. Our disagreement weighs heavy on me that I almost opt out of pushing my leg to make it all the way to class. I don't like upsetting her and what ever ideas I come up with she's not going to like. But, I need to remember that what I do, I do for her.