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She squeezes her eyes shut. If I could take all of her pain I would, no questions asked. The growling stops nearby and I glance over to see Murphy abandoning his stance to come over to us.
“I’m going to take you to the hospital. You need to see a doctor.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“I do, and I am.” I pause, standing up and reaching a hand down to her. “Do you think you can stand?”
She nods, grabbing my hand so I can pull her up. Once standing, she sways a little, falling into my chest. The scent of vanilla washes over me as I hold her close.
“Everything is blurry. I might need to wait a second before trying to walk.”
“You might have a concussion. I’m going to carry you inside my house and get my wallet and keys, then we’ll go.” I shift to prepare to lift her. “Are you ready for me to pick you up?”
“You’re not wearing shoes,” she mumbles, eyes trained on my bare feet.
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. Even with a potential concussion, she’s still observant in her unique way.
“No, I’m not. That’s on my to-do list as well. Are you ready?”
“Yep.”
As gently as possible, I scoop her up in my arms bridal style and walk carefully to my back deck and up the stairs, trying to be aware of any wet or icy patches. Once inside, I lay her down on the couch. Murphy follows after us, sitting on the floor near Juliette’s head.
“I’ll be right back, don’t move.”
“I was planning on running a lap or two around the lake, but I guess I’ll stay put.”
I shake my head at her sassy remark, then walk through my house, gathering what I need–including shoes. Once I’m done, I lean down next to Juliette again.
“It’s time to go to the doctor now. I’m going to pick you up,” I tell her and she scrunches her face up.
“My head hurts.”
“I know, Jules, I know. We’re going to get you some help.”
“What about Murphy? He’s going to be scared if we leave him like this.” Her eyes get big with worry.
“I’ll ask one of my brothers to come watch him.”
“Okay, thank you.” She raises her arms to wrap around my neck. I lift her once more and carry her outside.
Once she’s settled in the car I send a text into my sibling group chat that I need someone to go by my house to take care of Murphy. Though I don’t prefer it, I leave my door unlocked so that they can get in. Then I get in the car and head toward the nearest hospital.
I know she’s probably fine, but seeing her hurt is making me tense. I also hate the hospital. After my mom died of cancer, I made it my mission to avoid the terrible place whenever I could. But once again, Juliette has me doing things I usually don’t.
“Hey, Jules,” I say when I glance over and see her starting to doze off. “I need you to stay awake for me. You hit your head, so you shouldn’t go to sleep until we can get you checked out.”
“You’re mad,” she whispers and my brows pull together.
“What? I’m not mad.”
“You’re all tense and your jaw keeps clenching.” She shifts in her seat. I glance over at a red light to find her pressed up against the door, chin wobbling. “I’m sorry you have to take me to the hospital. I-I should have been more careful so I didn’t fall. You don’t want to be around me.”
I wasn’t mad before, but now I am. Not at Juliette though, but at whoever made her feel as though she needed to apologize for being hurt. I’d like to use every bit of my training to hunt them down and ensure they won’t hurt her or anyone else ever again, however unethical that may be. The sight of Juliette curling up in my car is enough to make me see red.
“I’m not mad at you at all, I’m worried for you. You’re hurt and I care about you, Jules.”
Using her nickname so much without having apologized or given her the letter might be confusing, but I want to do everything I can to show her I care and I’m not a threat.
