Page 36 of Black Wave

“Oh, hell. Fuck that.”

He walks over to me, and I can’t help but wait for the reaction I provoked. “Over my dead body will you ever say that to any other man. Do you understand me, Emma?”

“Yes, sir,” I mock him and wink.

His mouth twitches in delight. He steps closer into my space. He raises his hand to my cheek in a soft embrace and trails it down my neck, leaning forward to whisper in my ear, “You can call me that anytime, baby.” His breath tickles and heats down my neck, and I shudder in response. He kisses the side of my mouth quickly, not hitting the area I want him to kiss. He pulls away. “Now, give Gus the shot in his arm, and we must be on our way.”

I pull Gus’s shirt down to expose his deltoid muscle and clean it with alcohol. “Are you sure you want it here? I could give it to you by injecting it into a leg muscle.”

“For fuck’s sake. Do you want to get me killed? I’ll have to take my pants down.”

I purse my lips. “Okay, if you insist.” I give Gus the intramuscular injection, and he grimaces.” I rub the spot. “It was too much medication for that muscle, but what do I know? I’mjust a nurse.” I place aFrozenprincess bandage on it and pull his shirt up. “There. All done.”

I hand them their discharge instructions.

“Okay, I’m going to need your information now, Emma.”

I pretend to think this over. “Hmm, I guess I could do that.” I write my number on the paper and hand it over to him.

“I need all the information, Emma.” I must look puzzled because he points at the paper and hands it back. “Address too.”

I blush but add it to the sheet and hand it back.

They start walking to the door. “What time do you leave here, and how are you getting home?”

“My shift ends at seven in the morning, and I drive here.”

He nods. “Someone will be here to follow you home, and, Emma?”

“Yes?” I ask nervously.

“That will be the last time you drive to work alone. I’ll be in touch this afternoon.” With that, he walks away and leaves me here at a loss for words and, for the first time, a feeling of security.

CHAPTER 20

Eduardo

We leave the emergency department, and I can’t think straight until I escape this cesspool of disease and pestilence. I am no germaphobe, but even I can appreciate the nastiness that coats every inch of that place. There is no way Emma is going to continue working there after we have kids. She’ll bring that crap home. I shudder at the thought.

Gus and I walk together side by side, and patients and staff part for us, sensing the dangerous vibes we ooze from our pores. It’s the confidence that comes with being the top dog, or maybe it’s the amount of ink that adorns our bodies. Each tattoo represents or acknowledges our different memories or special moments in our lives.

Did Emma see the tattoo I had of her name on my knuckles? If she did, she didn’t let on. I remember that day I got the tattoo. I had a tattoo completed of a tidal wave with a mermaid underneath. A mermaid that had a striking resemblance to Emma with her emerald-green eyes. She had my heart in her hand, like it had been pulled from my chest, and was weeping blood and tears.

I don’t know what possessed me to do that vivid tattoo with an anatomical-looking heart covering where my actual heart resides–where it ceased to beat for anyone else. Maybe I was drunk, but it was true that Emma owned my ripped heart and held it in her hands.

We were more friends the day I was told I couldn’t continue to see her. The feelings were there, but I was older than her. Geez, she was in junior high, and I was going to start high school. There is no way that I could pursue anything with her at that point. A couple of years at that age is like a decade in older years. I thought I had imagined it all and the feeling that might have made her seem much more of a goddess in my head, but after seeing her here today, I know that whatever feelings I had are real and never went away. If anything, they are stronger because she was always someone I confided in and trusted. I feel that is still true. She grew up and is even more beautiful than I would have thought.

She is short though, and that makes me chuckle. She always hated being so vertically challenged. Her sister, too, but I hadn’t remembered her exact features. While their physical traits were similar, their personalities were vastly distinguishable. I had this fantasy in my mind that kept her there with us as little kids. Now? Well, now she is all woman. The curves of her body and the long blond hair that I itch to fist in my hand as I stare into those luminous green eyes and watch her mouth part, calling out my name as she comes. I’ll kiss her, swallow all her cries, and lick away all her tears.

I wonder what all the tears she held back today were about. There is a story there. I sensed her sadness, but I don’t know if it was about losing her family or if it was something else. I’ll need to find out what has happened to her. Why was she left alone, and why did her parents die? It doesn’t add up, but I want to make sure that she is safe, and until I can be reassured thatmy worries aren’t justified, I will continue to keep her under my protection.

Gus remains silent as we walk to the car. He must sense that I am deep in my thoughts as he opens the door for me, despite his injured hand, and I get in. I start up the car, and he gets into the passenger seat. I turn to look at him.

“You didn’t have to open my door, Gus. You're injured,” I state the obvious, pointing to his hand.

He ignores this and gets to what he really wants to ask. “That’s the woman from your tattoos?” He fixes his gaze on my knuckles and points to my chest.

I sigh. “Fuck. Yes, that’s Emma.” I rub my hands up and down my face, then reverse the car so we can finally leave.

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