Page 8 of The Coffee Bar on Camellia Court

"I'll be here when you get out. I'm not going anywhere."

"I like the sound of that," he said. Then to the nurse; "You can call me 'Cap.' It's what all my friends call me."

Juno watched him wheel away, her throat tight with unexpected emotion.

Friends. Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Maybe.

4

Alex

Fromthepassengerseatof Juno's Outback, Alex watched her head into Miller's Pharmacy. Through the storefront windows, he could see old Joe Miller peer out at him, likely making sure it was actually his prescriptions Juno was picking up. Small town life. No chance of someone pulling a fast one here.

The events of the morning had caught up with him. Between his usual insomnia and the adrenaline crash, his whole body felt heavy. He shifted, trying to find a position that didn't aggravate his back or jostle his ankle. He still didn't have a shirt on, and for some reason, he felt absurdly self conscious about it. It had to be the cramped quarters of Juno's car getting to him.

Or just being this close to Juno, period.

He glared down at his bare toes jutting out past the end of the cumbersome black walking boot. He'd just about puked from the pain when the urgent care nurse had pulled first his work boot, then his sock off, but now with his ankle wrapped and cradled in the padded stabilization brace, the nausea had pretty much passed. As ugly as it was, at least the boot meant he wouldn't be completely helpless.

Juno returned, sliding into the driver's seat with a white paper bag. "Antibiotics," she said, peering inside. "Something a little stronger than over the counter stuff for pain, and a cream for your road rash." She held up a tube, then dropped both back in the bag and handed it to him. The unspoken question hung between them: how exactly was he supposed to reach the scrapes on his back?

He wanted to ask her to help. Wanted to ask for so much more than just tending his wounds. The sunlight caught her profile as she pulled away from the curb, and for a dangerous moment, he imagined leaning over and kissing her. The way he used to. He closed his eyes, remembering the way her lips had moved under his, how their breaths had melded into one, their pulses racing along to a matching cadence…

"Alex?" Her voice snapped him back to the present. "You okay?" She patted his forearm where it rested on the console between them. "You were getting a bit of a glazed over look. Don't be passing out on me, you hear?"

"Sorry. Yeah." He blinked heavily. "I think I'm really starting to feel everything now that the adrenaline has completely worn off. Haven't eaten today either. Probably not helping."

"Well, let's get you back to your place, big guy. You can take those pain pills now if you want, but you should probably have something in your stomach first."

The climb to his second-floor apartment was less than graceful. Even with the walking boot, he stumbled twice on the stairs, Juno's steadying hand on his elbow the only thing keeping him upright.

"Straight to bed," she ordered once they were inside, not giving him time to be self-conscious about having her in his space. At least the place was relatively clean; a far cry from the chaos of his drinking days.

He caught himself against the hallway wall and started patting his pants pockets for his phone. "I need to call Ward. Let him know about today."

Juno pointed toward the bedroom at the end of the hall. "Go. You can call him once you're off your feet. I'll fix you something to eat and bring it to you there." She followed closely behind him, then waited while he gingerly lowered himself to the side of the bed. A few years ago, Alex had splurged on a deep mattress and box spring set, which added a good six inches to the height of his bed. He loved the mattress with its extra support, and he couldn't believe what a difference having a good mattress made to the quality of his sleep.

When hecouldsleep, that is.

Juno glanced around the room like she was looking for something. He'd been in a hurry that morning and hadn't bothered picking up in here before he left, but it wasn't too bad, he thought, trying to see it through her eyes. At the foot of the bed was the pair of trainers he'd toed off after the game of hoops at the park last night. The shirt he'd been wearing was on the floor beside them, but he'd peeled off the socks and his shorts in the bathroom and tossed them in the hamper before jumping in the shower. He'd left his closet door open, and there was a jumbled mess of things on the floor of it, but who didn't have a messy closet? At least he'd kind of made his bed. His pillows weren't where they were supposed to be, but he'd pulled the comforter up, even if it was a little crooked.

"Do you have any extra pillows? You're supposed to elevate that leg." She pointed at his foot.

Alex shook his head, but then said, "Maybe the couch cushions?"

Juno nodded. "I'll go grab them. You try to get comfortable, but if you need help, just ask. I'll be right back."

Once again, he wondered how on earth he was going to manage alone for the first day or two. Was he just being a baby? The doctor hadn't seemed to be too concerned, but maybe that was because Juno could instill confidence in anyone. His ankle throbbed and the tenderized skin on his back stung with what felt like jolts of electricity, making his whole body twitch in response. He decided he'd wait until Juno returned with the cushions before he tried to get his leg up on the tall bed; he didn't want to have to move the stupid appendage any more than he absolutely had to.

He'd get the call to Ward out of the way first. Alex fumbled for his phone, but before he could dial Ward's number, it lit up with an incoming call. His thumb hit accept before his brain caught up; and unfortunately, his phone was set to automatically answer to the speaker.

"Alex? Is that you?" Payton's chirpy, little girl voice made him cringe.

He groaned inwardly. Why had he answered? "Hey, Payton."

"Hey, handsome. Can I come over so we can… talk?" The sugar in her tone made his teeth hurt.

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