Chapter 22

 

After an hour or so, I sit up straight and glance toward the back of the emergency room. I guess I was drifting off to sleep because my hand is numb and tingly from where my chin had been resting in it. I feel foggy and a little out of it, but I notice a man approaching us. He’s older and wise-looking and wearing a white coat. Finally.

“That must be the doctor.” Livi nods in the man’s direction, finishing my thought for me.

“Yeah,” I respond over a yawn. “Hopefully he’s got good news.”

Livi stands up first and I follow suit. “Hello,” she politely greets him.

“Hi there.” The doctor smiles, so that must be a good sign. “Are you Alexa Sharp’s friends?”

“Cousin,” I begin, but Livi talks over me. Suddenly she’s all business.

“Yes, we are with Alexa Sharp. How is she?” Her voice has a trace of panic in it but is otherwise hopeful.

“She suffered a fracture in her wrist, but it won’t need surgery. We put her in a cast, and she should be good as new in about six to eight weeks.”

“Can we go back and see her?” Livi squeaks.

“Yes, she’s about to be discharged. We’ve referred her to an orthopedic doctor for follow-ups.”

“Thanks, Doctor,” she says. She turns to me with a smile I’ve never seen before. For the first time ever, it feels like we’re friends.

 “Follow me,” the doctor says.

We stop in front of a heavy looking door that has the number 10 on display in the center. The doctor places his hand on the handle to open it but briefly pauses. “Now remember, she’s still going to feel a great deal of pain for a while. She’s a little … grumpy.”

Livi glances back at me. “We’ll take care of her.”

I give her a grin and she blushes before turning back around. We follow the doctor into the examination room and Alexa is sitting on top of the exam bed with a giddy expression on her face. Livi and I exchange a glance.

“Morphine,” Livi whispers.

“Here they are,” the doctor says, making a sweeping gesture to us.

Alexa’s eyes widen and she points at me with her good hand. “I love you, cuz,” she says dreamily.

“Definitely morphine,” Livi says with a laugh.

The doctor chuckles. “That will wear off soon, but she’s going home with a prescription paid medication. I’ll have the nurses draft up your paperwork and then Alexa will be good for discharge.”

“Thanks,” Livi and I say in unison, and the doctor leaves the room, closing the door behind him. I observe Livi as she walks over to Alexa and gently strokes her cheek. I swallow hard, consumed by a desire for her that I don’t recognize. I’ve never felt like this before. Not for any of the other girls in my life. Livi is so affectionate and tender with everyone…a true and remarkably genuine spirit. It’s hard to picture her chewing up a guy’s heart and spitting it out.

“I love your cast,” Livi says sarcastically as she points to the purple contraption on Alexa’s wrist. “It totally matches the bakery.”

“Thanks,” Alexa says in a loopy voice that almost sounds as if she’s speaking through a glass bottle. “They let me pick the color I wanted.”

Livi nods. “Well it looks like you made the totally right choice.”

Alexa giggles and I can tell that the pain meds are working on her, doing their job of masking the pain…at least for now.

“The purple suits you,” I chime in. Alexa’s head snaps up like she’s forgotten I’m here.

“Oh, hey there cousin.” She grins and reaches up with her one uninjured arm to hug me. I guess she forgot she already said hello to me when I walked in here. I lean in, giving her the world’s most careful hug.

“Easy there,” I tell her. “You don’t want to hurt yourself. Again.”

“Damn right about that,” she says.

I smile and pat Alexa’s back. “You did great, kid. Now let’s get you home so you can rest.”

“I’m fine,” Alexa says with a grin. “I don’t need to rest. I feel like a million bucks.”

I laugh. “I’m pretty sure that’s just the morphine talking.”

Livi agrees. “Let’s get her off this bed.”

“I’ve got it,” I tell her and swoop in to grab Alexa and gently place her in a standing position on the floor.

“Can you walk?” I ask, inspecting Alexa because she looks a little wobbly on her feet. She’s like a newborn fawn trying to stand up for the first time.

Alexa snorts as if my question is preposterous. “Of course I can walk. I am Wonder Woman.” She and Livi exchange a look like they’re in some inside joke I don’t know about.

The second Alexa takes a step forward, she nearly topples over. “Okay, no.” I say, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “You’re getting help, Ms. Wonder Woman.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Alexa says and roars with laughter.

Livi glances at me as if she thinks the medications the doctor gave Alexa are making her crazy.

“Don’t worry about it,” I reassure her. “Morphine wears off quickly.”

“I like being silly,” Alexa counters.

“You’re doing a really great job,” I tease her and tousle her hair. We’re both adults now, but she’ll always be my baby cousin. “Now come on, let’s get you back to my place.”

Livi halts and looks alarmed. “Your place?”

I shrug. “Yeah, why not?”

Livi ponders my response. “I don’t know, I just figured you could drop her off at her apartment and I’ll stay overnight with her. Make sure she takes her meds on time and stuff.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” I nod and continue to hold onto a very unbalanced Alexa, becoming the sturdy foundation for her to lean against.

“Good,” Livi says and starts walking out of the room.

“I just think my house is the best place for us to take care of her,” I call out and Livi spins on her heel again, looking curious.

“Just think about it,” I say with a shrug. The truth is that I don’t want Livi to leave me, if only for a night or two. I want her around. And I wouldn’t mind helping take care of Alexa, either. “My place is bigger. Alexa’s apartment is like a tin can.”

Alexa interrupts me. “Yeah, let’s go to the lake house!”

“Okay,” Livi says, rolling her eyes. “The lake house it is.”

On the way back to the parking lot, Livi pokes me in the arm. “You don’t have to take care of her, you know. I’ll do the dirty work.”

I chuckle and look up at the moon as it makes its accent into the canopy of darkness. “I’m not a bad cousin,” I tell her.

“I never said you were,” Livi retorts.

“Let’s tag team it. We’ll both take care of her.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll keep track of her pain meds, and if she pukes, you clean it up.”

There’s a mischievous glimmer in her eyes that makes me weak in the knees. I like this. The playful banter, the laughing and joking. I guess, in her defense I haven’t exactly been the token charming guy that she’s probably used to being around, but it’s taking me a while to ease into a civilized relationship with her to where we can hang out and not get defensive or frustrated with each other.

When we get back to my truck, Livi helps me prop Alexa up to get her into the back seat. My truck is heavy duty and tall, even with the assistance of the running boards it’s difficult for the average healthy person to climb inside. It takes a bit of maneuvering and a tiny struggle, but we get Alexa into the truck successfully. Thankfully, her pain meds are still swimming through her veins and helping ease the brunt of the pain.

On the drive home, Alexa continues to be giggly and a little spastic. She keeps pointing to objects outside in the dark night that aren’t really there.

“Look!” She points out the window and looks excited. “Don’t you see that scarecrow?”

She glances over at me and Livi. “No sweetie,” Livi says apologetically. “I don’t see it. That’s just the meds talking.”

“Oh.” Alexa leans back in her seat, reclining her neck on the headrest, her lips dipping into a frown.

Livi apparently notices this because she adds, “But hey…I’m sure it was there…I probably just missed it.”

Alexa gives Livi a dreamy smile. “You are right,” she states dopily. “You just missed it, that’s all.”

A few minutes later we get to my house and I pull in next to Livi’s car. Her brand new tires shine under the moonlight. Livi still has yet to notice that they are there, and by this point in time it’s becoming a game to me to see just how long it takes her to realize her car has been upgraded.

I open the garage with my remote entry and we walk inside. I keep my arms around Alexa as her support, but she’s walking better now. Livi is a few steps in front of us, switching on the lamps and overhead lights to direct and illuminate our path.

Alexa is a little sluggish, but I patiently keep to her side. Livi turns around to glance at me. “Where are we going to put her?” she asks.

“Um,” I say and bite my bottom lip because I haven’t really thought that far in advance … but here we are. “I guess we can put her in one of the other guest rooms.”

“Do you have any other guest rooms downstairs?” Livi asks hesitantly.

“No.” I shake my head. “The rest are all upstairs.

“That’s not good.” She exhales as a crease forms between her brows. “I’m not sure she should go upstairs. What if the pain meds make her sleep walk or something?”

“One of the rooms has two beds in it for when my nephews stay over,” I say. “You could stay with her?”

Livi grins. “Perfect.”

“Sleepover!” Alexa squeals.

Livi rolls her eyes.

I chuckle. “Let’s go upstairs and get this crazy lady to bed.”

“Hey,” Alexa mumbles and I watch as her eyes flit around to me. “I resent that.”

I glance up at Livi. “We are losing her, doc,” I tease.

“Okay,” she laughs. “I’m prescribing sleep. Let’s get her to bed.”

We make it with somewhat of a struggle up to the landing of the second floor. Livi turns to glance back at me.

“Which way?”

I point down the hallway to the right, in the opposite direction of my bedroom. “That way.”

She finds the empty guest room on the left side of the hallway, right before we get to the game room from that fateful night that we once played air hockey together.

Livi glances into the room and I’m hit with a slice of nostalgia that bursts right through my soul. It’s a heavy burden to carry, especially since I can see the flicker of recognition in Livi’s eyes. She snaps out of it and walks into the room, flicking the light switch. “This is a nice room,” she says, gazing around. “Your nephews are lucky.”

“Thanks,” I tell her and prop Alexa against the dresser. “The sheets are clean.”

“Great,” she says and walks over to the bed to turn down the sheets. “It’s time for bed,” she tells her.

Alexa nods as her eyes roll back in her head. She’s becoming groggier by the second. I inspect Livi, watching with fondness as she tenderly fluffs the pillows and props them up until she’s satisfied that they will be fit for her friend. She takes a couple of the decorative pillows and places them on the side of the bed, making what looks to me like a little pallet.

“What is that for?” I point to the pillows.

Livi glances at the bed and frowns. “This? Oh, that’s for Alexa to rest her cast on.”

“That’s really thoughtful of you,” I admit.

She shrugs. “I don’t want her to suffer any extra pain if she doesn’t have to.”

I glance over at Alexa who is still leaning up against the dresser. Her eyes are fluttering closed and she’s borderline snoring at this point. I just have to laugh, even if it’s in poor taste.

“I don’t mean to poke fun of her,” I say, feeling the need to explain myself. “I think that for tonight, she could sleep on a bed of nails and be comfortable.”

Livi’s eyes shine as they glance up at me. “Yeah, what the hell did that doctor give her? He said it was morphine but are we really certain it wasn’t actually a horse tranquilizer?”

We both burst into a fit of laughter. I glance at her with longing. Not only is she witty and funny, but she’s also compassionate and sweet, too. She’s the total package, perfect for any guy. I don’t want to blow my chances with her, but I don’t know what my problem is. I need to snap out of it, if I want us to move forward in any favorable direction.

There’s something special about Livi and I need to wrap my head around that concept. She’s not self-absorbed or stuck up like my selfish ex-girlfriends. She has a kind heart and a free spirit. She looks at people as if she wants to help them and nurture them instead of just wanting something from them in return all the time.

Her ability to perceive the world in a tender, pure type of way is really rubbing off on me and I’m finding my heart swell with both desire and angst as I watch her delicately place Alexa into the bed, resting her cast on the pillows.

Damn, I admire this woman more each time I’m in her presence. It’s been a testing trial for me to be able to stay away from her, and the internal struggle has really ripped me apart. I want to grab her and kiss her, pressing her soft, petite body to mine every time I see her.

I feel like I’m gawking as she smiles and turns to face me again. “Alexa should be good for the night. I might grab her a bottle of water or something to place on her nightside table,” Livi offers.

“That sounds good,” I nod and swallow hard. She’s so sexy, every mannerism she makes gives me a tingle in between my legs that I can’t stifle, no matter how strongly I resist the urge to need her in a sexual way.

Livi shrugs and glances back at her friend. “I guess I’ll go downstairs and grab a water bottle for her now.”

All I can do is nod like an idiot and pray she doesn’t become uncomfortable by my staring, but she gives me a funny look. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” I immediately huff, but then toss her a coy grin. “It’s just…you’re really sweet,” I confess. “You have a real knack for helping people and making them think you care about them.”

Livi wrinkles her nose. “I do care about people,” she corrects me.

“No…right,” I shake my head. “Of course. I drag a hand down my forehead. “That’s exactly what I meant.”

There’s an awkward moment of silence between us as we stare at each other uncomfortably. I have a feeling that both of us are feeling the sexual tension in the air but neither of us is brave enough to call it out or approach the subject.

The chemistry between us swirls and slices through me. “Well,” I begin. “I guess we should let Alexa rest now.”

“Yeah…” Livi says and her expression is foggy, difficult to read. “That’s a good idea.”

She exits the guest bedroom first, and I’m only a step behind her before she treks down the hallway and stops at the landing of the stairs.

There’s a pull in my heart, a burning in my chest. I’m frozen, even though I want to call out to her. Then, my mouth speaks before my mind has the chance to falter or betray me by remaining silent.

“Livi,” I blurt out and my voice sounds distant, far away.

She turns around and meets my gaze. “Yeah?”

“Wait,” I tell her, although I have no idea what I’m doing. But I’m taking a chance here. And I’m going to let my heart and my emotions guide me on the rest.