Page 52 of New Growth
He shrugged. “It’s mostly because of my age. Nothing I could do to stop it. Most of the time, I keep my diet in check, stay active, and take my meds. But sometimes, my blood sugar still dips.”
I frowned, watching as he flexed his fingers, then rested his forearms on his knees, exhaling slowly. “Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I’ve got glucose tabs if it gets worse. Should be fine in a few minutes.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I stared at him as he tried to steady himself.
Why?
The word repeated in my head so frequently I wanted to scream.
Why was this happening? Why did I meet him? Why was the universe hellbent on sending me people I’d spend hours worrying about?
It just didn’t seem fair.
“You should’ve said something sooner,” I said finally.
He nodded in agreement. “I know.”
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
“So why didn’t you?” The harsh tone from earlier returned, but this time, I didn’t care.
He didn’t react to it. Instead, he looked at me and calmly said, “I don’t really have an excuse, Ellie. I’m sorry.”
Fuck.
The tension in my shoulders lessened as my face softened. “It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t be upset.”
“No, no. I understand your frustration. I would be upset, too.”
I studied his face, looking for any signs of pain. “But you’re okay, right? And you’re taking this seriously?”
His brows furrowed slightly as if the question caught him off guard.
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
I sighed. “You’d be surprised how carelessly some people treat their medical conditions.”
He studied my face and must’ve picked up on something in my tone. After a second, he nudged me lightly.
“Hey. I promise I’m taking care of it. Look.”
He rolled up his shirt, revealing the small device on his stomach. My eyes flickered over it, but I couldn’t ignore the brief glimpse of his abs. I assumed the device was his insulin pump, though I’ve never seen one in person.
“See? It’s annoying as hell, but I’d rather have this over the needles.”
I swallowed, still unconvinced, but I let it go. “Okay.”
He tilted his head. “Still don’t believe me?”
I met his gaze. “I don’t know you, Elliot. I don’t know if you’re lying to me.”
He accepted that without offense, just nodding. “Fair enough. I can tell by the look on your face that this means something to you, though I’m not sure what. And I know you probably can’t trust my word yet, but I swear to you, El, I’m taking this seriously. So please, put all those crazy thoughts to bed.”
I searched his face, trying to find any sign of dishonesty. “You promise?”
“I promise. Okay?”
