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It’s only a few minutes later though that I hear a knock on the bathroom door. “Aroha? It’s Missie. We just came to see how you’re doing. We’re worried about you.”
“I’m all right,” I say, but it comes out as a squeak. “I’m in the bath.”
“James said you’ve hurt your ribs.”
“Yes. They’re… very sore.”
“Sweetheart, can I come in? I just want to make sure you’re all right.”
I sigh. “Yeah, if you want.”
Missie pushes the door open. She comes in and closes it behind her, and walks over to the bath. Immediately, she sees the red marks on my ribs and my tearful face, and she drops to her knees beside the bath.
“Aw, sweetie,” she says. “Are you okay?”
I give a humorless laugh, trying to wipe my tears away, but it’s impossible. “It’s all right, I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”
“Of course you are. I think you’re perfectly entitled to. Are you in a lot of pain?”
“No, it looks worse than it feels. I don’t think they’re broken, just bruised.”
“I’m so glad. What a terrible thing to have to go through.”
“It could have been worse. He nearly got Leia.” Emotion rushes through me, and for a moment I can’t speak.
“But he didn’t because you were so brave,” Missie whispers.
“I just didn’t want to lose her,” I squeak.
“And you didn’t, you saved her. James is so proud of you.”
“Then why is he so angry with me?” I sob.
She looks startled. “He’s not angry with you.”
“He is. He said, ‘You could have been badly hurt, what were you thinking?’ I don’t know what he expected me to do. He yelled at me, and now he’s cross with me, and I don’t know why.” I start crying for real.
“Aroha, honey, he isn’t cross with you. He’s furious with Blue, and terrified at the thought of you being hurt.”
“He’s not, he’s just worried about Leia…”
“Sweetheart, didn’t you hear what he said when he strode up to Blue? He yelled, ‘That’s my wife!’ before he hit him.”
I blink and sniffle. “Did he? I didn’t hear him.”
“He was livid—Henry had to drag him off Blue. I swear, he isn’t cross with you.” Her expression softens, and she smiles. “He’s crazy about you.”
“He has a funny way of showing it,” I grumble, wiping my face.
“Everyone knows how he feels about you,” she says. “We’re all just waiting for him to realize it.”
I shake my head. “You’re wrong. He doesn’t have feelings for me, not in that way. I’m sure of it.”
“We’ll see,” she says. “I’ll have a word with him.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
James
