Page 5 of Phoenix's Redemption

The paramedics secured a temporary sling on his wrist. I heard him suck in a deep breath. My fingers moved, as though wanting to push his hair off his face.

Knock it off, I scolded myself.He’s a big boy with an even bigger mouth. He’ll be fine.

“I’m not getting on a stretcher,” he informed the paramedics. “I can take it from here.”

I shook my head. “Just ignore him. It might be a concussion talking.”

The paramedics got him to sit in a wheelchair instead and wheeled him into the ER. I walked alongside Liam. The air was thick with the muted beeps of medical equipment and the sharp scent of disinfectant.

As we moved through the stark white corridor, my arm brushed against his. Warmth from his body sent a buzzing current through mine. While the paramedics took him into one of the rooms, I hurried and got him checked in at the front desk. The clerk then directed me back to where Liam waited.

He sat perched on the side of the bed, looking like he wanted to spring for the door at any moment. I closed the curtain behind me. “Settle down. We’re not leaving until you’re cleared.”

“Has anyone ever told you how bossy you sound?”

“I prefer assertive, but as long as my message gets across.”

This late at night, we were the only ones there. I settled in the vinyl seat next to Liam’s bed. This looked similar to the emergency room where my dad was taken after his heart attack and stroke. I fought back the twinge of pain in my gut.

The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting a glow on Liam’s bruised face. I hoped that right hook he took to the temple didn’t turn out to be anything major.

“What’s with the face?” His eyes trailed down to mine. “You look like you suddenly lost your best friend.”

Was my concern over his injuries so obvious? How could he read me like that? I relaxed my facial muscles to put on a poker face. “I don’t like hospitals.”

“Who does?” He stretched out his long legs. “You wanted this to be our first date.”

“This is not a date. Don’t joke like that.” When my words echoed, I realized I raised the volume on my voice. Embarrassed, I folded my arms and refused to make eye contact with him.

“Hey.” Liam’s voice got quiet. He hopped off the bed and crouched in front of me. “I know I can get flirty with a pretty woman, but I wouldn’t have teased you if I’d known it would upset you.”

There was no barrier against his body heat. The fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt made it harder for me to pretend to not notice. “You didn’t upset me.” Slowly, I raised my eyes to meet his. The smirk and joking expression in his eyes were gone, replaced by a sober concern. Gradually, I felt more comfortable to open up. “A few years ago, my dad was in a hospital. Seeing this reminded me of how awful that time was in our lives.”

I couldn’t believe how easy it was for me to admit the truth around him, not knowing how Liam would take it. My heart pattered with both nerves and the feeling of being exposed.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your dad.” Liam put his left hand on my knee. His gesture of support made me warm inside and sent extra sensations of heat shooting up my thigh.

My breath hitched in my chest. “He’s doing much better now.”

“Doesn’t matter. This place brought back a bad memory for you. I hate that I’m the reason you had to come here.”

The doctor and nurse entered. Liam got up and returned to the bed so they could examine him. The nurse got his vitals and monitored his blood pressure numbers.

The doctor flashed a light in his eyes. "Any dizziness or nausea?" she asked, scribbling notes on a chart.

"Just frustrated," Liam grumbled, patting his injured wrist in the temporary sling.

“Yes. I heard from the paramedics that you gave them a hard time.”

As the doctor spoke to him, I watched, trying to focus on the reason I was there. My attention kept sliding to the way his black hair fell over his forehead, the intensity of his irises. Attraction flared inside me. I didn’t expect or want this reaction. How annoying.

"No signs of concussion. You are going to need a scan on that wrist, though," the doctor concluded after removing the sling.

Liam's jaw tightened as he nodded. I accompanied him to get his wrist scanned, watching from outside the radiology room where the machine’s hum filtered out. He lay still, his body language showcasing frustration. I assumed it wasn’t just from the injury, but from the sudden change in his training regime: Me.

"Shouldn't be too long now," I offered afterwards, when we were back in the room, waiting for the results. I tried to ease the tension, yet my words sounded awkward to my ears. Multiple feelings surfaced in me as I stared at my new client.

"Never figured I'd be getting coached by someone like you," he said, his tone laced with skepticism.

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