AllFreeNovel
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There isn’t one.
“Can I put you on your feet for just a second?” I whisper.
She nods, but doesn’t open her eyes.
“Lean on me, okay?” I wait for her to nod before I lower her to the ground. I wrap one arm around her waist and shrug out of my jacket sleeve, switch arms and take it off altogether. I lay it on the couch, covering the most offensive stains with it before I prop her up on it.
“I’m so embarrassed. I don’t think I’ve ever fainted in my whole life,” she says and throws her head back so that the creamy olive skin of her throat is bared to me. The small beauty mark right in the center like a bull’s-eye for my lips. I lean forward, just want to get close enough to …
The door comes flying open.
“Beth, are you okay?” Her friend comes to stand next to me and shoots a worried glance over her shoulder at the door.
“My hand is killing me, and I’m embarrassed, but otherwise, I’m okay.” She gives a half-hearted chuckle and shoots her friend a deprecating smile.
“I’m so glad.” She shoots a dark look in my direction. “Someone tagged you in a picture on IG and there’s a line forming out the door.”
I grimace, but shrug. “Yeah, that’s what happens, I’m sorry we usually give a heads-up when we’re coming.”
“We called the police, they’re going to do some crowd control. It’ll be fine. Can you wrap that?” She nods at the first aid kit and I just want her to leave again so I can finally have my girl to myself.
“Yeah, I got this, go ahead.”
“Oh, Carter, you don’t have to—” She starts to dismiss me and I stop her with the shake of my head.
“I do. I have to,” I say meaningfully.
The door closes and I look back to find her watching me, and for a second I’m worried that she meant what she said about not wanting to see me.
She smiles. It’s tentative, pain lingers in her eyes, but it’s there and it’s enough.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much.” Her smile disappears, her eyes drop to her lap and she leans away slightly. I stare at the top of her bowed head and want to punch myself.
I came on too strong. I clear my throat and reach for the first aid kit.
“Let’s get you bandaged up.” I pick up her injured hand to examine it. She flinches when I press the gauze to it.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It just hurts a lot,” she says quietly, her eyes still downcast.
“Porsha and I broke up before we left Texas after the funeral. She was over using my shower because her building’s water is out. I’m sorry that happened.”
She stares up at me, her tears dry, but her expression is bewildered. “Okay. You could have texted to tell me that. I thought you had news.”
I laugh, not because what she said was funny, but because she makes me so damn happy. And now, it’s my turn.
I pull the paper I’ve been carrying out of my shirt pocket. “Here are words so beautiful, only nature could have written them,” I say and hand it to her.
Her smile fades. She pulls back and she eyes the paper like it’s a spider.
“What’s that?” Her voice is hard and clipped, and when she looks back at me, fear has overwhelmed everything else that was there.
“Our miracle,” I say. And then, I smile.
The fear in her eyes disappears and determination takes its place. She smiles back and takes the paper from me and holds it to her heart.
There’s my girl.
