“I’ll just wait outside,” I said, giving Crystal a small smile before I left, closing the door to her room quietly behind me. Hearing the clacking of heels on the linoleum floor, I looked up and saw Kayla hurrying toward me.
“Is she awake?”
“Yeah, she woke up a little bit ago. The doctor’s examining her now.”
Kayla nodded, opening the door a crack and peeking in. “Okay if I come in?” I didn’t hear a response, but she must have gotten an indication that it was fine to enter because she turned to me and said, “I’ll be back out when they’re done.”
I nodded, taking a seat in the same chair I’d slept in the night before. Turning on my phone, I saw that Dominic had texted me back just an hour ago, telling me to call him as soon as I could. But instead of calling Dom, I stood and wandered down the hall and called George instead. He answered and I heard the sounds of machinery. He was already at the quarry.
“Gabriel?”
“Hey, George.”
“Hey, buddy, everything okay?”
I sighed, running my hand through my messy hair, staring out the window at the end of the hall. “Yeah, mostly. I’ll tell you about it later tonight. But, George, I’m taking a sick day.”
He paused. “Considering this is the first time you’ve ever taken a sick day, this must be a big deal. You sure everything’s okay?” His tone conveyed his worry loud and clear.
“Yeah, it will be. I promise I’ll explain.”
“Okay. You need anything, you let me know.”
“Thanks. Hey, will you call Dom, too? He’ll just ask twenty questions, and I’m not really in a position to answer any right now.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“No problem, Gabriel. Like I said, call if you need anything at all.”
“I will.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I felt so damn tired, so filled with mixed emotions and pain for Crystal. Jesus. Jesus.
I stood at the window for a while longer, staring down at the mostly empty courtyard below. A few medical staff hurried by, either on their way to start a shift, or maybe to answer a call. I turned away, returning to the chair in front of Crystal’s room. The door was cracked, and I could hear bits of the conversation inside.
The doctor was telling Crystal the same thing about her leg he’d told us the night before, going into a little more detail about how long she’d have to wear the cast.
“I’ve had broken bones before,” she said. “I know the drill.”
The doctor paused. “A leg fracture is particularly disabling for obvious reasons.”
“Will I have a permanent limp?”
“There’s no reason to believe you’ll have a permanent limp, no, but you may limp for several months after the cast is off.”
“I … see.” I squeezed my eyes shut at the sound of her defeated voice. She was thinking about her job at the Platinum Pearl.
“Honey, don’t worry,” Kayla jumped in. “Rodney will let you bartend or something for a while.”
Crystal didn’t answer. I didn’t know who Rodney was—her boss presumably—but I wondered if Kayla believed her words, or if she was just saying them to make Crystal feel better. He might let her bartend eventually, I had no idea, but for a while at least, she was unfit for any type of work. Frankly, she was unfit to go out in public.
“Do you live with someone?” The doctor’s voice.
“No, I live alone.”
There was a pause and then, “That could be a problem. You’re going to need assistance. Do you have any family that you could stay with temporarily?”
“No,” Crystal answered immediately, and her voice sounded even more flat. Resigned.
“Aw, honey,” Kayla said, “how are you going to climb those stairs to your apartment? Three flights? It’ll be impossible. You know I’d offer my place, but since I moved into the room in Marcia’s apartment, I don’t have any space to share.”
“It’s okay, Kayla. I’ll figure it out.”
They spoke for a little bit longer about her injuries and the doctor’s examination, and then he told Crystal he’d be back to check on her the next day. If she was still doing as well as she was at the moment, he’d sign her discharge papers.
Once the doctor and nurse had left, I knocked softly on Crystal’s door. “Come in,” Kayla called. Inside the room, Crystal was still lying in bed, looking more awake and less dazed, and Kayla was sitting in a chair next to the bed.
“I heard the doctor say he was going to discharge you tomorrow.” Crystal nodded, turning her head toward the window. The shades had been opened, and the sun was shining brightly.
“We were just talking about how Crystal was going to manage when she leaves the hospital,” Kayla said.
Crystal turned her head. “Kayla,” she said, a warning in her tone.
“Well, honey, you got all those steps, and for a while you’re not even going to be able to get to the bathroom without help and—”
“I’ll manage,” she gritted out, her eyes widening as if she was trying to send the signal to Kayla to stop talking.
Kayla apparently didn’t get the message. “I know you like to be independent, Crys, but there are some things that are just—”
“She’ll come home with me,” I said. I was surprised by the resolution in my voice considering I hadn’t planned to say it. But suddenly I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to care for her. Suddenly I felt it was meant to be this way. I wasn’t sure why I felt so strongly about it, I only knew that I did.
“No,” she said. “I can’t. Kayla shouldn’t have called you.” She shot Kayla a stern look. “You shouldn’t even be here.”
“Well, I am and you can. I live in a ranch home. There are no stairs, and I have an extra bedroom. My brother lives with me, but there’s more than enough room, and it’s only temporary until you’re able to live on your own. I’ll work from home in case you need assistance during the day. It’s really the perfect solution.”
“I don’t even know you.”
“You know me well enough to know I won’t harm you.”
Her brow furrowed and she looked down, picking at her fingernails.
“I could stop by your apartment and pick up some clothes for you. And I’d visit as much as I can,” Kayla said, clearly in favor of the idea.
“I …” Crystal let the words fade away, still looking down, the crease between her brows still present.
“Unless you have a family member somewhere that you can call, I might be your only choice here. Please accept my help. I’m offering it with no strings attached.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “There are always strings.”
I shook my head. “Not with me.”
She looked out the window. “Fine,” she whispered, almost as if to herself. The statement itself seemed to exhaust her. Her shoulders sagged, and she leaned back on the pillow, turning her head my way. “Fine.” She closed her eyes and appeared to be instantly asleep, as if agreeing to come with me had exhausted her so much she couldn’t stay awake for one more second. The reaction of a woman who had been fighting alone for a long, long time and had finally surrendered.
* * *
“Dom?” I called, closing the front door behind me and dropping my keys in the basket by the door.
Dom came from the direction of the kitchen, a beer in his hand. “Hey, I’ve been worried. What’s going on? Where you been?”
I headed toward the kitchen, and he turned to follow me. “Let me get one of those, too, and I’ll tell you,” I muttered. I opened the fridge and grabbed a beer, twisting off the cap and taking a long swallow.
“This must be good if Gabriel Dalton is drinking before dinner. Come on, spill it, man.”
I took another swallow, setting my beer down and leaning against the island. “I met a girl.”
Dominic grinned. “Yeah, so you said. What? You sleeping with her? Is that where you’ve been all night?”<
br />
I frowned, knowing Dominic would expect me to share that kind of information with him. And also knowing I’d never make a point to have a conversation with him about sleeping with a woman even if that were the case. “No. I met her at a place called the Platinum Pearl.”
Dominic’s face screwed up, and he just looked at me for a minute. “The strip club over in Havenfield?”
“Yeah. She works there.”
“She works there? What … as a bartender or something? What the hell were you doing in a place like that, Gabe? Jesus, if you wanted to see tits, I have a whole collection on DVD—”
“I didn’t go there to see tits, Dom.” I took another sip of beer and swallowed before continuing. “I went there to hire a woman to help me practice getting close to someone.”
Dominic’s face paled, and he closed his eyes for a split second before opening them and grimacing slightly. “Jesus, Gabriel.”
I held up my hand, knowing the information probably upset him. I’d never gone into detail about why I hadn’t dated. Dom was my brother, not my therapist, and I’d let him believe my shyness and limited desire to socialize was my biggest impediment as far as meeting women went. “I’m not looking for pity. The only reason I’m telling you is because I want you to understand that I went there and I sought her out.”
Dominic sighed, still looking pained. “Okay, whatever. Why does that matter?”
“Because she’s coming to live here.”
Dominic’s eyes went wide. “She’s coming to live here? What the fuck? Is she some type of scam artist? Jesus! Gabriel, we have to talk about this. You can’t just bring some … trashy stripper into our home and expect—”
“She’s not a trashy stripper,” I said through gritted teeth. “She’s in pain—and she’s completely alone. And I’m asking you to keep an open mind and trust me with this. She was beaten up and she needs help. She needs care, and I’m going to give it to her.”
Dom grabbed a handful of hair on the top of his head and turned around, looking as if he was trying to find some calm. But when he turned back, his jaw was tight. “Don’t do this.”
“It’s already done. And I’m sorry you don’t like it, but this is my home and I’m allowing her to stay here.” I tossed my beer bottle in the trash and walked around the counter, intending on going to my room.
Dominic swore again and followed me. “This is insanity! Listen, I know you don’t have any experience with women so you can’t see when you’re being conned, but trust me when I say, that’s exactly what this girl is doing. She’s probably a druggie, too. Most of them are, you know.”
“You don’t even know her,” I said, not turning.
“I know enough to know I don’t want to live with her. And I know enough to know she’s gotten her press-on nails buried in you somehow. I know enough to know you deserve better. Jesus Christ, Gabriel, a fucking stripper?”
I turned, facing him in the hallway. I knew what Dominic meant. It was easy for people—perhaps even me—to make assumptions about women who stripped.
Drug user.
Shallow.
Uneducated.
There was no indication she used drugs, she wasn’t shallow though she put on a decent act, and although I had no idea what type of formal education Crystal might have, I knew she was far from stupid. I pictured the intelligence in her gaze, thought about how well-spoken she was. It was part of her appeal—one of the things that made her so intriguing. “Crystal is a stripper, Dom, but I hope you’ll see her as more than that.”
“Crystal? The girl who called you at work?” He shook his head, his lips thinning as he let out a harsh exhale through his nose. “Her being a stripper gives me all the information I need. I don’t want a piece of garbage moving in here!”
He was judging her without knowing her at all. “Goddammit, Dom. Give me some credit.” I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath, attempting to control my frustration. “Listen, if you don’t like it, you can move out. I hope you don’t. I hope you’ll respect my decision on this and keep an open mind.”
“I won’t fucking let you do this, Gabriel.”
“I’m not asking for your permission.” I went to my bedroom and closed the door, shutting out my brother’s hostile glare.
CHAPTER TEN
Look! The flowers are just blooming. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? Do you see them? Look with your heart. Do you?
Lady Eloise of the Daffodil Fields
CRYSTAL
After agreeing to stay with Gabriel, I slept most of the day, so weary and in so much pain, all I felt capable of doing was shutting down.
When a detective arrived the next morning to question me about my attackers, I told him what I remembered and gave the best descriptions I could. I felt numb as I recalled the attack, as if it might have happened to someone else.
And yet as reality settled in, I couldn’t deny the severity of my condition: My body was battered and helpless, my spirit completely crushed. How had my life arrived here? How had it come to be that I was so broken and lost, heading home with a man I barely knew, a man I couldn’t begin to understand, a man who both soothed me with his gentle manner and scared me with his knowing eyes? And yet as I lay there, I admitted he was also a man I somehow innately trusted when I trusted no man. Ever. It was all too much. I didn’t want to think. I just wanted to sleep.
The doctor examined me at two p.m. and shortly thereafter signed my discharge papers. I didn’t have any insurance, and I knew I’d be buried under a mountain of debt I’d never climb my way out from under. If only I’d thought of that before I’d mouthed off to the three animals that did this to me. Who was that girl? She seemed both overly brave and ridiculously stupid, and I couldn’t connect myself with her. I couldn’t remember who she was. I felt like a mere shadow of myself.
Kayla had visited that morning, bringing me an overnight bag with clothes and toiletries from my apartment. She texted me as I was being wheeled from my room that she had to go into work early, but that Gabriel would be there to pick me up.
Gabriel.
Why was he doing this? Why was he taking me in when I’d been so awful to him? I recalled waking up to see his face above me as I’d been wheeled through the hospital hallway, thinking at the time that I was in heaven and he was an angel. But even in the light of day, there was something so …steady about him, something sure and solid, despite his self-professed weakness. He was confusing and full of contrasts. Beautiful, steady Gabriel with his shy smile and tentative touch. The man who had hesitantly offered me a hand-picked bouquet of flowers and blushed when I’d refused them, but then confidently told me I was coming home with him. Who was he? What did he want with me? Perhaps it was a question better left unasked.
And maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe he wouldn’t show up at all. And that was fine, too. I’d … what would I do?
You could call your father.
No!
God, no. Never.
Anyway, he might be dead for all I knew.
“Ready?” the nurse asked, turning my wheelchair and pushing me toward the elevator.
“Yes,” I murmured.
“Who’s meeting you to drive you home?” she asked kindly.
“My … friend. I think.”
“Well, we’ll just wait by the elevators. Do you want to call and see if they’re held up?”
God, I didn’t even have his cell phone number anymore. I’d have to call Kayla to get it. And then what would I do? Call and ask him where he was? Force him to tell me that he’d changed his mind? “No.”
“Oh. Well, okay.” She pushed me to the bank of elevators, and we stood there together, waiting in silence. There was a clock on the wall, and the ticking sounded loud in my head, the minutes potentially counting down to the moment when I’d be forced to acknowledge that I was on my own. And yet, part of me wanted just that. If only I wasn’t virtually helpless. The pain pills I’d taken earlier were starting to wear off. I was in need of
another dose, and I shifted in discomfort. The clock continued to move, my heart rate seeming to match its steady tick.
“Maybe—” the nurse began to say just as an elevator dinged open, Gabriel stepping out, looking rushed, his hair pushed back from his forehead as if he’d jumped out of the shower, run a hand through it, and driven here.
His face broke into a smile when he saw me. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Oh you’re not late,” the nurse said. “You showed up just in time.”
You showed up just in time.
Just in time?
The words echoed in my head for some reason.
“Good,” Gabriel said, smiling at me. “Ready?”
I knew I glowered back, but I couldn’t muster a smile. I felt broken, humiliated, confused, and helpless. And it didn’t help that I knew I was barely tolerable to look at. At the very least, I had always had my looks. Now I had nothing at all. “Yeah.”
The nurse stayed with us as we traveled down in the elevator and out the front doors of the hospital, where Gabriel’s truck stood waiting in a patient pickup zone. The nurse pushed the passenger seat all the way back to make room for my cast and helped me into the truck as Gabriel returned the wheelchair to an orderly outside. Five minutes later, we were pulling out of the parking lot.
“How are you feeling?” Gabriel asked, shooting me a concerned look.
“About as good as I look,” I muttered.
He grimaced slightly. “That bad, huh?”
I couldn’t help laughing, although the resulting movement hurt my ribs. “I think you’re supposed to lie and tell me I look great.”
“If I said you looked good now, you wouldn’t believe me later when I really mean it.”
I made a noncommittal sound followed by a grimace as I adjusted my body and pain shot down my leg.
“When was the last time you took something for the pain?”
“Too long ago. I’m due for a dose.”
Gabriel nodded. “We’re only about twenty-five minutes away. Can you wait?”
“Yeah.” I sighed and leaned my head back on the seat. I was so tired. “Where do you live anyway?”