A Perfect Ten (Forbidden Men #5)(140)

“That’s no excuse for—”

He lifted his hand and shook his head. “I know. I...damn it, Caroline. I’m sorry. I’m so f*cking sorry. I made myself focus on everything bad he’d ever done, and I just let it fester.”

“I love him,” I said simply. “And he loves me. He’s good to me, too. No one’s ever been as good to me as he is.”

Noel kissed my forehead. “I see that...now.” Now that it could be too late, he didn’t add, but seemed to relay with his tortured gaze.

Closing my eyes, I turned my head to the side. “You haven’t said anything about our marriage.” I don’t know why I pushed that subject. Maybe because it kept me focused on something besides my fear.

Noel blew out a long breath. “That’s because I don’t know what to say. You’re just so young, but...I’m not scared. Not for you. Because I...honestly, there’s no one else I would trust with you more than him. I lost sight of why he was my friend for a while. But he is, and there’s a damn good reason for it. He’s always had my back, and now I know he has yours, which is so much more precious to me than him having mine.” Taking my hands, he looked deep into my eyes, begging. “Do you think you can ever forgive me?”

I gave him a watery smile. “I think I have to, because I really need my big brother right now.”

“You have me,” he promised. When he hugged me again, I held him tight, grateful for him for about the millionth time in the past couple hours. I probably should’ve tried to hold on to my anger longer, but I just couldn’t, because I really did need my big brother.

At some point, I must’ve exhausted myself because Noel nudged me awake.

I looked up to find Oren’s parents in the waiting room, looking a little lost as they glanced around as if looking for help. When I pulled out of Noel’s arms and sat up, Brenda finally focused on me.

“Caroline.” She gasped and hurried forward. “You look awful. What happened? Were you with him?”

“Yes. I...” When I stood, she grasped my wrists and spread my arms to see me better. I glanced down, and it was the first time I got a real look at myself. My shirt was grass-stained with flecks of blood soaking through from where I’d scraped my stomach along the ground. And now that I was seeing that, I realized my abdomen and elbows were sore. Then there were my palms, my palms that hadn’t been able to keep hold of Oren and stop him from falling. They were scratched and coated with dried mud.

Tears filled my eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” I sobbed.

Brenda cooed out a sound of understanding and enfolded me into a huge, comforting hug. I told her everything, about the picnic, and that we took my little brother to the waterfall to show it to him, how Colton fell in, and then how Oren saved both our lives. When I got to the part where Oren told me he loved me right before he let go of my hand to keep me from falling in with him, Noel cursed fluently and buried his face in one hand.

Oren’s parents glanced at him. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet,” Phil finally said.

Noel looked up, and then straightened. He blew out a breath before holding out his hand. “Sorry, sir. I’m Noel Gamble. I’m the one who called you.”

I blinked, startled. I hadn’t even thought to contact anyone, let alone Oren’s parents. Grateful that my big brother had had the forethought to get a hold of them, I found a smile for him somewhere in my grief, thankful he was here with me, to help me through this.

Oren’s parents seemed startled by the introduction. “Noel Gamble?” Brenda repeated. “The Noel Gamble who lived with our son for nearly three years and we never met?”

Phil shrugged. “We saw him play ball when we went to Oren’s games.”

“But we still never—”

“He’s my brother,” I spoke up, feeling the need to defend him. “Noel’s my big brother.”

“Oh.” Brenda shook her head as if confused. “Well, that explains how you met Oren, then.”

She patted my hands in a motherly fashion, and I smiled uneasily. I don’t know why I felt so uncomfortable. Brenda’s hands trembled as if it was taking everything she had to hold herself together. It seemed like I was deceiving her somehow, maybe because I’d lied to her about Oren seeing a therapist the last time I’d seen her. Or maybe I was so strained because it was all my fault he was here and she forgave me so easily. No wonder Oren had so much trouble being around them after his sister died. He’d felt responsible and they’d pinned no blame on him. It’d probably made him blame himself even more.

“So, have we heard any updates at all?” Phil asked.

I shook my head, and the Tennings seemed to wilt with more worry.

Just then, the nurse who’d had me fill out all Oren’s paperwork popped her head into the room. “Mrs. Tenning?”

Brenda looked up. “Yes?”

A moment of awkward confusion crossed the nurse’s face before she pointed at me. “I...was actually talking to this Mrs. Tenning.”

She darted to me, holding out another clipboard. “Sorry. There was one more form I needed you to fill out.”

I froze as both of Oren’s parents whirled to gape at me. I sank closer to Noel, who wrapped a supportive arm around my shoulders. “O…okay.” I reached out and snagged the clipboard from her and sat in the nearest chair where I began to write with a trembling hand.