Page 40 of Rescuing Nathaniel

That apprehension quickly melted away when the door opened and Nathaniel came through it.

Her heart soared and she grinned when she saw him standing awkwardly like he wasn't sure he should be there. She’d missed him these last hours. After spending days together in Mexico, just the two of them, she’d grown accustomed to his presence. The last time she saw him was when they finally touched down at a private airfield in New York and she’d been transported to the hospital in an ambulance.

They hadn't had a chance to say a proper goodbye, but Ava hadn't been sure if that was because Nathaniel had to go and account for his actions, or because he was just happy to be done with her and hand her off to someone else.

“You came,” she said, probably a little more enthusiastically than she needed to, but she was genuinely happy to see him.

“Uh … yeah. Is that okay?”

He hadn't moved from right by the door and she wanted him closer. Needed him closer even. If Nathaniel was there, she was safe. That she knew for certain. It wasn't the only reason she liked him though. There was that vulnerability that he tried so hard to hide, it called out to her and made her want to know what had made him that way and if she could fix it.

“Of course it’s okay. Why wouldn't it be?” she asked, confused. She’d thought she made herself clear in Mexico, embarrassed herself in the process, but definitely made it clear that she wanted to see him again when they got home. For some unwrapping, and just to get to know one another.

“No reason.” Nathaniel shrugged, but the way he did it made it seem like there was a reason he just didn't want to share it with her.

“Good, because I'm thrilled to see you,” she enthused.

“Really?”

“Nathaniel,” she groaned. “Yes. Really. Of course I am. I don’t know why you’d think otherwise. I’m going out of my mind sitting here alone, with nothing to do and no one to talk to. There is no one I’d rather have seen walk through the door than you. I missed you.”

Okay, so she was rambling, and Nathaniel was still over by the door. He was also staring at her like she was crazy, but he should know by now that she rambled when she was nervous, or embarrassed, or to fill a silence that had dragged on a little too long.

“You were serious.” The way he said it made it sound like he’d just made a revelation of some sort, only she had no idea what that could possibly be.

“I usually am. Well, I mean, I'm a little weird, and goofy, and I definitely talk way too much, usually put my foot in my mouth and wind up mortified. But yeah, usually serious.”

Slowly, some tension melted out of him and he relaxed a little. “Your unwrapping comment. You weren't just rambling.”

“Well, Iwasrambling,” she teased with a big grin. “But I meant it. I like you, Nathaniel. Yeah, it was crazy out there and you saved my life but?—”

“You're bleeding.” His brows bounced down as he quickly crossed the room to her bed and very gently grasped her wrist, lifting her arm and examining the small wound she’d been scratching before he came in.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, trying to pull her arm free. She was embarrassed by her desire to pick at her skin until it hurt. It was silly, and she knew no one else would get it, but she’d needed to be in control of her body and what happened to it. When Nathaniel didn't let go of her arm, she added, “Just got itchy as it’s healing.”

“Looks like you were really going at it,” Nathaniel said as he reached over to grab some tissues from the small table by her bed and held them pressed firmly against the little cut. While he held them there his dark eyes met hers. “Were you trying to hurt yourself?”

How did he know that?

Did she have some sign on her forehead that read self-harm issue unlocked?

Still, she couldn’t lie to him. Not when he’d asked her outright like that. “I’m going out of my mind here. It’s like being back there. I know I'm safe but it’s like I don’t all at the same time. Does that make any sense? There I had no control, they did whatever they wanted to me and I couldn’t stop them. Here I'm in control.”

Since their gazes were still locked, she didn't need to ask again if Nathaniel got it. She knew he did. She could see it written on his very soul. He’d been hurt before and now understood the need to be in control, to claim it in whatever small ways you could.

Was it her imagination or was his face drifting closer to hers?

An invitation to kiss?

She hoped so because it felt like her lips were on fire and the only thing that would put them out was to feel Nathaniel’s brushing against them.

“Oh, Ava, they didn't tell us a doctor was in here with you,” her mother’s voice said, and unfortunately, the spell was broken, and Nathaniel moved back, although he maintained his hold on her arm.

“Doesn’t look like a doctor from the way he’s dressed,” her mother added as both her parents came wandering into her hospital room.

What were they even doing here?

She hadn't asked anyone to call them, and Chelsea and Teresa knew she didn't have the best relationship with them so she couldn’t imagine them letting anyone contact them.

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