Page 57 of Clashing
“I have to clean it up.”
He turned me to face him. “I’ll clean it up.”
I desperately wanted tonotcry but tears fell anyway. Dropping my head to his chest, I let it out. He wrapped his arms around me and though it brought comfort, it made me cry harder. “I was so scared.”
“I know, but you did well, and he’s okay. He’ll be home before you know it.” His lips pressed to the top of my head. “Come on, sugar. Let me put you to bed.”
“I want to stay in the house,” I mumbled into his chest.
Strong hands gripped the back of my thighs and lifted me. “All right.”
My legs locked around his waist, and he carried me upstairs into the spare bedroom. He laid me down, and I knew I should let him go but I didn’t want to. I caught his hand, tears in my eyes, the plea ofstay with meunable to escape my tight throat.
Regardless, he understood. We’d always communicated better physically than verbally.
Ryker lay beside me and pulled me to his chest. A heavy hand stroking my spine eased the panic, and the light forehead kisses made me cling to him, absorbing every ounce of comfort he gave. “He’s okay, baby. You did good. You handled it well. It’s going to be all right.”
My racing heart slowed under his affection. I’d never been more comfortable, and I still wore shoes.
I must’ve beenverycomfortable because when I woke up, I couldn’t remember falling asleep. Daylight filtered through the curtains, revealing I’d been asleep a while.
There was an empty space beside me where Ryker had been. He must’ve left. It shouldn’t hurt. He didn’t owe me anything and he helped a ton yesterday. But my heart ached at his absence. I reached into my pocket for my phone and found nothing. No messages. I couldn’t wait for the nurse to call. I’d have to check in for my peace of mind.
My eyelids slid shut, my body exhausted and protesting my desire to call the nurse. Athudsnapped my eyes open. A knocking, almost. I frowned and sat up. The rhythmicthudcontinued, like someone hammering.
I forced myself out of bed and toward the door where more noises persisted. Voices. I shuffled down the hall, then peered around the corner down the stairs.
Ryker stood at the bottom with several guys I recognized from the bar. Regulars who always arrived with Ryker. My brows furrowed as they snapped rails off the stairs. One of them spotted me and nudged Ryker, who jogged upstairs.
“Hey, sugar. Sorry if we woke you. We had to get started to finish before Danny gets released.”
“What are you doing?”
“Installing a wheelchair lift so he can get up to his room and downstairs.” He gestured at the new device they’d screwed into the wall. “We have to make the stairs bigger or it won’t fit. Don’t worry, we’ve all done this kind of thing before. We’ll get it done right.”
Tears stung my eyes. Dan would be sorelieved. Ryker took my hand and led me down the hallway, out of view of the other guys.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He wrapped his arms around me and cradled my head into his chest. “He’ll be home soon.”
“It’s not that.” I blinked back tears but they caught in my lashes. “You’re so sweet for doing this. I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything.” He kissed my head. “It’s nothing. Danny’s done plenty for us. We’re returning the favor. Watching out for our own. But hey, it would probably be a good idea for you to not stay in that room or you’ll end up trapped here while we’re working. Why don’t you go to your apartment?”
I shook my head and pulled back from the arms I wanted to bury myself in for a few hours. Or days. Or weeks. “I want to help.”
He arched a brow. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“No.” I batted my eyelashes, fully aware I looked like a train wreck, and it shouldn’t work. “But you do.”
He sighed but took my hand and led me to the stairs. “Fine. Come on.”
We rejoined his friends, and they packed on the niceness, even more than when I served them at the bar. One handed me a breakfast burrito from a stack they’d picked up on their way over. Ryker started working again but not before glancing at me over his shoulder with a smile that left me breathless. Ryker didn’t smile.
Air rushed from my lungs. That smile. His tenderness. All the things he’d done for me and Dan. The way he stepped up . . .
I was falling for him. Hard.
The realization left a pit in my stomach. Only a few days ago, he reemphasized our relationship was only about sex. He’d said that before and I didn’t have a problem with it because I liked having sex with him. I didn’t want a relationship anyway. We promised we’d tell each other if feelings developed and I was certain they wouldn’t because he pissed me off most of the time.
