Page 97 of Only You and Me

“Me? Nah, there’s no reason to worry about me. I promise.”The pinched expression on Trina’s face tells a different story.

Trina grips my hand tightly and I suspect she’s hurting, so when Fitz speaks up and suggests they let each other rest now that they’ve heard each other, I’m glad for it. The sisters say theirI love yousand Fitz tells Trina he’ll be over shortly to sit with her, then ends the call.

A few minutes later, when the nurse comes to tell us Fitz is here to visit, I kiss Trina goodbye, tell her I love her, then head out to deal with the motherfucker who hurt her.

CHAPTER35

TRINA

I’m locked in an epic stare down with Nurse Nancy, her arms folded across her body and my eyes narrowed at her. She’s trying to strong-arm me into peeing on a bedpan and I’m not having it. We’ve been staring at each other for a solid minute when Ben walks into the room and she loses her focuses by glancing over at him.

When she turns back to me, her posture is stiff, and her facial expression tight with pursed lips.

“Listen. You insisted on having your bladder catheter removed in the middle of the night and you still haven’t voided since. It’s been almost eight hours, so if you don’t urinate in the next hour, I’m putting the catheter back in.”

Ben’s standing in the doorway, and his eyes widen.

“I’d like to see you try it. I willnotpee on a bedpan. My husband is here now, and he’ll help me get up to an actual toilet.”

Nancy huffs. “He’s not allowed to get you up. The doctor hasn’t been by yet to take you off bedrest.”

I glare at her and if I didn’t feel my heartbeat pounding and racing in anger, I’d still know it was happening from the increased speed of the beeping behind me on my heart monitor. “I’m a grown woman and you don’t get to tell me or my husband what we are allowed?—”

Ben steps between Nancy and me. He holds up his palms toward each of us and then I get pissed when he plasters that flirty smile of his onto his face and turns to Nancy. “Ma’am, would it be possible for you to please go call the doctor and ask for an order saying Trina can get out of bed to use the restroom? That sounds like an okay compromise.”

I watch as Nancy’s bitchy expression softens and her eyes transform from hard, glaring orbs to shining, flirty windows right into her thoughts as she appraises my husband and gives him a sweet smile. She actually twirls a piece of her hair when she answers him. “I suppose I could try that”—she pauses, for effect, I assume—“for you…”

Ben thanks her at the same time I roll my eyes and make a fake gagging noise.

Nurse Nancy scoffs, tosses an annoyed look in my direction, and leaves the room.

Ben makes his way over to me and leans down to kiss me gently on the cheek. “Babe, don’t egg on the nurses. They’re just doing their job.”

“Not this one. Unless her job is to be a total bitch and flirt with my husband right in front of me.”

Ben chuckles. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ve only got eyes for one woman, and she’s almost more than I can handle.” The teasing lilt to his voice and the wink he gives me as he sits on the chair at my bedside soften my mood.

“I hate it here. It smells like sick people and the sheets are scratchy. Plus, you didn’t come back last night.” I can hear the pout in my voice, and I hate it, but not as much as I hate being in the hospital.

“Yes, I did. I spent forty-five minutes with you, but you were sound asleep the entire time. I stayed until visiting hours ended.”

“Oh,” I mutter.

Ben clears his throat, and I watch as his facial expression goes from lighthearted to serious. “So, are you ready to talk about… about who we arrested?” He reaches down and takes one of my hands in his.

I inhale deeply. “I think so. Was it John? The police officer from Meadow Creek?”

“No. He’s actually the one who caught the guy, though, and made the arrest. Tri, it’s Joe Alero.”

I shake my head, blinking rapidly to clear my vision and my thoughts.

“That’s impossible. He was with me outside the station when I got one of the bad texts. It was after that fire at the nursing home that day.”

“It’s not impossible. We found a prepaid cellphone in his vehicle with a burner phone app on it that was enabling him to call and text you from a variety of numbers. But he also had an app where he could schedule texts to be sent at a time of his choosing. We think on the day he was with you, he scheduled the text to coincide with while he was there both to throw any suspicion off him, but also to get the chance to witness your reaction. It’s the kind of thing these sick fuckers do.”

My breaths are shaky, and I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping my stomach with my free hand. Ben uses his thumb to caress the palm of my hand he’s holding, and it’s the only thing tethering me to my sanity right now. I open my eyes and look at him, moisture blurring my vision.

“It’s my fault,” I whisper. “Emily got hurt because I didn’t think about him when you asked me who I’d had interactions with.” Ben’s jaw visibly tics but, to his credit, he keeps his face neutral. “He bid on me at the dance and… and…”

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