Out of Love(31)

Kara sobbed softly as she followed me, and we grabbed Missy just as the paramedics deemed it fit to leave on her own without a trip to the ER.

“You guys grabbed shoes.” I eyed their flip-flops. “I’m not sure I would have had the sense to do that.”

They didn’t respond. Their heads remained canted over their shoulders toward the burning house.

“Can you take us to the hospital? We don’t have keys to our vehicles, and Aubrey was taken there.”

Slade nodded once. “Inside,” he said, and Jericho headed to the back door. He unlocked his Volvo, and Kara and Missy climbed into the back seat as I made my way around to the passenger’s side.

“Pants and shoes.” He rested his hands on my shoulders and steered me toward the house.

“I don’t need—”

“You do.” He opened the back door, and I followed him into the kitchen and just … stood there. Everything smelled like smoke. I wasn’t sure if it was his house too or just the stench embedded permanently in my nose.

Coherent thoughts were nowhere to be found.

“Leg.” He squatted in front of me and put his sweatpants on me like he put the tee on me. Then he pulled them up my naked lower body and tied the drawstring before rolling the waistband over several times. I was little help as he guided my feet into my black combat boots and stood in front of me.

My blank gaze affixed to his T-shirt clad chest. “I think … everything I owned except my Jeep was in that house. But nobody died … that’s what matters. Right?” I lifted my gaze to his.

He never gave me much to read on his face, and that moment was no different. After a few heartbeats, he nodded once.

When we pulled into the hospital parking lot, Kara and Missy thanked Slade and plodded inside, the weight of the night evident with each slow step. I started to open my door. Then I twisted my torso to face Slade. It wasn’t that I expected endless warm embraces and soothing hushes while stroking my hair and promising me everything would be okay, but I thought there would be something more. At least a touch that acknowledged how close we had been just seconds before we heard the sirens. But maybe that was sex, and I needed to explain to my heart that the physical and emotional elements of life didn’t always coincide.

“Thanks for the ride. And …” And what? The orgasm? “I’m going to call Aubrey’s parents if someone hasn’t already done that. Then I’m going to call my dad. I’m sure he’ll be here in a flash. Not sure where I’m going to stay for now or when I’ll get someplace to get a new phone. So …”

The skin between his eyes wrinkled a bit. “Okay.”

Okay.

That was his response to the tragedy, our displacement, and my recent status change to homeless.

Okay.

“O-kay … I’ll make sure to get your clothes back to you as soon as I buy new ones.”

He answered with another infuriating nod. That stupid nod felt like a boot to my already bruised heart, an eviction notice to my already lost emotions.

I climbed out and drew in a shaky breath to calm those emotions as I scuffed my boots along the sidewalk to the hospital entrance. Without the fire, it had been an emotional, life-changing night for me. The fire and the fact that it was almost six in the morning … that just added to my fragile state.





Chapter Thirteen





Aubrey’s burns were treated, and she was discharged later that afternoon. Her parents put on a united front in spite of the recent divorce announcement. Kara and Missy left with their boyfriends, and both of their parents were booking flights to LA.

My dad was on his way, but he had been in New York for a work conference. He was having trouble finding a flight, which meant he wouldn’t be there until the next day. He was going to have Jessica come to me, but I told him I’d be fine. I told him I had a place to stay.

I lied.

Overprotective dads didn’t like to hear that their daughters were homeless.

I also lied to Aubrey’s parents about having a place to go and a ride or money to get there. When they left the hospital, I stood by the entrance, pretending to wait for my “friend” until their car disappeared into traffic. Then I turned to go back inside to find a waiting room to sleep in until my dad made it there the next day.

“Forget something?”

I stopped. Emotions raced to my eyes, but I did not give in and cry like the fucking mess I was at that moment. Instead, I swallowed what little pride I had left and gave myself a mini pep talk before turning toward Wylder and Jericho.

“No. Yes.” I frowned and cleared my throat. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you.”

I died inside but kept something resembling composure on the outside. “Welp …” I shrugged. “Here I am.”

His scruff-covered face softened as his boots closed the distance between us. “Need a ride?”

My gaze parked at a piece of smashed gum by the toe of his boot. “I’m …”

“When’s your dad coming?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?”

I scraped my teeth over my bottom lip several times. “Not sure yet.” My arms crossed over my stomach as I hugged myself to soothe my insecurities.