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“Fuck me. I was halfway across the world when you needed me,” he growls, pissed off.
“You didn’t know I needed you, and I didn’t know you existed,” I remind him, feeling the strange urge to comfort the man. “I don’t even have my phone. So even if I’d remembered you, I couldn’t have called.”
“I should have realized something was wrong when you didn’t answer my calls or texts. You always answer. I thought I’d pissed you off somehow, and you were ghosting me.”
“Is that something I would do?” I’m not sure I like the idea of that.
“No. And if I’d thought about it, I would have realized something was wrong. I have a bunch of extra phones because of work. I’ll have one ready for you before you leave.”
“Valen—”
“It’s for your safety, Rue, and will give me peace of mind.”
“Fine,” I grumble. “But when I get mine back, I’ll return it to you.”
“We’ll see.”
His hand moves to cover mine, making me jump. My eyes fly back to his.
“I’m so fucking sorry, Rue. I should have been here, and the fact that I wasn’t kills me. But you can bet your ass I’ll be here from now on.”
I could tell him not to worry about it. I mean, how do I know he’s not stringing me along? Sure, he sounds convincing, but I’m not sure how much of that is genuine and how much of that is because I desperately want it to be true. The thought that there is someone out there who cares about me is a staggering one whenI was just getting my head around the fact that I appeared to lead a lonely, solitary life.
“You care about me.”
I don’t know if I meant to say it as a statement or a question, but Valen doesn’t seem to care. He rolls toward me, his hand moving to cup my cheek.
“More than you realize. It’s why I was so pissed when I thought you’d ghosted me. I can handle a lot of things, but losing you is not one of them.”
My lips part in surprise at the sincerity of his words. But before I can question them, his lips are on mine, soft and gentle, coaxing in a manner that I suspect is at odds with the kind of man he is. He doesn’t deepen the kiss, which is probably for the best because I’m not sure my brain could handle it right now. With everything else, it’s most likely to short out if he pushes any further.
But that one kiss was enough. Enough to feel something other than the bone tiredness and deep-seated fear that have been my constant companions since waking up in the hospital.
“Tell me about you, Valen. Tell me all the things you’d tell me on a first date because, in a way, this kind of is one.”
Pain ripples across his face briefly, making me feel like an absolute bitch. I’ve been so wrapped up in my problems that I forgot that I’m not the only person who’s been affected by all this. As much as I hate not being able to remember, I can only imagine what it’s like to be forgotten completely. Now, here’s Valen, someone who not only remembers the woman I was but who seems genuinely distraught by what happened to me.
“I’m so sorry. That was insensitive of me.”
“Hey, none of that. I’ll tell you what you want, within reason. I don’t want to overload you with all my baggage. Not yet anyway.”
I can’t argue with that. I’m sure it was hard enough to talk about the darker parts of his life the first time.
“Can I hold you while I talk? You might be right beside me, but you feel a million miles away.”
I bite my lip, nerves making me wary. But he’s asking me for a hug, not a kidney.
“Okay,” I whisper before I chicken out.
He slips his arm underneath me and tugs me toward him, and my hand instinctively goes to his stomach. He maneuvers me until my head is resting against his chest before he takes a deep breath, and I feel his whole body relax.
“My name is Valen Ward. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I own my own business, which I both love and hate. My favorite food is anything Italian, and I loathe cucumbers. I have one tattoo…”
He continues to talk, telling me inconsequential first-date information as I relax into him. The deep cadence of his voice vibrates through his chest, making me realize how nice this is. My frazzled nerves have settled, and though I know I’m insane for agreeing to come here, I couldn’t care less.
We lie there for hours, sipping wine and watching the sky darken as the day bleeds into evening.
“It’s getting cold. Let’s get you inside before you get sick.”
