Page 75 of The Way Back Home
Her eyes flicked toward Teagan. “I’ve seen it before. Young women who play the victim card when they get themselves into trouble.”
Noah’s voice came out low and dangerous. “Does she look like she’splayingto you?”
The nurse stiffened. “If that’s all, I have other patients to attend to.”
He nodded, his jaw clenched, and the nurse made a hasty retreat.
Noah looked back at Teagan. Her eyes were closed, but a single tear slipped free. She’d heard every vicious word.Thiswas what she believed people thought of her. This was what she’d been dealing with her whole life. This was why she’d chosen to walk away.
Rage burned hot and sharp in his chest. “I’ll be right back,” he said, then stepped out of the room.
The offensive nurse was at the station, talking to another. “Poor Dr. Ziegler doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into,” she said, her voice laden with derision. “That girl was nothing but trouble growing up. Some people never change.”
Noah stepped forward. “You are completely out of line. If I hear that you’ve spoken one more judgmental word about a patient, you’ll be out of this hospital. Do you understand?”
Without waiting for a reply, Noah stalked back to Teagan’s room. When the door shut, Noah sat back down and forced his hands to unclench. He looked at Teagan, wishing he could take every wound, every nightmare, every poisonous word from her.
“Bitter old hag,” he murmured. Then, to Teagan, he said, “Ignore her. You’re not a victim. You’re a survivor. And I’m right here with you.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
TEAGAN
Muted sounds came from the corridor—footsteps, rolling wheels, the murmur of voices—but inside her room, it was quiet, save for the faint hiss of the air vent and the occasional rustle of fabric as Noah shifted.
He hadn’t spoken again since his declaration, but he was still there.
Her silent sentinel. Watching over her. Ready to defend her against holier-than-thou, small-minded, opinionated bigots. She wanted to tell him not to bother. She’d been surrounded by them her whole life. They believed what they wanted to believe, and nothing she, he, or anyone else said would make a difference.
Her heart ached for things to be different. That she could be the kind of woman he could have a future with.
She would give anything for that to be true.
Instead, she kept her eyes closed and feigned sleep. It was easier to let him think she didn’t care. Letting him go was the kindest thing she could do.
Eventually, the chair beside her creaked, followed by the soft scrape of the legs against the tiles. The sounds of him moving away. She told herself it was a relief, but it was like a blade to the heart.
It had to happen eventually.Better he face reality now rather than later.
When she finally summoned the courage to open her eyes, the room was empty.
It’s what you wanted. What you deserve.
She thought about the nurse and her vile words. Hated how they still stung, even after all these years. The woman was nothing to her. Less than nothing. And yet she served as a timely reminder that to many, Teagan would never be anything other than trash.
Noah still hadn’t returned by the time the attending physician came in. He was accompanied by a woman in a gray cardigan and a clipboard in hand, who introduced herself as a discharge planner.
“We’re releasing you tomorrow,” the doctor told her. “You’re stable, your vitals are strong, and your labs look good. You’ll need to take it easy for a while, of course, and come in for checkups until everything’s completely healed. Do you have a safe place to go? Family or a friend you can stay with?”
Teagan would laugh if her battered ribs and ravaged throat allowed it. She had none of those things, andeven if she did, she wouldn’t drag the media vultures to their door like that.
“I’ll figure something out,” she rasped.
The clipboard woman smiled in a professional, polite way. “We’ll need a destination for the paperwork.”
They didn’t, not really, but Teagan supposed they had their boxes to tick. Due diligence and all that. Before she could answer, Noah stepped into the room. Teagan hated the way her heart leaped at the sight of him. His hair was damp, his jaw freshly shaved, but the shadows in his eyes told her he hadn’t slept much.
“She’ll be staying with me,” he announced.
