Redemptive (Combative, #2)(27)
In my mind, it was just Nate and me. In this one moment. And even though I knew it was nothing special… it was more than I’d ever felt for anyone. And it was a feeling I swore to treasure. A knot formed in my throat as I thought about the man in front of me. The man who saved my life and was continuing to do so. Not just from the outside world, but from myself. From my pain and my misery. I didn’t have to live in my past anymore. Instead, I could live in the now. And I could live with Nate. And if this was all my life would be, trapped with Nate, it didn’t seem so bad.
“Bailey?”
I kept my eyes closed so he wouldn’t see my tears.
“Bailey, you’re all done.”
“I am?” I croaked, finally opening my eyes.
“I didn’t hurt you?”
“No.”
The doctor cleared his throat, pulling my attention from Nate’s worried eyes. Polizi waited until I was sitting down before saying, “I managed to get you some insulin, but it’s not going to last long. I need to get you a script which is going to be hard without a name to put it under. I’d use Nate’s, but it may raise eyebrows because of his own medication.”
My eyes snapped to Nate’s. “You’re sick, too?”
“No.” He shook his head quickly and held my hand. “I’m fine.”
“But he said—”
“Bailey…” His brow pinched as he searched my face. “It’s okay. I’m fine. I promise.”
And I knew it then; Nate was, without a doubt, the most important person in my life. Not just because he was my only constant, but also because I cared about him, and I can’t remember the last time I let myself care about anyone.
Tiny cleared his throat, and all eyes went to him.
“You can use my name,” he said.
My breath caught. “Tiny…”
He ignored me and motioned his head to the doctor. “Mark Wade. Use that. I’ll give you whatever information you need.”
18
Bailey
Tiny’s voice startled me awake. “I get it, man, I do. But you have responsibilities and work to take care of. The ship doesn’t run without you… and with no ship, there’s no sail.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.” Nate laughed out loud.
God, it was a beautiful sound. I found myself smiling, but that smile was wiped when Tiny said, “All I’m saying is that we’re falling behind now. It was okay the first day, even the second, but it’s been four days. And you’ve never had time off. People are talking, Boss. PJ is talking.”
At the mention of PJ’s name, my heart sank. I didn’t even think about any of that. I was too busy enjoying having him around, too busy being selfish.
*
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay today?” Nate asked.
I sat up on the bathroom counter. “I’ll be fine. I’ve taken way too much time away from your work as it is.”
He lifted his gaze to mine with the needle in his hand. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he didn’t, he just lifted my shirt and inspected my stomach. “You know it’s easier for me to do this when your hands are in my hair.”
I feigned a smile, too busy worrying about what Tiny had said, and did as he asked, and when I laced my fingers through his thick dark hair, his eyes rolled, an over exaggerated sigh leaving him.
“We gotta go!” Tiny shouted, knocking on the door.
“Okay!” Nate yelled back, administering my insulin.
I kept my hands in his hair as he straightened to full height. “Be careful, okay?”
His eyes narrowed, confusion clouding his features. “Shouldn’t those be my words to you?”
My gaze dropped, along with my voice. “I heard what Tiny said this morning.”
He pulled my hands away from his hair. I thought he’d be mad that I’d been eavesdropping but instead, he linked our fingers together and bent down so he could get in my vision. I shivered, not from the cold but from his touch.
His eyes locked on mine, and I sucked in a breath, unable to release it.
One.
Two.
Three.
He finally broke the silence. “It’s Tiny’s job to protect me. He’s good at his job because he worries too much. It’s not something you need to be concerned about, Bailey. I swear.”
“But I do.”
“Well, you shouldn’t.” He smiled, his eyes lighting up with the strength of it. He added, “But if it makes you feel any better, I promise to be careful. Besides, I have something important waiting for me at home.” He arched an eyebrow as if waiting for my response.
I had nothing.
Nothing but the numbers in my head.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Tiny banged on the door again. “Nate!”
Nate shouted, “Hang on!” Then to me, “I should get going.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
His grip on my hands loosened as he nodded. “Okay,” he said as if assuring himself that it really was. He started to pull away, but the second his back was turned I grasped his hand, my heart thumping too fast. Too hard.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.