Page 25 of Down Knot Out
“I’ll make sure he follows your instructions,” Chloe says, and though her tone is light, it holds a steely determination I haven’t heard from her in almost a decade. She almost sounds like the confident person she was in high school before everything went to shit.
The doctor stands, signaling the end of our appointment. “I want to reevaluate you in two weeks. Sooner if your symptoms worsen or if you develop any new ones. The nurse will schedule you on your way out.”
We shake hands, his grip firm but careful, as if he can sense the way my entire body has become a conductor for pain.
The hallway outside is too bright and too loud. Nurses pushing carts with squeaky wheels and phones ringing at the distant nurses’ station drill into my skull. Unable to bear it anymore, I slide my sunglasses back on, dimming the world to a tolerable level.
We stop at reception to schedule my next appointment before heading down to the pharmacy on the ground floor. There, we sit in anotheruncomfortable waiting room while my prescription is filled before we finally head for the elevator to the garage.
“This is going to be a long recovery,” I grumble. “I can’t believe I have to give up my coffee and limit my screen use.”
Chloe walks beside me, close enough that the heat from her body reaches me without touching. “The doctor didn’t say you couldn’t still hunch over your drawing table.”
“That’s true.” We stop in front of the lift, and I press the down arrow. “Not as bad as it could have been.”
Her fingers brush my arm. “I’m glad your skull isn’t cracked open.”
“Me, too.” The elevator dings, the sound like a tuning fork struck inside my head.
“PCS is manageable.”
Surprise fills me. “You’ve heard of it before?”
“I did some research after your symptoms started.” The doors slide open, and we step into the small space with an elderly couple. Chloe presses the button for the parking level. “I was worried.”
The knowledge that she cared enough to research my condition envelops me like a warm blanket.
The elevator descends, my stomach lurching up.
“Are you hungry?” I ask as we exit into the cavernous parking garage, our footsteps echoing on concrete. “We could grab lunch somewhere off the island before heading back.”
Her steps falter. “Off the island?”
“There’s a seafood place by the harbor that’s good.” I try to keep my tone casual, though my heart thumps a faster rhythm. “Or a new bistro downtown, if you prefer.”
A flicker of something—interest? temptation?—crosses her face before she shakes her head. “We should get back. The water taxi schedule?—”
“Kyle can wait.” I step closer, drawn by the uncertainty in her expression. It’s not outright rejection, which gives me hope. “It would just be lunch.”
Just lunch, but also not just lunch. A chance to be alone with her, away from my watchful bondmates. A chance to see if the cautious openness she’s been showing might blossom into more.
“I… I think I’d rather go home.” Her focus drops to the oil-stained concrete beneath her shoes. “I’m tired.”
The sting of rejection cuts through the dullthrob of my headache. My hand drifts to my pocket, fingering the hard shape there, the weight of it heavier, more burdensome. Maybe now isn’t a good time.
“Of course.” I step back, creating distance between us. “Holden will have lunch ready when we return. His cooking beats any restaurant.”
Regret flashes across her face, and her lips part to give an excuse, so I pull out my phone to stop her. “I’ll update Kyle about our timeline.”
The screen’s brightness stabs at me even through the sunglasses, and I squint as I hit his icon. “He’s probably itching to get back on the water to do some afternoon fishing.”
The phone rings twice before Kyle’s gruff voice answers. “Hey, we’re about?—”
“Dom, you there?” Kyle’s voice crackles through the phone, the reception in the parking garage breaks his words apart.
I walk a little way toward the exit for a better connection. “Can you hear me now?”
“Sure can, and I have bad news if you’re hoping for a ride. The water taxi’s making a sound like a whale giving birth. Mechanic says it’ll be at least three hours before we can head back.”
