Page 45 of Spike

My manager rushed over, concern etched on his face as he inspected my injury.

"Gray, you need to go see a doctor," he said firmly. "You can't keep working like this."

I nodded, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. How could I be so clumsy on the day of my date?

I temporarily bandaged my hand and left the diner. As I walked towards the town's shifter clinic, my hand throbbing with pain, a strange idea came over me.

Remembering Julian came me his number, I randomly called him.

I soon felt downright foolish. Why had I decided to call Julian instead of just seeing a doctor in town like a normal person?

With each ring of the phone, my uncertainty grew. What if I was imposing by assuming that Julian could help me?

After all, I barely knew him, and I definitely didn't know Micah or the other raven shifters well enough to ask for a favor.

But then, Julian answered, and his voice was warm and welcoming.

"Hey, Gray. I'm glad you called," he said.

I hesitated, unsure of how to explain myself. "Um, I...uh," I stuttered, feeling embarrassed by my sudden vulnerability.

"Did something happen?" Julian's tone shifted to one of concern, and I felt guilty for burdening him with my problems.

Quickly, I explained what had happened to my hand, but before I could dismiss the whole thing, Julian interrupted me.

"Hey, don't you dare put the phone down," he said firmly. "I'm on my lunch break, but I work in town as well. I can pick you up and bring you to Micah's clinic."

I opened my mouth to refuse, but Julian was already asking for my location.

Stammering out a response, I realized that maybe, just maybe, it was okay to lean on someone else other than Spike for help, even if it was just this once.

As I stood on the sidewalk, a white Toyota pulled up beside me, and my heart skipped a beat until I saw Julian behind the wheel.

He greeted me with a warm smile as he lowered the window.

"Hop on in, Gray," he said.

I slid into the passenger seat, feeling grateful for Julian's offer of help. He winced when he caught sight of my hastily bandaged hand.

"What happened?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"It's lame," I replied, feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole situation. But Julian wouldn't let it go that easily.

"It's not," he insisted gently. "Is Spike...pressuring you or anything? Is that why you were nervous about your date?"

I shook my head quickly.

"No, nothing like that," I reassured him. "Spike's been amazing. He fought off those mercenaries that wanted me, he just keeps saving me."

Julian raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue. I decided to open up a little more.

"This is my first serious relationship," I admitted. "The last thing I want to do is screw things up."

Julian nodded in understanding.

"It's natural to feel that way," he said. "But from what I've seen, Spike cares about you a lot. Just be yourself, and everything will work out."

His words offered me some comfort. Maybe having a friend to talk to wasn't such a bad thing after all.

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