Page 45 of Tattered Souls
He shook his head, “No. I’ve been the playboy. Not caring about anything but getting my dick wet. If I hadn’t been that way, I might have seen something. Helped. Something.”
And well, I didn’t know what to say.
Not until he ran his hand through his dark brown hair, and then stood, walked over to me, and leaned down to press a kiss on my forehead, “Be there for you. No matter what.”
And then I watched as Alec clapped Garrick on the back of his shoulder, and then he too left.
Garrick watched him go and then said, “Damn. Wonder if he means it.”
He tagged my bowl of chicken noodle soup, crackers, and a glass of water with a straw in it and brought it to me.
When he set it on the coffee table and moved it closer to me, I asked. “Wonder if he meant what?”
“If he finally pulled his head out of his ass,” he said as he walked away, grabbed his sandwich, a pop, and my two bottles of medicine, and then walked back.
He settled them on the coffee table. Then he asked, “Okay, need me to help you eat, or do you have it?”
To say he shocked me would be an understatement.
He offered to help me feed myself. Holy shit.
I shook my head. “Thank you. But I have it.”
Once I ate the soup... he had been right.
A few minutes after I took the medicine, I fell asleep.
I wasn’t sure how many hours had passed, but I knew that it was dark out.
I sat up on the couch, winced, and then I took in a breath.
Garrick was still sitting there beside me, as he shook out the medicine and handed it to me.
“Come on, show you to the spare room. The bed is more comfortable than this couch.” He said.
I carefully stood after I took the medicine and then followed him.
I was still tired, so I didn’t take the room in.
I just sat down on the bed, curled up, and promptly fell asleep.
But not before he helped me rewrap my ribs.
I wondered why he kept inhaling a deep breath every time his fingers touched my skin.
***
It was four days later, and I was sitting on a stool in Garrick’s garage when I opened the envelopes one by one.
When I got to Dom’s, I felt tears prick my eyes.
“You're cryin’. Those good tears, or do I need to beat someone’s ass?”
I looked over at him and said, “Good tears.”
He nodded, then got back to work on the bike.
I stared at the gift card from Dom and the others that had followed after I opened them.
