Page 16 of Cruel Love

And when he regained his memories, I hoped he would remember New Phoenix and not regress. The guy had been an alpha asshole. I still got glimpses of that at times, but it wasn’t enough to raise my defenses, and he usually got it under control pretty quickly.

Cass had said he viewed me as part of his inner circle. I wanted to stay there and bask in the sunlight. Before the accident, I’d been on the outside. But the girls spilling so much about the guys and their history with them made me understand it more. The guys were intensely protective, and their sheer possessiveness was unparalleled with people they loved and trusted. I wanted to maintain a hold of that with Phoenix if, by some miracle, he didn’t shove me away when he remembered he was nineteen and the reasons why he’d perceived me as he had.

I wasn’t far from where Phoenix lived, but I wasn’t sure if I could keep my eyes open when I was there. I pulled over and called him.

“Are you on your way?”

I shivered from the effect of his deep voice. It brought images of sex and dominance. Why I liked that about him was a mystery. Okay, it wasn’t. He was incredible, and what he’d done to my body—I wanted more of that again.

“I think I’m going to go back to the dorms. I’m exhausted.”

“You can rest here. It’s not like I can do a lot. And I miss you.”

Oh, wow. Phoenix Bennett misses me? I wanted to call Max and tell him about the momentous turn of events. And I would tell my best friend, but later. After Phoenix saying that to me, there was no way I couldn’t go to his place. “Okay. I’ll be there in ten minutes. I can’t stay long, though, not with the drive back to school and how tired I am.”

When I pulled into his driveway, the front door opened, and Phoenix stood there in the fading light. I gave him a small wave. Before I twisted the keys, the engine made an unsettling sputtering noise then died. Fuck my life. I dropped my head to the steering wheel and got control of my panicked emotions before leaving the car with a smile that I didn’t feel.

He looked so good that my mood flipped from bad to good, the problems with my car and Dad fading immediately. “Are you pushing your recovery?” It fit his personality to do that.

He shrugged.

“Yes, he is!” His mom appeared behind him, dressed in scrubs. Her dark-brown, almost-black hair was pulled into a low ponytail, which only accentuated her beauty. “Hi, Aspen. I’m so glad you’re here. Come in.”

“Hi, Mrs. Bennett.”

“Ugh.” She scrunched her nose, blue eyes sparkling as she waved me in. “Call me Cece.” She winked. “We’ve already been over that.”

I smiled, pushing my nerves aside. “Sorry. I’ll remember in the future.”

Phoenix shot a worried glance at my car then stepped to the side.

“Thanks for having me.”

The three of us went inside, and Cece hugged me before she got ready to leave for work.

“There’s a second spare bedroom all made up on the first floor, facing the front. Phoenix is in the one off the kitchen. Please feel free to stay the night. I would feel better if you did. Shane can’t be here because of some school stuff and practice, I think, and I hate leaving Phoenix alone.”

“Mom”—he leaned against the wall—“I’m fine. But Aspen can stay. Just don’t worry so much. I’m okay. Promise.”

Tears gathered in her eyes, and she hugged her son. “I know you are, but I worry. Remember—both of you—call me if anything happens, no matter how insignificant you think it is.”

We both promised, and Phoenix’s cheeks turned adorably pink. He treated his mom so well. I loved seeing that side of him. When she left, he grabbed my hand, and his grip was surprisingly strong compared to the other day in the hospital. “Let’s go out by the pool. You seem like you like being by the water.”

“I do, but why do you say that?” The slider was already open, and we went to a patio that surrounded a stunning pool with the beach as the backdrop just past the wrought iron gates. “Wow. This place is…”

“We like it. It’s a lot for Mom to keep up with without Shane and me at home. There’s so much I want to do for her. I just need to get into the NFL, and then she won’t ever have to work another day in her life.”

My heart swelled, and I missed my footing.

Phoenix helped steady me then laughed. “I’m the one who’s unsteady on my feet. It’s nice that I get to save someone else from face-planting for a change.”

He held me tight, and in light of the shock that had me tripping from realizing how I felt about him, I let him. He sat on a lounge chair and guided me to sit between his legs. It wasn’t a good idea. He might feel the baby. I shook my head, offered a weak smile, then took the chair next to him.

I was stunned by how much I cared about him. It was all those late-night conversations and how he treated me like I was the only one he saw, even in spite of the younger nurses doing their best flirting routines. He never paid attention to their antics or encouraged them.

Curled on my side, I had one hand under my cheek to look at him, keeping the pool still in partial view. Before I could stop myself, I yawned. “I’m sorry. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”

“You can sleep if you want. I’m happy you’re here whether you’re awake or not. We can talk after you get some rest.”

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