Page 45 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

“I just need some ice and the swelling will go down.”

“Um, no. You don’t just need some ice, you need to clean those cuts first. Do you have a first aid kit?”

He studied my face for a moment, clenching his jaw before he answered. “Medicine cabinet in the bathroom.”

“Let’s get you patched up then.” I tugged his arm and led the way.

Noah took off his dark gray blazer and rolled up his white sleeves. A trip to the dry cleaners wouldn’t have been able to save his clothing. It was all bloody and ruined. He reached for his buttons, when I stopped him.

“Here, let me,” I said. “You’re in enough pain.” My heart skipped a beat as I slowly unfastened the buttons.

Oh. Dear. Lord. Muscles in my face!I was screaming like some lunatic fangirl in my head. His amazing body wasn’t the only reason why I was fangirling—he had my name tattooed on his chest.

“Well,” he said. “I guess you found my tattoo.”

Noah pulled his shirt back over his shoulders so that his flawless pectorals were in plain sight. A big black phoenix spread its ashy wings above his heart, digging its sharp talons in his skin. The tattoo artist had drawn some blood gushing out in red ink. It looked like the bird was trying to claw Noah’s heart out. I couldn’t hold back my tears when I saw my name inked in red capital letters on the breast of the legendary creature. The font was so unique and beautiful.

“I got this when I was nineteen,” Noah said. “You were always with me everywhere I went. I wanted to keep you closest to my heart, even though you were physically out of reach.”

His words moved me in ways that I never thought were possible. I wanted nothing more than to show him how much I loved and needed him. But first, I had to tend to his injuries. Keeping a calm composure, I opened the first aid kit and sat on the counter while he stood across from me. The cuts around his knuckles were still bleeding as he rinsed it off under the tap. I was preparing to rub iodine on the wounds when he took the bottle from me.

“Hydrogen peroxide, iodine, rubbing alcohol,” he started, “all that stuff makes it worse when the skin is broken. That’s why doctors use them to clean an area before surgery. But when there’s a cut, they can be toxic to skin cells because they slow down healing. They’re killing healthy cells. And that stinging from the rubbing alcohol … that stuff hurts because it’s wiping out healthy tissue. The most effective way to clean a wound is to flush out the bacteria and debris with water.”

I looked at him inquisitively. “Did you drop med school before you decided on a law career?”

He chuckled. “It’s common sense, not rocket science.”

“Well, I’ll remember that next time.” I matched his smile and put the bottle of iodine away.

Noah shook the water off his hands while I grabbed some gauze.Nurse Aria to the rescue.

“Are these injuries caused by self-defense?” I asked.

“No.” He sighed and stared at his bandaged hand. “I instigated the fistfight. The damage done to your bedroom door was the first thing that caught my eye when I came looking for you. And when I walked in I saw that he had demolished your room—completely vandalized.”

I sighed. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Noah frowned. “I noticed that you had moved your dresser to block off the doorway and … I lost it. I thought he hurt you, so I roughed him up pretty bad.”

“When you say bad, do you mean hospitalized bad?”

He met my gaze and I had to blink a few times because it was impossible to stare at him for longer than three seconds. Those eyes were a health hazard for my heart.

“Probably,” he answered wryly. “I don’t regret it, though.”

Noah seemed indifferent about the whole fiasco. Maybe in his mind it was an accomplishment, like a lifetime achievement:

Confront the stepdad:Check

Threaten him:Check

Beat the stepdad to a bloody pulp:Check

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, Aria.” He relaxed his tone, allowing the violent waves in his ocean eyes to settle into calm waters. “I should have been there.”

I felt overwhelming love for him. He was so protective of me.

“It’s okay. It’s not like you were expecting me to call you. I’m sure you want to know what actually happened.”

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