Page 51 of Bang Buddies With Benefits
Not wanting to make waves, I’d even tried to play it cool and hide the wheeze at first. Until I grasped that something was very, very wrong and it was getting worse instead of clearing up.
“The doctor said that adult-onset allergies aren’t all that uncommon. My reaction was fairly extreme, though, so you did the right thing by calling 9-1-1. But now that they’ve pumped me full of the good stuff, I’m good as new.”
Noah cocked his head, conveying he wasn’t having it. “You look like you made out with a jellyfish.”
I puckered my lips. “Do I look like Angelina Jolie?”
A laugh slipped out, and Noah shook his head and sighed. “More like Will Smith inHitch. Or a wax statue that’s been left out in the hot sun and is in the middle of melting.”
We both shared a laugh, but it was fleeting, my brother’s expression growing grim once again.
As much as I’d like to bolt, it was a waiting game now. The hospital staff wanted me to “hang out” for a couple of hours so they could monitor me. Gotta love how they said it, like we were going to have a jolly old time braiding hair in the tiny room with all the monitors.
Not that I didn’t appreciate all the hospital staff had done to keep me, you know, breathing and stuff. But if I had to remain here for a while, it’d be much better with Catalina by my side.
“Here’s the thing, man.” Noah glanced toward the hallway, and I craned my neck as well to see if my girlfriend was out there waiting. All I could see were white walls and tiles, and people in scrubs scurrying about. “Catalina completely freaked out on the car ride over—I was glad I insisted she come with us. Once we stepped inside the waiting room… I’m not even sure what happened. It was like she became someone else, to the point I asked if she wanted me to get a nurse, only that made it worse.”
“Did they admit her? Just tell me where she is, and I’ll drag my IV bag along so I can be with her.”
“When they called me back, Julia took over.”
I didn’t mean to grimace, but it happened anyway.
“Hey, she was a mess, too—she was afraid we’d think she did this to you on purpose. Then she asked if Catalina knew about your allergy, and after that, they were both sobbing.” Noah raked his hand through his hair, drawing attention to the fact that he’d obviously been doing it over and over. “It’s been quite an evening.”
“Sorry again.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for—that’s not what I’m saying. We all feel bad it happened. I just thought I’d give you a heads up about Catalina’s mental state. Since there was nothing fake going on between you today. I saw it when she walked in and heard it in your voice when you told the story about how you met. You’re in love with her.”
I hadn’t put it in those exact words, and yet the certainty with which my brother said it echoed through my chest.
Even though I’d been working my way toward the actualization, I’d avoided landing directly on it. Avoided speaking it aloud, even inside my own mind, as if love were some tiny chipmunk in the woods that’d get spooked if I moved too quickly.
There was no use denying it now, though, not with my heart expanding and testing the bounds of my ribcage. The idea of going home to Catalina—of caring about someone with the level of intensity my brother loved Jeremy—no longer scared me.
It dawned on me that, for all my insistence I hadn’t lied to Julia, I’d accidentally done so. Because somewhere along the way, despite insisting I wasn’t the type of guy who’d ever settle down, I’d fallen in love with Catalina Mendes.
* * *
The woman who stepped inside the room was a different version of the one I’d been with earlier today. She was withdrawn, her presence small instead of larger than life, and she had her arms hugged so tightly around herself.
Arms I wanted her to throw around me.
Whatever was going on, it went beyond her stress with her court case.
“Hey,” I said, all the words I’d planned on saying hitting the brick wall she’d inexplicably placed between us.
“All this time I was so worried about your motorcycle. I thought, ‘he always wears his helmet, but he drives it so fast, and maybe I can ask him to slow down.’”
“Cat, you’re scaring me.” I patted the bed. “Come have a seat, and we can talk about whatever’s got you so upset.”
She shook her head, and this time, the tinkling of her earrings caused foreboding to prick my skin instead of happiness to surge forward. “Only I never would’ve thought about allergies, and that has me thinking of all the other variables, and…” More head shaking and tears slipped down her cheeks. “This world can be so cruel, and I didn’t even consider how many other things were out there that could kill you.”
“Whoa, Kitty-cat. That escalated quickly. I’m too tough for anything to kill me. Especially not something so minor.”
“It’s not minor, and you’re not invincible.” Her yell echoed around the room, and she shrieked away from the sound, as if she hadn’t been the one to make it.
The needle taped onto my arm tugged slightly as I shifted, sitting up straighter against the plastic headboard. “I never said I’m invincible. But honey, I’m fine. It was just a scare, and they’re going to give me a prescription for an EpiPen, so I’ll be prepared if it ever happens again.”
