“I’m alive, ain’t I?”
My hands hovered near him again, unsure where to go, unsure what I could touch without hurting him.
I settled for gripping his forearm lightly.
“And thank Goodness for that. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t make it.”
“You ain’t gotta worry about that, Bunny. I ain’t leaving you.”
“Okay, but… who shot you? Did you call the police?”
Marcus cleared his throat from behind us and looped his arm around Orim, ushering her out.
“We’re gonna give y’all a minute.”
“Wait! I got questions!” Orim pleaded. But Marcus already was pulling her away, the sound of their footsteps fading down the hall until it was quiet again.
Just me and him.
I looked at him again, slower this time, taking in every detail.
The tension in his jaw.
The slight way he held his shoulder to keep pressure off it.
Then I hit him.
“You stupid, idiot fool! You could’ve died.”
“I didn’t.”
“That’s not the point, Marlon! You told me to leave!”
“I needed you out the room,” he replied. “And it’s the reason you standing here right now instead of answering questions for the police.”
I pressed my lips together, looking away for a second.
I hated that he was right.
“You scared me,” I admitted, my voice dropping.
“I know.”
“I thought…”
I couldn’t say what I had thought out loud .
He reached for my hand with his good arm and pulled me closer, guiding me gently so I didn’t press against his injury.
“I’m here,” he said. “Look at me.”
I lifted my eyes back to his.
“You not getting rid of me that easy,” he added. I let out a shaky breath, my shoulders finally dropping just a little.
“Good,” I muttered. “Cause I’m not done with you.”
That got a small smile out of him. It didn’t last long.
