AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re not fine Cora, and I’ll never forgive myself for leaving you alone on that sidewalk last night. I had no intention of leaving that bar without you, but then I let my anger get the best of me, like I usually do with you. And I left you alone and unprotected and someone put their hands on you!”
“I’m fine. Please stop worrying like this. I’ll be fine in a day or two, I just need to sleep it off.”
She stood again and I rose with her to steady her and breathed her in as she leaned into me. “Did you go to the hospital?”
“No.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because hospitals are expensive, and I don’t have any identification or a way to pay for it right this second.”
“Let’s get you dressed, and then we’re going to the hospital.”
“What?” She said, looking up at me, “No. I don’t want to go anywhere, I just need to rest.”
“I don’t care Cora; you probably have a concussion from that welt on your head and you need to be checked out! I’m not taking no for an answer so you can either pick out clothes to wear or I’ll carry you over my shoulder dressed like that.”
“I just want to sleep, please just let me sleep.” She begged and sagged into me further.
“You can sleep once we’re in the car baby.” I led her to her bedroom and sat her down on the end of the bed. She stayed there pouting as I grabbed a bag from her closet and started throwing clothes in it. I walked into her bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush and hairbrush and then went back to her. She was putting her legs into a pair of yoga pants and struggling so I sank to my knees in front of her and helped her work them up to her thighs.
“Twice in two days you’ve gotten on your knees for me Maverick Jones.” She mused with a sad smile on her face.
“There isn’t another person on this planet that I’d get on my knees for.”
She watched me for a moment and then stood up and I pulled the pants up over her wide hips and tried to ignore the way her soft skin felt against my hands.
“For some reason I don’t believe that.”
“Hmm.” Was all I said as I pulled her gown up and over her arms, biting back a curse as I saw the bruises on her ribs under her perfect breasts and helped her into a sports bra and shirt before sliding a sweater over her arms and sneakers on her feet.
“I don’t want to go anywhere, please Mav. Please just let me stay here.”
“Shh,” I said, pulling her up and picking her up into my arms against my chest, throwing her bag over my shoulder. “Let me take care of you.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and took a deep breath in at my skin, “You’re ten years too late.”
“I know baby.”
God, did I fucking know.
I shook the hand of the doctor that had treated Cora and thanked him as I tucked her under my arm and walked out of the ER towards my waiting car.
She had a concussion and some contusions, but she would heal from them. I would never heal from the guilt though. “Take me home Maverick.” She said and I kissed the top of her head and pulled her along next to me as she sagged into me. I didn’t tell her that I intended on taking her to my home and she didn’t specify either, so I nodded to Franklin and crawled in the back seat beside her.
She curled into a ball against the other door, but I needed to feel her against me. I dragged her across the seat and into my lap as we worked through the mid-day traffic of New York’s Upper East Side. “I’m sorry.” She said, sighing into my chest.
“What are you possibly sorry for right now?” I asked, rubbing my hand over her back.
“For leaving you.” She said firmly in a sad voice.
I clenched my teeth as emotions rolled through my system. I’d waited ten years to hear her say those words to me, but now that I had them I couldn’t help but feel guilty instead of validated.
“I’m sorry for breaking your heart.” I finally said and she snuggled into my chest further but remained quiet.
Franklin pulled into the private parking garage for my building and stopped at the elevator to my penthouse. Cora looked up and then scowled at me, “I meant my home.”
“Shh.” I chided her and stood from the car with her still in my arms, grabbing her bag and throwing it over my shoulder again. “Just give me this.”
