Page 8 of Bee

"Someone has too." He shrugs and leans against the counter. He's not going to go back on his word. I don't need to push the topic. I'm sure I'll be able to make it back home before I need another drink.

We sit there in silence for a few minutes before he opens his mouth again to talk. "You sure you're good. I can drive you to the hospital if you need me to."

"No, I'm fine." I shrug away his concern. "I do have a question for you though."

He lifts his eyebrow at me indicating that I should go on.

"What happened to the asshole from last night. I'd like to have a chance to put his ass in the hospital." I growl.

"Violent little thing aren't you." He jokes and I shoot daggers at him through my eyes.

"You've got no idea. You haven't answered the question though."

"The last time I saw him, he was running away with my blood dripping from his blade."

My eyes scan his body and it's the first time I notice the stark white bandage on his forearm.

"Shit, he got you? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

He laughs at that, "Nah, I've had worse. This isn't the first time I've had to stitch myself up."

More and more, I'm hating myself for getting him involved in all this. It also reminds me that I never actually said thank you. He's done a hell of a lot more than anyone else would have done.

"You know about that, I...umm..." I hate having to do this but I know it has to be done. "Well, thank you for what you did yesterday. I apprciate it."

He nods his head once but doesn't say anything in return.

The level of discomfort I'm feeling from this conversation is enough to make my skn crawl. "Well I guess I should get on home." I walk to the side and pick up my bag of soiled clothes more than ready to take that long walk back to the clubhouse.

I'm not looking forward to it but I'd rather get home than be out any longer. I don't necessarily want to hear there mess but there's no getting around it. Vexx is going to chew me out. I just know it.

"Yeah, no way I'm letting you walk home on your own right now. I'll get the car."

"I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own."

"And I'm perfectly capable of saying I don't have a concussion. Something you can't say for certain now can you?" He raises an eyebrow at me and just off instinct I tilt my head from side to side and it does indeed feel like my brain is sloshing inside my skull.

I'm not looking forward to this at all.

It was one thing being stuck in his house with him for the few minutes since I woke up but now having him drive me back to my space somehow makes what happened yesterday all the more real.

I glare at him for a second waiting for him to change his mind. Of course he doesn't.

"Who are you anyway. I don't even know your name." I kiss my teeth together and walk in the direction of the door fully aware that he's following behind me.

"That's such a shame. I see you everyday and you still don't know my name."

I spin catching him off guard and stand right up next to him. It's not until then that I truly realize just how large he is. At minimum the man is six foot three inches tall. His shoulders are so broad he nearly has to turn sideways to get out of the door. Just one of his biceps is the same size as my ample thighs. But it's those dark ash gray eyes that has my breath caught in my throat.

He's a rugged looking man. If I saw him on the same side of the street as me walking in my direction I'd cross over. But now that I'm this close to him I can see the gentleness lurking deep inside. A gentleness he keeps hidden from the world.

I'm not going to make things easy for him though, not my style. "Are you going to tell me your name or am I going to have to keep calling you Bear."

"Bear?" He questions but doesn't wait for my response, "I guess I can understand where you got that from. My name is Rye."

"Seriously, that's your name."

He grunts in response and I shrug a shoulder, "Well Rye, I'm Bee. Pleasure to make your acquaintence."

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