Page 85 of Hidden But Not Safe

His heartbeat jumped as his ears rang and he waited for the inevitable.

“I want to hear your voice more,” she rushed out.

The ringing faded while he stared at her.

“I know it’s hard for you, but it makes me feel…I don’t know. Special. Like I’m the only one you talk to.”

Not the only one, but Naz never said anyone else’s name like he did Meg’s. Diego’s had too many syllables, and he wasn’t going to abbreviate to something babyish to make it easier.

Meg was a single, strong syllable, similar to ‘no,’ which he’d practiced often enough.

“It doesn’t hurt you, does it? To talk?” she asked, playing with his fingers absently.

Naz shook his head. Pain wasn’t why he didn’t do it. The massive effort it took most of the time wasn’t even why.

“Okay.” She smiled again. “You’ve said a few things, words that meant the world to me. I’m greedy.” She scooted closer to him. “I want to hear more. Talk to me, Ignacio.”

He hesitated. Denying Meg anything was the opposite of what he wanted, but the idea of talking more wasn’t appealing at all. Not when it sounded so false in his ears.

“You don’t have to rush. I know it’s slow for you. You can skip harder words. I’ll figure out what you’re trying to say.” She lifted his hand, pressing a quick kiss to it. “I get you. I’ll always manage to get you.”

He loved those moments when Meg understood him without words. Doubt and guilt warred inside him, mixed with tingles from that brief touch of her lips. He wanted to shake his head, but he was scared to.

Naz leaned forward, reaching past her, his head brushing her shoulder as he snagged his phone.

Her smile fell when she glanced down at his Notes app.

‘My voice sounds wrong,’ Naz typed.

“Wrong” wasn’t the word he used in his head. He sounded brain damaged, just like he was. The little he said around those he worked with always caused strange looks or laughter. The more silent he was, the stronger he seemed to them.

“I like the way your voice sounds,” Meg countered, reaching for his lips, her thumb stroking the bottom one.

“Meg.” Her name pinged inside his mind.

“Like that.” Her caress slid along his nerve endings. “I love hearing my name.” She licked her lips, reaching for the phone still in his hand and tossing it on the couch. “Say something else.”

“I…can’t.” Both words were a struggle, his focus splintering as she continued to touch him. His voice sounded so wrong in his head. At least only his voice was there; the voices from his memories remained silent instead of adding their own taunts.

“You can. You can do anything, Ignacio.” Meg was so close now, as if she wanted to absorb his words into her skin when he spoke. “Please try. For me.”

“For…you,” he repeated.

She didn’t grin or laugh like he expected. The pupils of her eyes grew larger as she stared at his mouth. She dropped her hand from his lips, ducking her head to rest it against his chest. “I want to hear it in here next.”

“For you,” he said again, the pound of his heart drowning out even his voice. “Any…thing for you.” Speaking was easier without the tingles rioting from his lips.

She snuggled against him, wrapping her arms around his middle. “I’m so fucking lucky to have you.”

He shook his head, but she couldn’t see it from where she was.

So he took a breath and said more words.

“No…me.”

Naz was the lucky one. He’d never thought that about himself. His heart thudded even harder beneath her ear as he tried not to think about how quickly luck like that could fade.

Chapter 26

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