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It was a vow.
ChapterEight
“The tripto the hospital was completely unnecessary.”Naomi sniffed.“Like, do you even have any idea how expensive the ambulance ride alone will be for me?”As if she needed an extra expense to add to her current troubles.
“I’ll take care of any bills,” Eb growled.
They stood in the hospital’s parking lot.Dawn was coming, sending streaks of red across the sky.For a moment, she got lost in that redness.Looked like blood.What was that old saying?Her dad used to quote it every time he saw that tell-tale red…
“Red sky at night.Sailor’s delight.Red sky at morning.Sailor take warning…”
Her father had grown up along the Florida coast.She’d lived there, too.Had spent so many days jumping into those gorgeous, emerald waters when she’d been a little kid.She’d been happy back then.
But things had changed.
“When a seizure lasts for five minutes, a trip to the hospital is absolutely necessary.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t that long.Not like you were counting.”Her whole body felt bone weary.The responding physician had tried to keep her for observation.She’d refused.Again…expensive.She would alsonotbe letting Eb foot any of her bills.
“I was watching you every moment.”
Yes, she knew it.He’d seen everything.No hiding.Did he have any clue how vulnerable she felt when the seizures hit?When her body jerked like a puppet on a string and she could do nothing to control the desperate movements?
“You told the doctor you’d had seizures all your life.”
Of course, Eb had heard that part.He’d been beside her every single moment.“Yep.Started when I was a kid.Hoped I’d grow out of them.Some people do, you know.”She hadn’t been one of the lucky ones.Her parents had tried to take care of her.But, when they’d been gone…a few of her foster families had freaked over the seizures.One lady in particular had thought Naomi had been possessed by the devil when her eyes started rolling back in her head.“They don’t come that often.”And maybe I do have a bit of the devil in me.
“When was the last one before this episode?”
Episode?Naomi snorted.Not like it was a TV show.“Where is your car?I know you followed the ambulance in it.If you could just drive me back to the guesthouse…” Though, frankly, she hated the thought of staying there.“If you could drive me back, I’d really appreciate it.”There.Had that been polite enough?
“My car is this way.”He caught her hand.
At his touch, that same, wild charge went right through her.A charge, an awareness that should not be happening.She was dead on her feet.Ha.Let’s not imagine that.Exhaustion pulled at her, as it always did after a seizure.She wanted to tumble into the comfort of sleep, but this wasn’t exactly a safe sleep spot.
“You need to rest,” he murmured.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”She let him lead her to the sidewalk and toward the car that waited.Blessedly, not too far from them.The nurse had wanted to wheel her out in a chair.Naomi had balked.The nurse had argued.Been adamant about hospital protocol.
In the end, they’d compromised.The nurse had wheeled her to the sliding doors in the lobby.Then Naomi leapt out of the chair.
“I could have brought the car to you,” Eb said.
“We’re already here.”And they were.
“I mean…you didn’t have towalkout.You could have been wheeled to the exit and then straight to my car and?—”
She turned on him.“I can walk on my own.Don’t you dare start pitying me.”Her hand snatched from his, but mostly just so she could jab an index finger into his chest.A chest that was covered by a soft, black t-shirt.“I had a seizure.Thousands of people have them every single day.Don’t you start treating me like I’m going to shatter at any moment.I amnot.”
“No shattering.Noted.”He looked down at her poking finger.“When was the last time you had a seizure before this one?”
She pulled her hand back.“Why do you have a classic car?”She eyed the ride.Black, sleek, and beautiful.“At first, I thought it was a ‘67.”He’d brought clothes for her, thank goodness.Not like she wanted to rush around in those two t-shirts forever.Now she wore jeans, a gray blouse, and sneakers.The sneakers made no sound as she padded across the pavement.The wet pavement.Because while she’d been rushed to the hospital, the threatened storm had finally erupted.Now the storm had passed, and all that was left were the wet puddles on the pavement.
After dodging a few of those puddles, Naomi reached the passenger side of his ride.An impressive ride, she’d give him that.“Like I said, at first, I thought it was a ‘67.But the ‘67 has a bumper that’s flatter.In the front and back, it’s flatter.”She eyed his classic car.Such a thing of beauty.“This one has a more streamlined front.The corners of the grill meet the bumper.”A critical assessment, then, “And the hood is a wee bit longer.Definitely a ‘68 Impala.Not a ‘67.”She nodded.“The corner pieces of the grill are the big tell.”
He unlocked the car.Opened the passenger door for her.“So in addition to everything else, you’re a classic car expert.”
She had to laugh as she slid inside.The laughter felt oddly good after the night from hell.“Actually, I’m aSupernaturalexpert.”