“Don’t you dare defend that fucker,” Gabby says angrily.
“No, I want to know if it was Ben’s blood!”
I smirk. “Honey, nobody makes Ben bleed.”
She sighs in relief, but then frowns again. “So, Ben called the cops?”
“I honestly don’t know how it went down. I’m assuming we’ll find out tomorrow. Ben found him, and made him see that turning himself in was best for Lance’s well-being.”
Van’s lower lip quivers, making my gut tighten. “He did that for me.”
“We would do anything for you, bebe.” She grips onto my hand with her uninjured one and squeezes, holding my gaze in hers, and an entire silent conversation passes between us.
I love you. Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.
I love you. Always. You’re welcome. You don’t ever have to know what it is to live without us.
“Go home,” she whispers instead. “Take Kate home. She’s tired, but she won’t admit it.”
“I’m not tired,” Kate lies easily.
“She’s lying,” Van says.
“I know,” I reply with a grin and glance over at Gabby, who still has tears in her eyes. “You got this?”
“Of course.” She grins, the dimples in her cheeks showing. “Vanny’s stuck with me all night. It’ll be like when we were kids and I’d sneak into her room and sleep with her because my room was haunted.”
“Your room wasn’t haunted,” Van replies with a roll of the eyes. “You just liked my bigger bed.”
“My room was haunted,” she insists, talking to Kate now. “My things would be mysteriously moved. I heard voices.”
“Those voices are in that hard head of yours,” I reply and grin when she sticks her tongue out at me, just like she did when she was small. “But I am going to take Kate home now.”
“Kate appreciates it,” Kate says sarcastically. “She also loves it when you talk about her like she’s not here.”
“She’s testy,” Van says. “She’s been bossing the nurses around all day.”
“I’m right here,” Kate says.
“I know how to reel that bossy side in,” I assure Van, and laugh when Kate mutters right here, people. “We will check in on you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
I take Kate’s hand in mine and kiss it as I lead her out of Van’s room and into the hallway. As soon as we’re out of view, she pulls her hand from mine and walks ahead of me to the elevator, keeping her distance as we wait.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She simply nods, her eyes trained on the door of the elevator.
Another lie.
I move to brush her hair behind her ear, but she flinches away from my reach. My first reaction is frustration. Does she think that I would hurt her? But then she turns her sad green eyes to me and just shakes her head, and I relax.
It’s not me. She’s hanging on by a fucking thread.
I nod once and keep my distance to the car. Halfway home, I try to take her hand in mine, but she pulls away and clasps her hands tightly in her lap. Her whole body is tense. Her eyes trained on her lap.
For the first time in my life, I want to make it better for a woman. I want to hold her and protect her, and she’s not mine.
She’s never going to be mine. And the thought of her leaving makes me feel…
I don’t know what, it just makes me feel.
I park and she jumps out of the car, walking quickly to her loft.
“Kate. You’re coming up to my place.”
“No. I’m not.” She doesn’t stop walking.
“Yes, cher, you are.”
She stops and turns to glare at me. “No, I’m not. I don’t want you tonight, Eli.”
“You’re getting me.”
“You know what?” she rails, her eyes fierce, her gorgeous hair a riot of curls around her face. She advances toward me, anger vibrating in every muscle of her body. “I don’t need this. I don’t need another man telling me what I will and will not do.”
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
“Shouldn’t. Won’t. Can’t.” She gets up in my face, and I’ve never seen anything like her. She’s on fire, standing out here on the sidewalk in the French Quarter, yelling at me. “You’re an asshole!”
Shot to the gut.
“I’ve never claimed otherwise, cher.” My voice is perfectly calm. My hands are in my pockets, so I don’t reach for her and pull her in.
Not yet.
“You just play with people and their emotions! You’re just selfish and heartless!”
My eyes narrow on her face. Her eyes are tearing up, her cheeks rosy, and her bottom lip quivers as she shoves her fists into my chest, knocking me back a step.
She’s surprisingly strong for such a little thing.
“You just hurt people!” she yells.
“Who are you talking to right now, Kate?” I ask softly. Her eyes focus on me, and her face crumples as she begins to cry. “Ah, bebe.” I hug her tight to me, and she fights me, trying to wrench her way out of my arms, but I hold firm. “Shhh. You’re safe, Kate. Let go. Cry. Scream. Do whatever you need to, sweetheart. I have you. I’m not letting go.”
“I don’t want you to see this.”
“God save me from proud women,” I mumble into her hair, as I press kisses to the top of her head, breathing her in. She begins to cry in earnest now, gripping onto my shirt rather than trying to get away. I scoop her up into my arms and carry her inside as she buries her face in my neck and cries; loud, body-shaking sobs making their way through her as though the storm has finally washed over her and all she can do is ride it out and survey the damage later.
“No, I want to know if it was Ben’s blood!”
I smirk. “Honey, nobody makes Ben bleed.”
She sighs in relief, but then frowns again. “So, Ben called the cops?”
“I honestly don’t know how it went down. I’m assuming we’ll find out tomorrow. Ben found him, and made him see that turning himself in was best for Lance’s well-being.”
Van’s lower lip quivers, making my gut tighten. “He did that for me.”
“We would do anything for you, bebe.” She grips onto my hand with her uninjured one and squeezes, holding my gaze in hers, and an entire silent conversation passes between us.
I love you. Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.
I love you. Always. You’re welcome. You don’t ever have to know what it is to live without us.
“Go home,” she whispers instead. “Take Kate home. She’s tired, but she won’t admit it.”
“I’m not tired,” Kate lies easily.
“She’s lying,” Van says.
“I know,” I reply with a grin and glance over at Gabby, who still has tears in her eyes. “You got this?”
“Of course.” She grins, the dimples in her cheeks showing. “Vanny’s stuck with me all night. It’ll be like when we were kids and I’d sneak into her room and sleep with her because my room was haunted.”
“Your room wasn’t haunted,” Van replies with a roll of the eyes. “You just liked my bigger bed.”
“My room was haunted,” she insists, talking to Kate now. “My things would be mysteriously moved. I heard voices.”
“Those voices are in that hard head of yours,” I reply and grin when she sticks her tongue out at me, just like she did when she was small. “But I am going to take Kate home now.”
“Kate appreciates it,” Kate says sarcastically. “She also loves it when you talk about her like she’s not here.”
“She’s testy,” Van says. “She’s been bossing the nurses around all day.”
“I’m right here,” Kate says.
“I know how to reel that bossy side in,” I assure Van, and laugh when Kate mutters right here, people. “We will check in on you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
I take Kate’s hand in mine and kiss it as I lead her out of Van’s room and into the hallway. As soon as we’re out of view, she pulls her hand from mine and walks ahead of me to the elevator, keeping her distance as we wait.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She simply nods, her eyes trained on the door of the elevator.
Another lie.
I move to brush her hair behind her ear, but she flinches away from my reach. My first reaction is frustration. Does she think that I would hurt her? But then she turns her sad green eyes to me and just shakes her head, and I relax.
It’s not me. She’s hanging on by a fucking thread.
I nod once and keep my distance to the car. Halfway home, I try to take her hand in mine, but she pulls away and clasps her hands tightly in her lap. Her whole body is tense. Her eyes trained on her lap.
For the first time in my life, I want to make it better for a woman. I want to hold her and protect her, and she’s not mine.
She’s never going to be mine. And the thought of her leaving makes me feel…
I don’t know what, it just makes me feel.
I park and she jumps out of the car, walking quickly to her loft.
“Kate. You’re coming up to my place.”
“No. I’m not.” She doesn’t stop walking.
“Yes, cher, you are.”
She stops and turns to glare at me. “No, I’m not. I don’t want you tonight, Eli.”
“You’re getting me.”
“You know what?” she rails, her eyes fierce, her gorgeous hair a riot of curls around her face. She advances toward me, anger vibrating in every muscle of her body. “I don’t need this. I don’t need another man telling me what I will and will not do.”
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
“Shouldn’t. Won’t. Can’t.” She gets up in my face, and I’ve never seen anything like her. She’s on fire, standing out here on the sidewalk in the French Quarter, yelling at me. “You’re an asshole!”
Shot to the gut.
“I’ve never claimed otherwise, cher.” My voice is perfectly calm. My hands are in my pockets, so I don’t reach for her and pull her in.
Not yet.
“You just play with people and their emotions! You’re just selfish and heartless!”
My eyes narrow on her face. Her eyes are tearing up, her cheeks rosy, and her bottom lip quivers as she shoves her fists into my chest, knocking me back a step.
She’s surprisingly strong for such a little thing.
“You just hurt people!” she yells.
“Who are you talking to right now, Kate?” I ask softly. Her eyes focus on me, and her face crumples as she begins to cry. “Ah, bebe.” I hug her tight to me, and she fights me, trying to wrench her way out of my arms, but I hold firm. “Shhh. You’re safe, Kate. Let go. Cry. Scream. Do whatever you need to, sweetheart. I have you. I’m not letting go.”
“I don’t want you to see this.”
“God save me from proud women,” I mumble into her hair, as I press kisses to the top of her head, breathing her in. She begins to cry in earnest now, gripping onto my shirt rather than trying to get away. I scoop her up into my arms and carry her inside as she buries her face in my neck and cries; loud, body-shaking sobs making their way through her as though the storm has finally washed over her and all she can do is ride it out and survey the damage later.
