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"Yeah. Really."
Bailey's expression softens and she reaches out to touch my hand.
"Well, just because you're laid up in a hospital bed doesn't mean I've forgotten about how you've been acting at work," she spits out, her anger resurfacing. "You're a real piece of work." She sighs, exhausted by her frustration with me. "But... I am glad you called me. I wouldn't want you to deal with this alone."
That is the closest Bailey has ever gotten to admitting she cares, and it's enough to make the pain in my body a little more bearable.
After what feels like an eternity, the doctor finally gives me the all-clear to leave. Bailey helps me up, her hand on my arm as we slowly make our way out of the hospital to her car.
Back at my place, she settles me onto the plush sofa with a warning not to move unless absolutely necessary. She disappears into the kitchen, returning with a bowl of soup.
For the next few minutes, we eat in silence, the only sound being the soft clatter of the spoons against the bowl. Eventually, Bailey breaks the silence.
"Logan, my... my dad was killed in a car accident," she confesses, her eyes staring at the bowl in front of her.
I stop eating, the spoon hanging in the air. My heart clenches at the raw pain in her voice.
She swallows hard, taking a deep breath before continuing, "When... When I got the call about your accident, it brought back a lot of memories. A lot of pain." Her hands are shaking, and she wraps them around the bowl as if seeking comfort. "I was so worried about you. I didn't want to go through something like that again. My thoughts... they rushed to the worst-case scenario. I couldn't lose someone else the same way... I couldn't."
I reach out, covering her trembling hands with my own. It's a small gesture, but in that moment, it's all I can do to comfort her.
I had no idea about her dad.
"Bailey, how old were you when... when your dad passed?"
She's silent for a minute, her eyes focused on the patterns of the wooden table. “I was seven." Her eyes meet mine with a vulnerability I haven't seen before.
Damn. Seven is so young to lose a parent.
"He was such a good man... an amazing dad. Loving, patient... He was... He was my hero."
I can't help but reach out, my thumb brushing against her cheek to wipe the tears away.
"My world fell apart. I had to grow up too fast. I had to be strong for my mom. I didn't have time to grieve, to be a kid.”
Her confession strikes a chord within me. I see the woman in front of me in a completely new light. The walls she has built aren't because she's cold, they're a defense mechanism. A way to protect herself from the pain of any more loss. I suddenly understand why she keeps people at arm's length, why she's always so guarded around me. She doesn’t want to let another man into her life only to lose him. And in this moment, all I want to do is prove to her that not all men will hurt her. That I won’t hurt her.
"Your dad sounds like he was an incredible man. And he's left behind a powerful legacy: a strong, resilient, fiercely independent woman... a stubborn one too." I smile at her, hoping to lighten the mood. "So, let's raise our spoons to him."
We both chuckle and clink our spoons together before finishing our soup in silence.
"I'm glad you're here you know... I'm glad I'm not alone right now."
She looks at me, her eyebrows raised in surprise. I guess she didn't expect me to admit something like that.
I didn't either. It's not like me.
"I didn't call my dad because I didn't want him to think he needed to rescue me or that I had... fucked up." She doesn't say anything, just waits for me to finish. "I didn't want him to see me like this, you know?" I finally look up at her. "Injured, helpless... It's not how I want my old man to see me."
"I get it, Logan. I'm glad you called me. And I'm glad you're okay."
"Well, since we're being sentimental, you were the only one on my mind."
She leans into me, resting her head on my shoulder.
I glance down at her, nestled against my shoulder, and can't help myself.
"You know, Bailey, if I had known all it would take to get you to stop arguing with me was to nearly die in a car crash, I would have done it weeks ago."
