Page 41 of Through the Water

“Alright, girl.” Keeping one hand on her, I side-stepped the chair and let out a harsh breath. “Need you to wake up now, preferably before someone comes out of their room and calls security.”

Doing my best to keep my weight on my good leg, I tucked my finger under her chin and lifted her head, thinking it might bring her around faster. Several strands of red hair had come loose from her braid, and I tucked them back behind her ear, close enough to see the scar she’d been trying to hide.

Her lashes fluttered briefly before opening fully to reveal her gorgeous green eyes. And I was once again struck by the strangest feeling I’d seen her before. Not in here, but years ago.

Maybe another life entirely.

I closed my eyes and conjured up the woman’s face before snapping out of it. The feeling of familiarity was nothing more than a wicked case of déjà vu, or hell—maybe just the leftover remnants from a lonely man’s wet dream. A man who had not been with a woman in over a year.

Anything else would require a CT scan and a visit to the psych ward.

I studied the reddish-brown freckles scattered across her nose and cheekbones, before following a line of sweat as it moved from her forehead down to her jaw.

A small line appeared between her brows as she returned her eyes to mine, clearly as confused by my gawking as I was. I scanned the hallway for a nurse, deciding apologies could wait for another day.

I’d probably give the poor girl a week or two to completely recover before trying again. Or, if I wanted to avoid her fainting on me again, I could just write a letter and slip it under her door.

All plans of escape went right out the window when she lifted a hand to the side of her neck, covering mine. Her wide eyes were even more remarkable up close, with flecks of gold dotted throughout.

I’d come here to say something, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what it was.

The bathroom door inside her room suddenly popped open, and the blood surged back up to my brain. I jerked away, grimacing when my brace caught on the side of her chair. The subsequent flash of pain sent me stumbling into the door frame with a muffled curse.

Fully aware of how it looked, I ignored the vibrant pulsing in my knee, loudly explaining to anyone within earshot, “You just fainted, but I think you’re alright now. I’m just going—”

“Wait,” a voice called.

My knee was throbbing, and I was entirely out of my element. Even the girl had shifted in her chair and was glaring back toward the room with a deep frown. I couldn’t necessarily say I blamed her. Things between us hadn’t exactly gone according to plan.

Again.

She might have hated me with every fiber of her being, and I would have understood. However, I really didn’t need the woman emerging from the bathroom to think I was some sort of predator. Theo had overlooked a lot in the past, but I was pretty sure this would be viewed as a scandal—which I’d been expressly forbidden from taking part in.

At the time, it’d seemed like an easy agreement to make.

I opened my mouth, prepared to argue my innocence. Thinking about stroking someone’s face was not the same as actually doing it and, therefore, not a crime. The courts would back me up on that.

Probably.

The woman rushed out into the hall; her mouth set in a hard line. “You said she fainted?”

I rubbed my forehead, wishing I’d gone for that cup of coffee instead of trying to be a decent person. “Uh… yeah. Seems to be doing okay now, though, so I’ll just leave her—”

She glanced at me. “Can you help me get her into bed?”

I flinched at the question, convinced I’d misunderstood. Judging by her saucer eyes and open mouth, the girl hadn’t been expecting it either.

The woman continued staring up at me expectantly, and I shot a pleading glance down the deserted hallway before lifting my shoulder in a half shrug. “You know, I think they have people—I’m—you see, my knee’s messed up—”

The corner of her mouth quirked up as she looked at the two of us, before snagging my crutches for me. “Well, do you have a second to come in and wait with us until the nurse can get down here? They might want to talk to you about what happened before she fainted.”

A long moment of torturous silence passed, during which the girl lowered her head, giving no indication as to her thoughts on the matter.

“But—” I sighed. I couldn’t say no, even if I wanted to, not unless I wanted to draw a lot of unwanted attention. I’d have to check the manual, but I was reasonably confident unwanted attention was also covered under the no scandals umbrella.

I scrutinized the woman’s features, searching for signs of weakness. Instead of looking away, she tipped her chin up to meet my stare, her brown eyes sharpening in challenge.

Great—where was Bailey when I needed him?

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