The door behind us opened and Austin walked out of the office. “He’s not pressing charges,” he informed, talking about the manager. I knew he’d paid him off. I was so thankful right now that my brother had money.

A part of me relaxed and I found myself staring at the girl again. A gentle hand landed on my arm. “Levi, we need to get her home, now. I’m still not convinced she won’t end up in hospital, but she needs medical attention immediately.” I nodded at Lexi.

Knowing the girl wouldn’t be able to walk, I scooped her up in my arms. My heart plummeted when I felt how light she was, but I rushed to the door, home the only thing on my mind. I heard Lexi quickly explaining things to Axel, but I was already at Austin’s truck. Hearing Austin click the locks open, I darted inside and placed the girl on my lap. The girl moved in my arms. As I glanced down, I thought I saw a flicker of clarity in her eyes. Her mouth dropped as if she recognized me and she was relieved. It looked like she wanted to say something to me, but no words emerged from her mouth.

Taking advantage of her attention while I had it, I found myself stroking a piece of hair from her forehead, and I assured her, “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

I wanted her to speak, to say something in reply. But she only exhaled deeply. As Austin and Lexi jumped in the front seats, the girl’s pretty blue eyes drifted shut.

She knew she was safe with me.

I held her tight all the way home.

* * * * *

My leg shook as I sat on the couch staring into nothing. I’d been staring at the clock on the wall of the living room, the minute hand seeming to drag as it made its tortuous way round the black roman numerals. The doctor had been with the girl in one of the spare rooms for about an hour.

Sighing at why it was taking too long, I sat forward, resting my elbows on my knees. Feeling eyes on me, I looked up and Austin was watching me from his place on the opposite couch.

“What?” I questioned. Austin sat forward mimicking my stance.

His dark eyes narrowed. “Just never seen you like this before.”

My stomach rolled. I hated being the center of attention. I shrugged, but my mind drifted back to the girl’s lost face as I sat in front of her in that alley. Thought back to the light touch of her hand over mine when I’d given her coffee and the blankets, when I’d told her I would stay. When I’d sat beside her and her head fell against my arm as she fell asleep.

Like a hot coal in the pocket of my jeans, I could feel her scribbled thank you note burning through the leather of my new wallet. I had no idea why I’d kept it, why it meant so much to me. Now that she was here, in my house, in our spare room, it somehow felt poignant.

“Lev?” Austin pushed.

Keeping my head downcast, I replied, “You should have seen how she was living, Aust. She was alone, soaked through from the rain, huddled against a dark wall in a stinking alley. Only after I’d stopped that asshole from attacking.” I shook my head and raked my hands through my hair. “She has nothing, Aust.” I lifted my head and pointed at us both. “If it hadn’t been for you, for your football, that could have been us. We were dirt poor. And without Mamma; if you hadn’t been drafted, what the hell would have come of us?” I flicked my chin in the direction of the spare room above us. “She’s living the life that could have easily been ours.” A lump built in my throat, and I sat back. “And she’s sick. Her eyes, how weak she is, her silence…” I cleared my throat and rasped, “She reminded me so much of Mamma that I couldn’t leave her. Helpless, you know? So I had to help her. I needed to, something within me compelled me to.”

“Fuck, Lev. Why didn’t you tell me?” Austin asked. I shrugged.

“When I came back from calling Lex, she was gone. I looked for her for the past few days after class and training, but I found nothing.”

“Until tonight?”

“Until tonight,” I concurred.

Silence bounced between us for several minutes, until I heard the murmur of low voices. I turned in the direction of the stairs. Lexi and the doctor were coming down. Unable to wait any longer, I got to my feet as they entered the living room.

Lexi’s eyes fell on me and she smiled.

“Is she okay?” I asked.

Lexi looked to the doctor, and he spoke first. “The girl has pneumonia.” My heart sank when he said these words, then it began pounding like a drum. The doctor continued. “At the moment it’s not bad enough for her to be hospitalized. I’ve given her a starter shot of strong antibiotics, and left a week-long course for her to take orally. I’ve also arranged for an IV to be brought in to rehydrate her.”

I blew out a breath of relief, but then Lexi stepped forward. My eyes darted to her. “Doctor Bell found something else, Levi.”

The relief I had felt was crushed. “What?” I questioned in trepidation.

“The girl is deaf in her left ear, with only a small fraction of her hearing functioning in the right,” the doctor explained.

My eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly images of her staring at my lips and her silence flooded my mind. “How did you find that out?” I inquired.

The doctor pointed to his right ear. “She had a small hearing aid in her right ear, but it’s not working. The device is not the best, it’s the most basic type, and the way she has been living seems to have degraded what assistance it might have afforded.”

Cold infused my body. “You mean she has been living on the streets with no hearing?” Lexi’s face showed the sympathy I was feeling. The doctor nodded his head.

“I’ve done a few simple tests, but I’ve organized for a friend, an audiologist, to stop by tomorrow. As I explained to Lexi, it’ll be costly to replace—”

“We’ll pay, whatever the cost,” I said, interrupting the doctor.

A smile spread on his lips. “Don’t worry, son. Lexi already arranged that side of things.”

“What now?” I asked.

The doctor picked up his bag. “It’ll take a few weeks for her to regain her strength. She’s mostly starving and severely dehydrated. Thankfully, it’s making her sleep most of the time. The moments she’s awake she may be incoherent. We’ll treat that too, then it’ll be about recovery to get her back on her feet.”

I looked to Lexi, who nodded her head at my silent question. “She can stay, Lev. After she’s feeling better, which could take a few weeks, and she has her hearing and strength back, she can decide what she wants to do. She appears to be over eighteen, around your age, I’d guess. Whether she wants our help or not will be down to her. You know the drill from the center.”