“No, it’s fine; I’m fine.” The last expense I want added to my already vast collection is a hospital bill.
Emily’s shoulders rise and fall twice before she spins around to face me. When I see the tears welling in her eyes, I take a step back. She looks truly devastated.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” I assure her, trying to dampen the guilt tainting her beautiful face. “Although it hurts like a son of a bitch, I’m fairly sure my nose isn’t broken.”
She giggles at the mirth in my tone, but it does little to subdue her panic. “I’d feel better if you had someone look at it. You need an x-ray to ensure it isn’t broken.”
“It’s not broken. I’m fine.” When my assurance doesn’t smooth the groove between her brows, I suck in a big breath before forcing out words I’d rather not speak. “I can’t afford to go to the hospital.” My shaky voice relays my embarrassment. “I don’t have adequate health insurance.”
My eyes dart away from hers, my pride severely beaten. Emily is already aware I’m not covered by Destiny Records’ health insurance policy. It was the urgent matter she needed to discuss with me when we arrived in San Francisco. They sent her an email advising my claim for premium health insurance had been denied and that they were requesting I sign a waiver stating I understood I was not covered through their insurance company, and if I wished to stay employed, I’d have to seek my own personal protection within the next thirty days.
I’ve only had basic health coverage the past two years. It was one of the reasons I had so much trouble securing a job. Anytime I was successful, my premium health insurance was denied, then not long later, my position was made redundant. I’ve tried a few different options the past two weeks to get adequate coverage, but I’ve not yet been successful.
“You do have full health benefits.” Emily’s eyes float up from the ground to me before she whispers, “Noah is paying for it.”
“Why?” My short reply can’t conceal my thrashing heart.
After brushing away a tear that has fallen from her eye, she stares are me tenderly. “The insurance company sent your medical history records with the reason why they denied your claim.”
I gasp, equally shocked and pissed off. Generally, they just deny my claims; they don’t inform potential employees the reason why they rejected it. Now I understand why Emily has been looking at me differently the past few weeks, and why tears form in her eyes when they shift between Slater and me. She knows my secret.
She all but confirms it by asking, “Does Slater know?”
When I shake my head, an annoying tear topples down my cheek.
“Is it the reason you left him?”
My lips tremble as I jerk up my chin, answering her without words.
“Oh, Kylie, you need to tell him. He deserves to know.”
“I’ve tried.” My voice is as weak as my efforts the past two weeks. “He keeps telling me to leave the past in the past.”
When more frustrating tears fall from my eyes, Emily engulfs me in her tiny arms. She rubs my back in a soothing manner while whispering her apologies in my ear.
Not even two seconds later, the bathroom door shoots open so fast, it nearly comes off the hinges. Slater charges inside, his face marred with panic. “Kylie, are you okay? Noah just told me what happened.”
When he tugs me back so he can inspect my damaged nose, Emily glides her hand down my arm before stealthily making her way to the exit.
I stop eyeballing her departure when Slater sucks in a sharp breath “What the fuck?” His eyes rocket in the direction I was just peering. “You need to hire more security. This shit isn’t acceptable.”
Understanding Slater’s anger isn’t really for her, Emily nods before walking through the door, closing it behind her. Not speaking a word, Slater lifts me to sit on the counter before carefully pulling away the tissues stuffed under my nose. My nose went numb ages ago, but I’m confident it’s still bleeding. It isn’t just the slightest trickle running over my lips that gives it away. It’s the devastated look on Slater’s face.
“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt.”
He rolls his eyes before wetting two paper towels. Once they’re damp, he drags them across the blood that has dried under my nose. The harshness of the gritty material running across my top lip reminds me how his stubble scratches me when he kisses me. The last two weeks have been a fairytale. It’s as if the last two years never happened. Our relationship has returned to how it was before we spent the weekend at the cabin.
We spend every waking moment together, ensuring we make up for the time we lost. I rode with Slater on his bike to Los Angeles, denying Emily’s pleas to go in the tour bus with the girls. We took advantage of the beautiful ocean views along the way by stopping to snap numerous candid shots. We had lunch at Nepenthe. The views of the ocean stretched for miles. It was truly breathtaking.
When we arrived in Los Angeles, Slater asked if I wanted my own room or if I’d like to bunk with him. It was mean of me to contemplate his question for as long as I did, but I couldn’t help but tease him. He loves riling people up, but he hates when they return the favor.
After putting him out of his misery by agreeing to share his room, we settled into a routine rather quickly. It’s been perfect, everything I could have ever wished for, but no matter how many times I try to bring up the past, he shoots me down by saying he wants to leave the past in the past.
My focus shifts back to Slater when he grumbles, “Did she have an elbow the size of a truck?”
Once he has the blood cleared away, he pushes his thumbs on each side of my nose.
“Sorry,” he apologizes when I grimace. “It’s going to bruise, but I don’t think it’s broken.”
