Page 104 of This Could be Love

“Nothing you haven’t experienced,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah, but at least I was unconscious.”

He laughed and pulled me closer, brushing my knee in the process.

“Ow,” I moaned, making a face.

“Does it hurt that bad?”

“It burns like hell.”

“That’s good. That means your ankle’s fine.”

I frowned.

“You know that. The bigger pain eclipses the lesser.”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if that was true or not. The last few feet I could see how much it was costing him to carry me. His expression was tense, and his neck veins were becoming increasingly prominent.

“Sorry,” I said when he paused to catch his breath.

He looked at me with an expression as deep as the ocean. “I’m not.”

My breathing quickened, and I could feel my heart beating all the way to my ribs. It took a flash of lightning in the sky for me to take my eyes off him.

Shortly thereafter, he was opening the security gate with my help. His gaze darted around as he carried me up the driveway. I realized that he was here for the first time. The rain had eased slightly by the time we reached the front door. He entered the code I gave him.

“Man, is it cold in here,” was the first thing he said.

“That’s the AC. I can… You can turn it off. To the left of the door.”

“I don’t have to live here.”

The smack of his sneakers was the only sound as he carried me over to the sofa and put me down. Softly and carefully.

“You’ve got to disinfect these,” he said, looking at my bloody knees. “And get out of your wet clothes.”

“You too.”

His T-shirt was so wet that his skin was shimmering through it and his cotton shorts were sticking to his thighs.

“And we’ve got to take a look at your ankle,” he said, ignoring my observation.

For a moment thewein his statement helped to keep my panic in check. But then it came roaring back.

“I’m scared, Vince.”

“I know.” He held out his hand. “Your ankle doesn’t look swollen, and you’re not in pain,” he said calmly. “I think you just had a scare. Or…a kind of flashback.”

“You think?”

It was nothing but a hopeful croak, but he nodded.

“Take my hand!”

Hesitatingly, I did as he said.

“And now, stand upreal slowly.”