Page 74 of Saving You

He didn’t need to ask whotheywere. He was still reeling a little from when he’d walked into Oz’s house to find his mom and sister there. And with Darcy running off, presumably to tell them what happened, he had a feeling Oz was going to be bombarded. Even if he chained his door shut, they’d find a way in.

So it was no hardship to U-turn and head toward his place. He had plenty of food, blankets, blackout curtains, and space for Oz to recover. He also had CI batteries, clothes, and a fresh pack of spare toothbrushes in his guest bathroom.

He would want for nothing, and that made Ridge feel at least useful.

Seeing Oz lying on the pavement, unmoving, covered in black scrapes and not making much sense had been enough to take Ridge to his knees. He’d seen the worst of the worst in his job. He’d seen gunshot wounds to the face and rolloveraccidents that left people unrecognizable. He’d seen violence in almost every form.

He thought he was desensitized—and maybe he was. But not when it came to the people he loved. He understood a little too much now how Adele felt the day the station had gotten the call that his house was on fire.

Pulling into his driveway, Ridge hopped out and ran around the side of the car before Oz could get the door all the way open. He quickly slung an arm around him, and Oz rolled his eyes, laughing.

“The drugs are pretty worn off. I can walk, you know.”

“This is mostly for me,” Ridge admitted. His voice was trembling, and he hated showing weakness like this.

Oz blinked at him. “Oh, I…oh.”

“What?”

“I didn’t realize that, uh…that this would bother you.”

Ridge felt those words almost like a punch to the gut. “Baby…”

“No, I get it. I would have lost my mind if it was you. I literally try not to think about you going to work because what if you get hurt? Like, if you got trapped in a fire…” Oz trailed off, shaking his head. “I forget I’m important too.”

Ridge leaned in and gently kissed the edge of his jaw. “You aresoimportant.”

“I know. And I’m going to make sure I remember that. But, uh…can we go lie down?”

Ridge pulled away and guided his boyfriend to the front door, getting the code in and bustling him inside. Oz shook his head when Ridge offered the couch and the same when Ridge offered the guest room. He felt warm all over when Oz settled in his large bed, curling up against his too-many pillows.

He looked like he was still in pain, but his face was more content than it had been at the hospital.

Ridge sat on the edge of the bed and brushed a few locks of hair away from his forehead. “Can I get you anything?”

Oz hummed. “I want to take my processors off, but I want to know about Darcy first.”

Ridge stiffened, but he wasn’t going to lie. He’d marched her out of the hospital after she had the nerve to yell at Oz, and he was pretty sure she was crying by the time he was done with her.

“You know that I didn’t have her on my emergency contacts on purpose, right?” Oz said after a long beat. “I haven’t been to that hospital for treatment in years.”

Ridge chuckled softly. “I figured as much. I wasn’t bothered by that.”

Oz relaxed a bit more. “What did she say to you?”

“Oh, she yelled. Got a little homophobic—said that I was preying on you when you were in a vulnerable state. She was trying to get under my skin.”

It was true. Her voice had gone all high and tight, and she’d screamed at him. “You think you’re so cute with your sign language. He’s going to figure out you learned it to get into his fucking pants. That you want to send him on the path to hell all because you’re giving him what he thinks he needs.”

Ridge hadn’t been bothered. “He knows what he wants. He knows who he wants. And honey, even if it wasn’t me, it would never be you. All you’ve done is show him you’re a selfish monster who will only love him if he lives life your way. I feel sorry for whoever you con into marrying you if you don’t fix yourself.”

“He loves me.”

Ridge laughed. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night, by all means. But I hope when you think that, you take the time to remember that all you ever did was make him feel like being himself wasn’t enough.”

“Did…he say that?” she’d asked, her voice going quiet.

“He didn’t have to. The way y’all have got him hating himself is proof enough because I can tell you right now, none of his friends ever,evermake him feel that way. Now, if you have a single shred of decency, you’ll leave. And if the hospital ever calls again, don’t show up.”

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