Page 22 of Daddy Vibes (The Anti-Bachelorette 2)

I look back up at her. “Can I talk to him?”

Emory opens her eyes in surprise. “What the fuck? You’re going to tell him over your own best friend? What happened to Hos before Bros?” She jokes. I just smile back up at her.

She squeezes my hand. “Sure. He literally almost killed me when I asked if I could come see you alone first anyway. I’ll go get him.”

She gets up and walks out the door, and a few moments later he walks in. “Hey you. How are you feeling?’

His voice is gentle, and I can hear the concern in it. His eyes are looking at me with such care that it takes me a second to get a grip. “Hi.” I whisper out. “I hear you rescued me.”

He laughs, and I love the sound of it. “I wouldn’t exactly say that.” Then he sits down on the end of the bed and looks at me more seriously. “But if I’d come across the fuckers that did this, I’d kill them.” Then he looks down again. “I should have been there.” I can tell he’s mad at himself, which is ridiculous. There’s no way he could have known this was going to happen.

I can tell by the look on his face that he means it though. I smile at him. “Thanks anyway. If you didn’t come, no one would have found me until the next customer came in.” Then I pause. “Shit the tattoo parlor. Did anyone get ahold of my cousin?”

Eric smiles. “Emory texted him. He went back right away. Says he’s coming to see you right after he closes.”

I blow out a relieved breath. “Oh good.”

Eric scooches closer to me and grabs my hand. “What happened Angela?”

I whisper to him. “You can’t tell the police.” I give him my most serious face, and he leans back in surprise. Then he leans closer and whispers back. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? What’s going on?”

I sigh. “I mostly told them the truth.” I look down at my hands. “It was just some guys that Killian pissed off. They thought I was his girlfriend, so they came for payback.”

I hear Eric suck in a breath. “I’m going to fucking murder him.”

I look up and his eyes are so angry that I almost think he might follow through on that threat. I squeeze his hand. “It wasn’t his fault.”

Eric just scoffs. “The hell it wasn’t! You wouldn’t be here in this hospital looking like this in all this pain.” His voice cracks a little at the last part, and it catches me off guard how upset he is about this.

I squeeze his hand again. “I’m okay. I’ve been through worse.” I smile at him, and he laughs. “That’s such bulllshit. We both know this was the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.” His tone is light and friendly though, which just makes me smile.

“Yeah, but with the other things that happened, I didn’t have you.” I smile shyly at him. That may have been a too revealing of a thing to say, but I can’t ever seem to care with him. I only know how to be myself.

He stares back at me and then pushes back the little bit of hair that fell in front of the bandages on my face. “Angela…” He leans closer and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me, but then a nurse walks in.

“Hey Angela, I’m nurse Stacey. We just need to check how you’re doing.” She looks over at Eric. “He can stay if you want him to.”

I go to nod my head yes, but Eric steps back. “I’ll give you your privacy.” And then he’s gone again.

???

Eric

I had to leave. I feel so angry. I want to break something. I’m not just mad about what happened even though I want to track this Killian guy down and hurt him the same way Angela was hurt, but I’m also mad about what she said.

How she didn’t have anyone there for her in the past. How this horrible situation wasn’t so bad because she had me. And fuck how much I wanted to kiss her. To make all her pain go away. To be her comfort.

That’s why I had to leave. If that nurse didn’t come in, I would have done something I’d regret. I can’t be that person for her no matter how much I want to be. I need to be there for her, but in a platonic way. I can support her and take care of her without touching her or being with her.

I mean I can try. No. Fuck I need to do that for her.

I see Alaric, and he walks up to me. “Hey, what are you doing out here?”

I smile at him. “Uh...her nurse needed to check on her, so I was just giving them privacy.”

He raises an eyebrow at me. “Look Eric, you’re my best friend and I support you, but you’re giving me whiplash here. I can’t imagine what Angela is going through.”

I groan. “I know.” then I look up at him. “That’s why I need your help. You can’t leave me alone with her while she’s staying with us. You and Emory can sleep in your room. I can’t have you over at her house every night.”

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