Page 93 of My Never
Ted nods once and continues to cower away with his loser friends. Colin, Trystan, and I run over to Mark to see how bad he got cut.
“Let me see,” Colin demands, lifting the blood- soaked shirt first. Mark hisses as Colin prods, Trystan lighting the area with his phone’s flashlight, and I press a kiss to his shoulder to soothe him.
“Stomach’s okay. It’s pretty superficial. You moved out of the way just in time. It’ll just be sore. We’ll clean that up and bandage it, but it’ll still likely scar. Your forearm definitely needs a couple of stitches. Let’s go up to the house.” Mark nods in agreement before looking down at me.
“You okay?” His worried expression latches onto mine, and I melt.
“Why are you even asking me that right now? I’m not the one who just got sliced with a knife,” I huff out, taken aback that this man is injured and still fussing over me.
“Making sure you’re okay will always be my first priority,” Mark explains, cupping my chin as his eyes sweep back and forth over mine.
“I’m okay. Let Colin patch you up, please,” I answer breathlessly. Despite everything, heat flares in his eyes. He loves when my voice gets breathy like that. But what does this man expect when he goes around talking that way? Calling me his future wife? Defending my honor?
“Stay out here with the girls and enjoy yourself for a bit longer, and then we’re going home.”
I nod, my lower belly clenching with desire. He kisses my forehead and follows Colin inside.
34
Mark
My broken skin stings like a bitch as I follow Colin up the pathway to the back of their home. He commands Amy to sit as we enter so that she doesn’t jump on me.
“Shirt off. Sit on the barstool. I’ll get my kit. Oh, and whiskey’s in the cupboard above the stove.”
I curse under my breath as I rip off the shirt, knowing it’s going to hurt like hell and just wanting to get it over with. That stupid motherfucker. I grab a short glass from the cupboard along with the whiskey. I pour myself a generous helping and take a big swig before walking back over to sit at the island. Colin shuffles in while looking through the kit to make sure he has everything.
“I thankfully have a dose of lidocaine too. It’ll help a little. Hold this to your arm wound while I clean your stomach.”
“Thank fuck. Let’s get this done.” I take another swig before pressing the offered gauze to my arm with a wince. Colin cleans the wounds, gritting his teeth every time I hiss.
“So…future wife?” Colin smirks as he shoots the lidocaine into the skin surrounding my arm wound. As the fire of the medicine pours throughout the cells under my skin, I grunt in reply to Colin’s question.
“I really said that part out loud, did I?” I hiss through the burning sensation.
“You really did. Ava stopped breathing.” Colin chuckles low and throaty. It must’ve been amusing.
“Like she hated the idea, or in a good way?” I wonder aloud.
“Like a ‘you just ran me over with a bulldozer’ surprised sort of way.”
I can almost picture her surprised look, her eyes widened, cheeks flushed as she held her breath. I love seeing her all riled up. I snicker in answer. I don’t even know where to start that conversation with her. This has all just gone so fast, but it feels…right.
“So what do I do?”
“You marry the girl.”
“No shit. I just– I guess this all would’ve been brought up differently had the circumstances been, well, different.”
“Have you two done anything normal so far?”
“Good point, but things have moved fast.”
“It’s not like you guys just met.”
“I know. I’m just scared to fuck it all up. I feel so…so…”
“Crazy? Unhinged? Like you can’t breathe when she’s not in your direct line of sight? Like you’d tear anything to shreds if it even threatened to stand between you two? Yeah, I get it. It’s fucking insane, but would you have it any other way?”
