Page 80 of Knot So Social

“Who, Alessandro? Sorry, I don’t swing that way.”

Her soft laugh does more for me than Morphine could. “No, silly. I meant Mr Shares.”

I squeeze her hand tighter. “What about his owner?”

She brushes hair off my forehead, our roles reversed now that I’m the one lying helpless on the floor. “She likes him too.”

Her voice wavers, telling me it’s not that simple. I guess that’s the contract talking.

“That’s a good start,” I muse.

“But Jeremy, I can’t—”

Oof, I’d prefer she cursed me out. I squeeze her fingers in protest. “Hey, don’t you know you gotta say nice and positive things to a patient? Give him something to live for.”

She shakes her head, but her shoulders quiver with suppressed humor, and I smile to myself. I can tolerate any amount of pain, so long as she’s happy. A siren wails in the distance, signaling the end of our time together and the beginning of far more intense pain. If I don’t move or breathe much, it’s kinda just a faint throb.

Willow still has my phone, and I think there are people I need to call. But I don’t want to release her hand.

“Hey, Willow?”

“Yeah?”

“Think you could call Heat Wave for me? I’m supposed to check in after leaving here, but pretty sure I’ll be checking in somewhere else.” I throw her a silly grin.

She nods, swiping at a suspicious glisten on her cheeks. “I can do that.” She gets to her feet, and I miss her warmth immediately. The tiles burn like ice on my back and a chill sets in.

The omega taps a panel on the wall; I assume to open the front gate. It’s only when footsteps sound on the porch that embarrassment sets in. This must look so pathetic, a man downed because he tripped over a dog or a bag on the floor.

Willow guides the paramedics in, and I lose sight of her behind their bodies.

They check my vitals, trying to talk to me, which is hugely irritating. The only one I want to talk to is my omega. When they load me into a stretcher, I almost black out from the pain.

“Wait!” Willow calls, shoving through their arms. This time, the tears in her eyes are clear to see.

I reach out, searching for her hand. “I’ll be okay. Just look after yourself, yeah?”

She nods and sniffs as she squeezes my fingers. “I can’t go with you, sorry. But could you . . . call me, to update me?”

“Hmm. I can’t. I don’t have your number. Well, I mean, I have it . . .” I squint, trying to focus enough to make sense. “But I don’t have permission to call it, outside of work.”

The omega nods and holds the phone to my finger so she can unlock it before tapping away on the screen.

“Ma’am,” one of the paramedics urges. “We need to get him to the hospital.”

“Don’t rush her,” I growl out, harsher than I intended. Pain, or alpha instinct? I can’t be sure which one’s at work.

“I’m done, I’m done,” Willow says, handing the phone to the paramedic. “I’ll keep your bags here until you’re released.”

“Thanks. And I enjoyed our time.”

She stands back and waves, her jaw working overtime. The paramedics carry me out, the bright sunlight blinding me. As they load me in the back of the van, I squint around the yard, and discover my truck parked right by her door. Well, at least that gives me another reason to come back.

Although the omega, despite showing concern, was clearly trying to reject me back there and that stings far sharper than the pain in my leg.

But I’ve never been a quitter. I just need to find a way to worm into her affections.

“Can I have my phone?” I ask as the paramedics settle me in.