***
They weren’t able to get in to see Ashton. Dawson had been shut out, too, as the doctors were busy doing something to make sure his head injury wouldn’t cause any permanent damage. If Dawson thought Laura’s being there was odd, he didn’t say anything.
Instead, he directed the two of them to a cafeteria while he took up post in the waiting room, promising to call Lexie’s phone if anything changed.
Now, Laura and Lexie sat in the nearly empty cafeteria, a tray of chicken strips and fries in front of them. Despite not having had dinner, neither of them were particularly hungry.
Lexie said, “I knew they had it rough. I mean, I heard the story of how they met, too. I didn’t know it was that bad at home for you though. I am so sorry. I wish I had had the guts to leave that town long before I did. I feel like you just didn’t leave because you were too worried about me.”
Laura snorted. “Don’t even. I love you, you are my best friend, but I didn’t leave because I didn’t have the guts. It had nothing to do with you. Sometimes you pick the devil you know over the one you don’t.”
Lexie sighed and pushed a fry around the tray before picking it up and popping it into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed. “You do know he’s the first guy I have ever seen you care about?’
Defensiveness set in. “What do you mean?’
Lexie dusted off her hands. “I mean, you dated a few guys back home, but when things got serious you always broke it off. Heck that one guy – the one that had the motorcycle –”
“Jim.”
“Right. Jim. He caught the flu and had to break a date with you, and you broke up with him.”
“He was a jerk. The flu had nothing to do with it.” That was true. “I didn’t break up with him over the flu. I broke up with him because he tried to force me to go to Vegas with him and get married.”
Lexie’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Not even kidding. I really do not want to get married.”
“You’re always saying that.”
Laura said, “Because it’s true. I don’t. I don’t even know for sure if I ever want to have a long-term relationship either.”
“But here you are, sitting in a hospital, worrying about a guy you were supposed to have a date with tonight.”
“That’s not a ‘oh I want to date him’ statement.”
Lexie looked amused. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
Lexie’s expression turned serious. “You know he’s a player, right? I mean, he’s not the kind of guy to stick around. He’s sort of…well, just like you – commitment shy and all that.”
Laura did know. At first, that had been what made him so attractive. But now that fact had become slightly more problematic, and she knew exactly what Lexie was trying to tell her.
“I know that, and I’m not looking for anything he can’t give. He isn’t looking for anything I can’t give either, so it’s all good.”
It was. She knew better than to fall for a guy like Ashton. She liked him and she wanted him. That was enough, at least for now.
No, wait. Had she just thought that?
Her phone chirped. Lexie took it out of her handbag and answered it. She said a few all rights and okays, and then hung up. She gave Laura a smile that filled her with relief. “Dawson says the doctors say he can have a little company, but just for a few minutes.”
Her legs went liquid, but Laura managed to stand. Lexie had hammered something home she had not even wanted to admit to herself. She really liked Ashton, she knew that, but she liked him a lot more than she was comfortable with. She also had no idea how he felt about her, but she did know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he really wasn’t the kind of guy to stick.
In his room, she stepped up close to the bed. His face was swollen and his strong body swathed in a field of white bandages, but he was awake. He gave her a wry grin as she said, “Wow, you will go a long way to break a date.”
He chuckled. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag now. I let someone run me over with a truck because I got cold feet.”
Dawson and Lexie walked out, giving them some privacy. Ashton said, “I am sorry about standing you up.”
“I guess you couldn’t really help it.” Her eyes flicked to all the bandages and fear lanced through her. “What happened?”
“Karma, I guess.”
She understood then. “Oh, the guy from the bar.”
“Yeah, I got to do something about him.” His eyes were unreadable.
“What the hell does he have against you anyway?”
Ashton groaned, “You don’t want to know.”
“Do you mean you don’t want to tell me?”
He winced. “Are you going to think less of me?”
“Probably not. You did stand me up after all.”
He laughed then coughed. “Shit, that hurts.” He winced, and she moved toward the bed, concerned but he waved it off. “Look, way back in the day – when I was like fourteen – I was in this house. The woman there, my foster mom, she was a slut. I mean for real. I don’t call women that, usually. But this one – man, every guy in the hood and then some. Me included. It was part of my room and board, in her words.”
Horror hit her hard. “She made you sleep with her?’
He gave her a dry look. “I was fourteen. I would have stuck my dick in a sewer grate if I could have gotten off. I wouldn’t say she made me, but it was clear from the minute I got there I was expected to. Only, she was sleeping with everyone else, including that dude. He didn’t take it well.”
“How did he find out?’
“Hell if I know. I just know him and his goon squad came after me and my buddy Jackson one afternoon and damn near killed me over her. The only good thing to come out of it was that I got sent off to juvie and out of there and, from what I hear, her old man finally decided to leave her ass. Also, she had to move to a real craphole of a house and they took her off the foster rolls because she couldn’t provide real shelter. So, everything worked out.”
“Except this guy still hates you. Or he still loves her and feels like he lost her over you, which all sort of equates to the same thing. I hope you told the cops who did it.”
His smile made her groan. “You didn’t.”
“Nope.”
“You do know you can’t keep on like this? You obviously have a thick skull, but eventually it might get busted beyond repair.”
“I’m going to handle it.”
“How?” She held up a hand. “Never mind. I am not about to get into that with you. If I…look I don’t want to press you.”
She didn’t. It came back to her that he had the same tendency to leave behind anything that got too complicated that she did. She’d always been proud of her ability to walk off from anything and anyone, and she had no doubt that he felt the same pride in that ability. Pressing him might just make them too much for him to take, and, more than anything else, she wanted to spend whatever time with him she could.
Oh, it would end. She knew that. But if she played it right, they could both walk away when it was time, and neither of them would get anything more than some pleasant memories as a result. Why fuck it up by pushing him to press charges on a guy he obviously was not interested in pressing charges against?
Ashton visibly relaxed. Laura managed a long breath, quiet and slow. He said, “It’s a personal thing, so I appreciate that.”
“No problem.” She laid a hand on the bed – not on his, but close enough that if he chose to he could reach the hand not covered in IV lines and bandages out and take hers.
He did. His fingers brushed across hers, and he said, “Anyway, I am really sorry about missing our date.”
The nurse stuck her head in and announced visiting hours were over. Ashton waved her out. He said, “I think they’ll let me go tomorrow or so. But if not, how about coming and keeping me company after you get off work?”
“Sure. I’ll smuggle you in a pizza or something.”
His eyes danced. “I really have to know how you’re going to hide an entire pizza box.”
Laura said, “Oh, I was planning on walking right past the desk with it like I had every right to. You ever notice if you act like whatever you’re doing is cool, nobody ever objects?”
Ashton chuckled. “You have a point. People never question others who act like they have every right to be doing whatever it is that they are doing.”
She wanted to kiss him, but the nurse had come back. She stood in the doorway, tapping an impatient foot and clearing her throat loudly. Laura said, “I think that’s my cue.”
Ashton said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” she echoed, and headed for the door.