Page 40 of Inherited Light
She had settled back into the bed and relaxed as I spoke. She held the button of my shirt and worried it back and forth. “What are you scared of?”
I sighed. “I’m scared of how I feel about you. I’m scared I won’t be enough for you. I’m scared you’ll decide I’m not your type. I guess I’m probably as scared about being in a relationship as you are. Not because you’re not good enough for me, but because I’m not worthy of your love. I want to try, though, Cat. I want to be here when you need me.”
“You’re doing a great job of it so far,” she whispered. I could tell the pain medication and muscle relaxers they gave her at the hospital were hitting her hard and she couldn’t keep her eyes open. I leaned forward, caressing her cheek as she started to drift off.
“You can sleep now. I’ll wake you up like the doctor said every few hours, and I won’t go anywhere.”
She nodded her head and a small smile formed on her lips. After a few moments of me rubbing her cheek she snored softly, finally giving in to the fatigue and stress of the day. I kissed her hand and left the room to find an icepack for her leg.
Chapter Thirteen
I brushed a piece of hair off her face, grimacing at the spreading bruise. No doubt someone would think she got in the way of a fist. It had to be sore, the skin swollen and mottled. I woke her every two-hours for the concussion test, but I hated doing it. Since I got fresh ice for her leg an hour ago, I’ve been lying here, watching her sleep. She exudes beauty even in sleep. Her long, thin fingers rested on her belly and her head lay to the right, facing me. I know every laugh line on her face now. I know how her lips pucker in her sleep. I know how soft her skin is. I memorized every feature and facial expression, just by watching her sleep.
I didn’t know everything about her. I had to come up with an easy way for her to tell me what the doctor didn’t, but it could wait. She had more immediate concerns to deal with.
I laid my hand on her cheek. “Cat, honey, you have to wake up,” I said cheerily. “It’s two-thirty, sweetheart.”
Her eyes opened slowly, her lashes fluttering slightly as she left dreamland. “Hi,” she whispered. “I need a drink.”
I took the water bottle off the dresser and handed it over. “How are you feeling?” I asked, stroking her arm as she screwed the lid back on the bottle after drinking. She leaned her head back to the pillow and grimaced as though it hurt.
“I have a headache,” she said.
I brushed the hair away from her face and nodded, kissing her lips. “I know honey, I’m sorry I can’t do more for you. Does your face hurt?”
“I would nod, but it would hurt,” she answered.
“I figured you might feel worse when you woke up. Would you like an icepack for it?”
“I don’t have any,” she said, “but it would be nice.”
I hoisted myself up on my hand and took hers. “Can you stay here alone for a few minutes if I run to the store down the street? You’re out of ice, and I need to get more for your leg. The hospital gave us the disposable ice bags, remember they put ice in them at the hospital?”
Her eyes closed for a minute and then opened again. “No, I don’t remember, sorry.”
I smiled. “It’s okay. What I’m saying is, if I go get some ice, I can fix both your leg and your face. Can you feel your ankle?” I lifted the ice bag off the leg and was pleased to see the swelling had gone down. Since she was lying down I left the boot on, but opened the straps and laid the ice inside it, stabilizing the ankle, but treating it at the same time.
“The boot feels loose now. I can tell the swelling has gone down because the skin doesn’t feel as tight. I think it’s just a sprain.”
I laid the icepack back on it and kissed her forehead. “I opened the straps on the boot, Cat, which is why it feels loose. But, I’ve been icing it and the swelling is going down. I sure hope it’s only a sprain. You don’t need to deal with a broken leg on top of everything else.”
She peered up at me, her face sad. “I don’t want to be here alone. I’m scared in my own house now, how screwed up is that?”
A lone tear dripped down her cheek and I swiped it from her face with my finger before I kissed her lips. “It’s understandable, Cat. You’re vulnerable right now. I’ve locked all the windows and doors, and no one will hurt you when I’m here.”
She held my face near hers and stared into my eyes. “What about when you’re not here?”
I gathered her up in my arms and held her carefully, so I didn’t hurt her. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need me to. My guess is once you see the light of day again, you’ll feel better about being here alone, but if you don’t, I’ll stay.”
“You said you were leaving to get ice.”
I chuckled softly, smoothing the hair from her face. “I’m going two blocks down to the convenience store. I’ve programmed my number into your phone, all you need to do is hit the call button and I’ll come running. I’ll also check the perimeter of the house before I leave, just in case. Whoever did this is long gone, but I’ll make sure the security system is set.”
She tucked her head under my chin. “You’re right, I know. My face hurts.”
I stared up at the ceiling and worked at putting a smile on my face. Her disjointed thoughts and sentences told me the attack left a lasting effect on her brain function. I could sense her unease and confusion within myself. I laid her back against the pillows and climbed off the bed. “Let me get you some medicine. If you take another pain pill now, hopefully you can sleep until I have to wake you up again.”
I shook one out of the bottle and handed her the water bottle again, waiting as she swallowed the pill. She grasped my hand as soon as I set the bottle down and held it to her chest. “Don’t leave me, Ren,” she murmured, her eyes already closing again.
