Page 3 of His Love

“Little one, you can’t even stand for me to touch it. I don’t think you’re fine.”

“No, thank you,” I tried again.

“I love the manners, but not enough to let you go around with a possibly broken foot,” Onyx answered.

“No,” I said,more firmly this time. A look of disbelief passed over Onyx’s face as he blinked a few times. Shock registered in my brain. I actually said no. I never said that word. I’d tried all my life to be an obedient girl, one who never let anyone down. Even now as an adult, I still struggled with being a people pleaser.

“Paisley, your answer isn’t acceptable. I know you’re probably hurting and nervous about going to the emergency room, but we are going. You’re hurt. It’s non- negotiable. Now, would you like to get out on your own, or do I need to carry you out?” I thought it would be Onyx speaking but it was Axel.

“I’m scared,” I admitted in a moment of weakness. I instantly regretted it because I didn’t want him to think I was looking for sympathy.

His face softened and he stroked my foot gently. “I know, darlin’. Hospitals scare me too, but how about we make a deal? I’ll hold your hand so super tight and you can hold my hand so super tight and we can keep each other from being scared.”

I nodded. Axel made me feel like maybe I could be brave and also, I didn’t want to cost him any more of his time.

“Yeah, you’ll hold my hand and I’ll hold yours?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“We can both be brave together.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Onyx, call Elliot and see if he’s working,” Axel commanded, before turning back to me.

“You’re such a good girl,” he praised. His words made my tummy flip in the most delicious way.

“I’m going to stabilize your foot and then I’m going to get you out of this plastic death trap.”

“Is a magical castle,” Emily mumbled from behind him.

“I don’t want to hear a word from you, Miss ‘I-Fell-on-my-Friend’.”

If I hadn’t been hurting so badly, I would have giggled at Emily’s face when she processed Axel’s words. She almost looked offended.

Axel winked at me before using a folded magazine to wrap around my ankle and belt to hold it in place. His large hands working on my injury should have made me nervous, but they didn’t. Seeing his scarred hands taking their time to gently support my ankle made me feel like I actually mattered, for the first time in a long time.

Chapter Two

Axel

I’d shocked the shit out of myself when I offered to bring Paisley to Strickland Memorial. I hadn’t been to this hospital in over a decade. Truthfully, I even avoided this side of town. When I told her I’d be scared too, I hadn’t been lying. My wife had taken her last breaths in this hospital.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she squeezed my hand. I wasn’t hiding my emotion as well as I thought, apparently. I was trying to, for her sake.

“I’m feeling kinda nervous. What about you?”

“I’m nervous too. Do you think I’ll get a shot?” Her scared face pulled at my heartstrings. I wanted to lie to her to soothe her fears, but I knew that would only hurt her more in the long run. The Daddy Handbook had taught me better.

“I’m not sure, but if you do, I’ll hold your hand extra tight, okay?”

She still looked pensive, but nodded.

I thanked the nurse as she brought over the paperwork. Paisley took it, but she was trembling too hard to fill it out.

“Let me help you, darlin’.” I took the chart from her and wrote down the answers she provided. When we got to the question about her last menstrual cycle, she flushed and looked down. I wrote down her mumbled response before finishing the rest of the questions, and turning it in at the counter.

Coming back, I settled beside her once more. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, darlin’. A period is just a thing that happens to every woman. I’m not shocked by it,” I gently teased her.

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