Page 107 of Only You
She scowled but went to the kitchen, nonetheless keeping an eye on John as she searched the cabinets for a glass, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Someone tapped her shoulder, and she jumped, quickly spinning to see Jack.
His tone was strangely neutral. ‘You all right?’
‘No,’ she snapped, filling the cup with tap water. ‘Don’t worry too much. He’s gonna be fine.’
‘This should have never happened.’ Her eyes were blazing as she pointed her finger at him. ‘I told you to switch fighters.’
‘Demir was on track—’
‘I’m sick of you not listening to me,’ she hissed. ‘And I’m tired of people getting hurt because of it.’ She started walking back, but Jack blocked her path, his gaze steely.
‘Who else is getting hurt?’
Selene glared, tempted to throw the water in his face. She couldn’t believe she’d ever found his jealousy attractive.
Ever since coming back from Demir’s apartment, she had felt unsteady. She had tried her best to get back to normal, yet everything felt forced. And in that moment, she was suddenly aware of how much she wasn’t the girl she showed Jack. She hadn’t known how much she pretended until she realised there would never be a stopping point.
Before she could open her mouth to make a snide remark, there was a groan from the couch. Clutching the glass of water in her hand tightly, she stepped around Jack.
‘Demir, can you hear me?’ John asked.
‘…Yeah,’ he croaked.
Selene pressed the glass to his lips, tipping it so he could drink. She only stopped when he started coughing. John took away the cup and helped him up.
‘You’re okay,’ he said, his voice deep and soothing. ‘Just make sure you stay hydrated and don’t go to bed anytime soon. Your head’s gonna hurt, so take these. One pill per meal.’ He pulled an unlabelled bottle of pills from his bag, placing them on the table. ‘And try not to look in the mirror. You might crack it.’
Demir started to laugh but winced, clutching his head. John patted his shoulder before standing and going over to Jack, who was gazing at her suspiciously as she sat next to Demir. She fought not to scowl.
A little late for that, she thought bitterly. She looked at Demir, noticing he had closed his eyes. ‘Hey, hey.’ Selene shook him until they opened. ‘You need to stay awake.’
Demir sat in a daze until his gaze landed on her. She couldn’t help but stroke his face gently, her fondness for him battering against her chest. If Jack asked about it later, she could say she was just concerned. Another not-lie to dump in the distance growing between them.
‘You’ll be okay in a few days,’ she reassured him, not looking at Jack as he escorted John out. ‘But for now, you need to stay up. Okay?’
She waited for Jack to return but, after a few minutes, had a feeling he would be gone for a while. Maybe at a bar nearby. She frowned and got up to turn on the radio. Jack could stay out as long as he wanted; she doubted he would be useful right then.
She went back to the couch and placed a pillow on her lap, coaxing Demir to lay on it. ‘You need to elevate your head.’
He groaned as he laid back down, her fingers softly stroking his face and hair. Music filled the room, and his gaze focused on the ceiling.
Selene’s thoughts drifted back to the fight, images of Demir hitting the floor over and over flooding her mind. She tried to stay quiet but every now and then a shaky sob snuck out. For a moment, she had been sure he was gone… she raised her hand to wipe away the tears, but Demir caught her wrist clumsily. She paused and looked down at him. His eyes didn’t move from the ceiling.
‘Why are you here?’ he asked, his voice monotonous. Another shudder ran through her as he waited for her to answer.
She didn’t.
It was only when sunlight filled the room that she finally let him drift off, enough time having passed for him to be out of danger. She let out a shaky breath as she kissed the back of his hand.
‘I don’t know.’
When Demir woke up alone on the couch, he was tempted to stay for the day. He wanted Selene to take care of him a little longer, imagine a different life for a few more moments. But, between the ring on her finger and the notebook Selene left on the table, he knew he had overstayed his welcome.
He shouldn’t have opened it, but curiosity of his condition got the best of him. At first, it was just as she said, notes about his injuries and recovery. Then it changed. Rows and rows detailing his fights and opponents filled the pages. Quick notes about who was ‘too strong’ and who he should fight again littered the margins. Dollar amounts that looked like something out of a gambler’s notepad next to Nora’s number.
He’s trying to get in good with the coaches to see if they rig fights.
To think he believed she cared about him when this whole time, it was all about New York. Granted, didn’t he already know her and Jack were the same from the beginning?
