Page 132 of Broken Daddy
He should feel relieved that he didn’t need to feel responsible for her anymore. She had people looking after her.
But they wouldn’t do a good enough job.
Only he could take care of her.
Only he could keep her safe.
His mind drifted as he lay there and suddenly an old memory of May swirled to the surface.
Hayes stareddown at May as she wrapped herself around him.
“Hey, what’s all this about?” he asked in concern.
“I don’t know. I’m just going to miss you. You’ll be safe, right?”
“You know I will do whatever I need to in order to get back to you.” He cupped her face, tilting it up toward him. “But if something ever did happen to me, I don’t want you to be sad forever, okay?
“I’d try. And you know I’d want the same for you.”
Hayes opened his eyes. “Fuck.”
It felt like there was an emptiness in his gut and it had nothing to do with the fact that he hadn’t eaten for hours.
It was being away from Devi.
From her sweet smile. Her ability to light up a room. Her kindness. Even her sass.
Was Mac making sure that she ate? Drunk some water? Would Mac or Silla stay with her through the night? What if she had a nightmare?
She wasn’t herself right now, what if she got upset and needed comforting?
“You are not the only person who can take care of her,” he said to himself.
But that wasn’t the way it felt.
This all felt wrong. Was Mac right?
Could he risk falling for her?
Or was he already there?
Where was he?
Why wasn’t he here?
Earlier, she’d woken up to find Silla sitting beside her. She’d commenced chatting her ear off. Then Mac had stayed for a few hours. Finally, they both left and Kent, Hayes’ boss, had come in to let her know that he was guarding her tonight while Hayes got some sleep.
Something seemed to be eluding her. Devi rolled to her side, trying to grab her phone off the bedside table. It clattered onto the floor.
Shoot.
The nurse had removed all of her tubes earlier, including her catheter, so she could move around more freely. Although she had warned Devi to call her if she needed to get up.
But Devi wasn’t doing that. She had to get her phone and she also needed to pee.
No one was going to help her once she left here. So she might as well get used to doing it on her own.
She was always on her own.
