“We’ll hold off until later this evening for anything that heavy,” the doctor answered with a chuckle.
“I can wait until later. For now, I’ll take anything. Can I sit up?” Damion asked.
The doctor walked over and hit the button on the bed until Damion was sitting up slightly. “Better?”
Damion glanced around, reached for Jules’s hand, and then nodded. “Thanks.”
After the doctor left, his parents talked with him for a few moments, then decided to head home, shower, change and get some food of their own.
“Want us to bring you back anything?” they asked her.
“No, I’m good,” she said, hugging them. “Thanks.”
When they were alone, she sat on the edge of the bed and wished more than anything that she could hold him. Instead, she held his hand and looked deep into his eyes.
“I thought…” Her breath hitched. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“Ditto,” he said, his eyes running over her face. She could see they were still unfocussed from the drugs. “I thought she’d shot you.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I love you. I don’t want to go another day without you.”
“Me either.” She smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes with her free hand.
“Does this mean you’ll marry me?” he asked. “I could get down on one knee…”
She moved forward and very carefully kissed his lips. “No, you don’t have to get down on a knee. Yes, of course I’ll marry you,” she said against his lips. “As long as you promise me that you’re going to get better and never get shot again.”
He chuckled, then winced and coughed a few times. “Damn, I might need some more drugs.” He sighed when the slight fit was over. “Don’t make me laugh again.”
She smiled. “Not until you get better. Then, I make no promises.”
He smiled up at her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She kissed him again.
The rest of the day visitors came and went. Flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals filled the hospital room.
Someone delivered food for Jules at each mealtime. Another bag of her clothes and toiletry items were brought for her.
She took a nap lying next to Damion shortly after lunch and was woken when his parents returned. Then she sat with them, talking quietly as Damion rested some more.
After that, a large group filed into the room—Zoey, Dylan, Elle, Liam, Aubrey, Aiden, Scarlett, Levi, and Hannah and Owen, along with baby James. Seeing all of her friends, she knew something was up. Then Brett walked in, and her heart skipped. They were here with news. To be there for support for them when the shoe dropped.
“What is it?” she asked Brett as he stepped into the room.
Damion had woken with the sound of everyone else entering. Jules walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, holding his hand in hers.
“How are you feeling?” Brett asked Damion.
“Like I got shot,” Damion answered.
Brett smiled. “I know the feeling.”
“I’d sure like to know why,” Damion said.
“And I think I might have the answer as to why.” Brett moved a little closer and the entire room quieted. “What we know so far is that Lisa and Joe’s relationship had turned rocky in the past year. They had married less than five years ago. Shortly after their marriage, they started going on these elaborate and extremely expensive trips. While Lisa claimed on her videos that all of the trips were comped by the resorts and hotels, they weren’t. Joe was bleeding his bank accounts and his business accounts dry to please his new wife. Basically, they were ruined before they even stepped foot onto River Camps. After they lashed out at the camp, she posted several crazy videos, which we all saw on her social media accounts. Then we hit back with all the positive promotions you guys organized.” Brett looked around the room at everyone. “After you contacted all the hotels and resorts, word spread fast through the industry. No one wanted to do business with them and their magazine any longer. The magazine had been suffering for a while now as it was. Joe had contacted their lawyer to file for divorce a few days ago.”
“So, Lisa went on a killing spree?” Jules asked.
“It’s just coming to light that she was bipolar. Nikki Fields, Lisa’s sister, claims that she’d stopped taking her meds shortly after she married Joe. He didn’t even know about her condition. Nikki watched her sister get worse and worse but stood by her since she was utilizing some of the travel and money perks coming her way from her sister. Nikki’s the one that bought Lisa the gun. Lisa came to her one night claiming to have been jumped and robbed. She begged Nikki to buy a gun for her so she could feel like she could defend herself.”