Page 31 of Triggered By Love
“Whoa, wait, Jason isn’t here to arrest you.” Avery stood close to Saul’s side. “We saw you get taken away by an ambulance and spoke to the officer.”
“What did he say?” Saul’s expression was like a cornered coyote. “I’m not filing charges, so I don’t see why you’re here.”
“Don’t worry.” Avery rubbed Saul’s upper arm. “Come, let’s go back for your car.”
“Not sure he should be driving,” Jason cut in. “Did they give you pain pills?”
“Yeah, and instructions.” He shook the thick pamphlet the nurse handed him.
Avery took the instructions from him and frowned. “It says you might have a concussion, and that someone has to monitor you. Do you have anyone?”
“I’m okay,” Saul said. “I’ll take the pain pills and get some sleep.”
“You can sleep, but you need to be monitored in case you don’t wake up,” Avery said. “Do you have roommates or anyone who can check up on you?”
“I don’t need anyone,” Saul insisted. He wiped his hand over the gauze strip wrapped around his head. “Scalp wounds bleed a lot. It looks worse than it feels.”
“You’re coming to my place then,” Avery said. “Jason, can you give us a ride?”
What did Avery know about this young man? Sure, he was a friendly barista and quick with the jokes. But being nice to customers was part of the job.
Still, it was better to figure him out than to let him go. He was either attacked or got into a fight, and it could have been about Avery. It wasn’t a coincidence that the man with the wraparound sunglasses came out of Avery’s building and headed to Lushpuppies.
“Of course,” Jason replied. “We should at least take turns and wake him up every few hours. Make sure he’s coherent.”
“I really shouldn’t be disturbing you guys,” Saul said. “Truly. I appreciate it, but I’d rather go back to my place.”
“We can’t leave you alone,” Avery protested. “The instructions say to watch for impaired vision, dizziness, and unresponsiveness.”
“I’ll take Saul back to his place and camp out there tonight,” Jason volunteered. “I’m off duty tomorrow.”
Both Avery and Saul started to protest, but he held up his hand and shook his head firmly. “Let’s get going. Ave, I’ll call you in the morning and let you know how he’s doing. Saul, you have a good friend in Avery. Don’t waste it.”
Decision made, he dropped Avery off at her building, watched her go inside, and then drove to Saul’s apartment in a run-down area of Brooklyn. He shared it with several other guys, but they kept to their own business and only crossed paths coming in and going out to their jobs.
“You don’t really have to stay,” Saul said, pulling aside the floor-to-ceiling partition that marked his spot in the common area. A cardboard dresser and a metal trunk were the only furniture besides a ratty sofa piled with clothes and papers, and a spring-framed cot with a thin mattress. “Sorry, the accommodations aren’t first class.”
“The couch is fine,” Jason said. “I’ve done stakeouts in worse places.”
“Yeah, well, then, thanks.” Saul looked sheepish. “Want any water?”
“I can help myself. I’ll set my phone alarm to go off every two hours and ask you questions when I wake you.”
“Sure.” Saul shoved clothes from the couch onto the grimy carpet. He yanked a thin blanket from the cot and gave it to Jason. “Why do you care what happens to me?”
“Avery cares.” He shrugged as he sank onto the couch, feeling every spring. “Maybe she feels guilty for what happened to you.”
He slipped off his shoes and arranged the cushions under his head, making sure not to appear overly inquisitive.
The young man turned off the bare-bulb lamp on the metal trunk. The cot springs creaked and rattled as he got comfortable.
It was silent other than the traffic noises and the occasional shout of pedestrians outside, but Jason waited, listening to Saul tossing and turning.
“Is my presence disturbing you?” Jason asked, just to let Saul know he was still awake. It was a dumb question, but there was something strange about the attack, and he was sure it had to do with Avery. The young man’s wallet wasn’t taken, and neither were his car keys, so it wasn’t a robbery or mugging.
“No, I’m just worried about Avery thinking this was her fault,” Saul said.
“Why would it be her fault?” Jason asked, even though he was the one who implied it.
