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“Loved off,” Tam said, her voice creaky as she opened her eyes. “And your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.”
Blaine stopped reading, and he met Tam’s eyes.
“But these things don’t matter at all,” she continued. “Because once you are real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
A smile bloomed on his face while she finished the page, and he closed the book and set it somewhere out of her sight. “Hey, Tamara.” He reached out and stroked her hair off her forehead, and he did it with such love, that she hoped he could love her enough to never think she was ugly, when she grew saggy and old.
She realized then that she wanted to grow old with him, and she wasn’t sure how to make that a reality. They hadn’t talked much about their actual plan to convince Hayes that they were dating. They’d just been dating. Sort of.
Not really at all, Tam thought. You went on one date, and he didn’t even kiss you afterward.
“How do you feel?” he asked, pulling his hand away and folding his arms.
“Okay,” she said. “How long have I been out?”
“Oh, like, thirty minutes,” he said with a slight scoff. “They did some x-rays and an MRI. I told them they’d be glad you were out for that.” He smiled like her claustrophobia was a real hoot.
Tam shivered just thinking about being in that confined pod. “Good thing,” she said. “I would’ve gone crazy.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry about the ambulance. They had you loaded before I got there, Tam.”
She nodded and tried to sit up further in the hospital bed. “Do I have to stay here?”
“Until the doctor comes back,” Blaine said. “At least. I can go let them know you’re awake.” He got up and moved to the door, which slid open. Tam realized she wasn’t in a hospital room, but a little cubicle, and there seemed to be plenty of activity beyond the wall of glass separating her from everyone else.
Someone had drawn the curtains over most of it, but when Blaine stepped out, she heard the chatter, the beeping machines, and the whirring of fans.
Sweat broke out on her forehead, and she flung the blanket off her legs. She wore a hospital gown, and she froze. Someone had undressed her. With fear bumping through her veins, she stared as Blaine came back inside. He slid the door closed and looked at her. “Terrance is coming to check on you.”
“Who’s Terrance? Where are we? Where are my clothes?”
“Terrance is your nurse,” Blaine said without missing a beat. “He’s your lead nurse, and nothing gets done unless Terrance says so.” He sat back down in the chair he’d been in, a sigh leaking from his mouth. “We’re in the ER. Your clothes are in that bag.” He indicated a bag on the floor near his feet.
Their eyes met again, and Tam didn’t dare ask if he’d seen her undressed. Those milk chocolate eyes buzzed with energy though, like he knew exactly what she was worried about. He said nothing and cocked his head instead.
“Where’s your cowboy hat?” she asked.
Blaine reached up and touched his hair, as if he hadn’t realized he wasn’t wearing a cowboy hat. “I don’t know,” he said. “I must’ve lost it somewhere along the way.”
“I’m not paying for a replacement,” she said automatically. “You have more money than anyone. You cowboy billionaires can buy your own hats.”
He laughed, and Tam smiled at the good thing she’d done. “I have plenty of hats, Tam.”
“I’m sure you do.”
He scooted closer to her and took both of her hands in his. “You sure you’re okay? Not feeling dizzy or sick?”
“No,” she said.
“Your head doesn’t hurt?”
“No,” Tam said. “My back either. They gave me something though. I know they did.”
“Just a very light sedative,” he said. “No painkillers.”
“Are you sure?”
“That’s what they told me.”
