Page 63 of Wait For It

Ari lifted her chin to meet my eyes. “Why?” The word came out like a strangled gasp, and she touched her throat before repeating, “Why would you do that?”

This was no whisper, either. I heard Ari loud and clear, in a voice almost as familiar to me as her face. Even Tsega seemed to be fighting surprise, although she quickly channeled it into a stoic expression.

“She speaks,” I chuckled, keeping one hand tangled up in her loose hair and the other firmly around her shoulder as if afraid she was going to disappear on me.

“Why did you do it, Killian?” Her chest heaved, but she held the sob back, pressing her cheek to my chest. “I’m not Terry, and you’re not Nickie! I’m not a good person, don’t you see that?”

Who?

Tsega cracked a rare grin. “It’s a movie with Cary Grant—you know what, it’s not important.”

“You were given bad advice, Ari. It doesn’t make you a bad person.” I remarked as I stroked her shoulder blade with my thumb. “Nothing could be farther from the truth.”

“What, um, what exactly prompted your little visit with the director?” Tsega asked in a tight voice.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the aide seemed a little nervous.

I placed my hand on Ari’s cheek and lifted her face to mine. “I did it for you. You don’t deserve a quarter of the bullshit that woman put you through. And pretending to be an expert on relationships? Please, I doubt the old bat would know what do with a man if one came right up and kissed her.”

Any rational thinking on my part ceased when she released an audible breath, her swollen eyes intently focused on my mouth. I wondered if she was thinking about last night. Did she know how many times I’d relived that almost kiss?

“I thought—” I paused and took a deep breath before swinging for the fences. “I thought that last night was you, but it’s not. And I know I haven’t exactly gone out of my way to make you feel welcome, but I want to change that. I want to get to know you—the real you, I mean. All I’m asking is for a chance.”

Ari burrowed her face into my neck, letting her fingers move lightly along my back. It felt right, holding her like this.

I just hoped she felt the same.

“What do you say, slugger?” I leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Slugger?”

“Yeah, figured with your fighting skills, girl just wasn’t gonna cut it anymore. So, wanna team up? See who else we can get thrown out of this joint?”

She brought her gaze back up to mine, a smile tugging at the side of her mouth. “Okay.”

Tsega cracked another grin before catching herself. “He’s going to have to do the training.”

“Deal.” I released the breath I’d been holding and grinned like a damn fool, almost hearing the roar of the crowd as the ball left the stadium.

Chapter Thirteen

Ariana

“Forget them Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me where you’ll never, never have to worry about grown up things again.”

-J.M. Barrie,Peter Pan

“Hey, Ariana,”Bess sang out as she pushed the door to my room open with her hip. “You ready for your meds?”

I nodded and stuffed the magazine beneath the covers, but not before the head nurse saw what I’d been reading.

The corners of her eyes crinkled as she hooted, “Don’t hide that gorgeous man on my account! If I was thirty years younger, you can bet I’d be leaving my phone number all over this building for him to find.”

A wave of heat crept up my neck, but Bess didn’t seem to notice as she began mixing my medication into a container of applesauce.

The night tech shared a chuckle as she retrieved her purse from the small wardrobe. “I’ll be right back, Bess.”

“Sure thing. Take your time,” the nurse responded, before wheeling the table over to the bed. “Alright, Miss Ariana, eat this while I find something for you to watch on TV.”

---