Page 35 of Hell Bent (Portland Devils #5)

Pain blossomed in my nose, and then the blood started with a gush. Sebastian was sitting up, saying, “Shit. Shit.” I was sitting up, leaning forward, pinching my nose shut, and saying, “Go get him. Ben. ”

He said, “Ice pack.”

“I’m—”

“You’re not.” He sounded furious. “You’re not fine. One minute.” He was out of the room fast, and coming back seconds later to put something cold on the back of my neck.

I said, “How did you know that’s?—”

“I’m an athlete. Wait. Towel.” A few more seconds, and something soft was pressed into my hand.

I did my best to mop up the blood without dislodging the ice pack or my fingers, but said, “Ben. Go.” I didn’t have to, though, because Sebastian was already gone, and I was following him. One hand on my nose, the other holding the ice pack in place. I lost the towel somewhere.

Sebastian was with Ben now, crouching beside the couch, his hand on the boy’s shoulder. Lexi, who was at the foot of the couch, was whining and licking Ben’s leg, and he was saying, “Wha— Huh? What’s going on? What— Lexi. Get off.”

Sebastian said, “You were having a nightmare.”

Ben stared at him, and then his eyes swiveled to me and widened. “What happened? Did you hit her?”

Sebastian swiveled—without losing his balance as he crouched on the floor, by the way—saw me, and swore, and then he was up, crossing to me in a few strides, picking me up, and sitting in the easy chair with me in his lap.

His hand on the ice pack now, holding it in place, and he was rocking me, saying, “Tell me. What do we do?”

I said, “I’m OK. I’m fine. I just need to wait for it to stop.”

“What did you do?” Ben asked. Which was when I realized that my very short nightgown was nearly up around my hips, and that I wasn’t wearing anything under it, because—well, because I somehow hadn’t put any underwear on. I got a hand down there fast.

“You’re almost naked,” I told Sebastian. “And so am I. I’m sorry, Ben. Oh, boy.” All a little nasally, because of the pinched-nose thing.

Sebastian said, “We banged noses when you yelled, that’s what happened. Do you need the ER?” he asked me.

“No.” I was so embarrassed. How had I screwed this whole thing up so badly? Why could I never just go with it, be in the moment? I could be having sex right now! Really good sex, if Sebastian wasn’t just talented at talking, and if those condoms were really?—

Because you’re a control freak, I answered myself. I felt Sebastian’s strong thighs under me, his arm around me, all the assurance of him, and said, “I am so not a natural-born NFL girlfriend. I need a few minutes, that’s all. It’ll stop. It just takes a while.”

Ben said, “You guys are great at supporting me through my trauma. I’m just saying.”

Sebastian laughed, and after a second, so did I. “This is ridiculous,” I said. “I’m sorry, Ben. Are you OK?”

“I had a nightmare, that’s all.” Ben was the one who looked embarrassed now. “I’m not five years old. You didn’t have to come rushing in. But how can you be bleeding that bad just from bumping your nose? Sebastian isn’t bleeding. He didn’t— he really didn’t hit you, right? Because that’s not cool.”

I said, “I’m a hemophilia carrier.”

Ben blinked, looked confused. “Huh?”

“I have a little bit of a bleeding disorder. Which I’m doing great at keeping secret at the moment.”

“Is that, like, cancer?” Ben asked. “Are you OK?” He was up from the couch now, squatting beside my chair, looking worried. And then Lexi was there, too, licking everybody’s leg she could find, and I was jumping and screaming a little, then laughing .

“No,” I said. “It’s not dangerous. Just a little uncomfortable. Like the other day.”

“Oh,” Ben said. “With your?—”

“With my period, yes.” I lifted my hand from my nose in an experimental fashion. The blood instantly started rolling down my upper lip and chin again, so I went back to pinching it. “You are so going to lose your damage deposit,” I told Sebastian.

“Screw my damage deposit.” A frown on his wolf-face, making him look fiercer and tougher than ever.

“He’s, like, rich,” Ben told me. “He doesn’t care about his damage deposit.”

“I’m not rich,” Sebastian said. “Why are we talking about this?”

“Because we’re all awake in the middle of the night?” I asked. “And making conversation?”

Sebastian swore again, and Ben said, “It’s not the middle of the night. It’s probably about nine-thirty, because my movie wasn’t even over. And it’s public information because of the salary cap.”

“What?” I said.

Ben said, “The team only has a certain amount they can spend on salaries, so it’s more even and the same team doesn’t win every season.

That’s why they make it public, so everybody knows that they obeyed the rules, or the law, or whatever it is.

Except that Sebastian’s kicked really well since that contract, so maybe, if he keeps doing good?—"

Sebastian said, “I cannot believe we’re discussing the least important thing that’s happening right now.”

I said, “Well, there’s not that much interesting to say about my nosebleed.”

“Yeah,” Ben said, “and my nightmare’s not exactly a thrilling report either.

It was a nightmare, that’s all. I was trying to get to my house in a snowstorm, and there was a baby there.

I don’t know why. I don’t know any babies.

I was trying to carry the baby, to save it from the storm, but it kept falling out of my hands and getting lost in the snow.

It sucked, and I’d rather talk about Sebastian’s salary.

If you make one-point-nine million dollars a year, how come you don’t even have a video game system? Or any bling? Or a better car?”

“Because I’m not seventeen years old,” Sebastian said, “or a tool, and my car works fine. I’d rather save the money for, say, educating my nephew.”

“You don’t have to educate me. My mom told me not to worry, because there’s money. She said there’s a?—”

“A trust,” Sebastian said. “I know. She told me today, and told me where the paperwork was. I have it, and I’ll go over it with you later.”

“So you could totally buy a better car,” Ben said.

I said, “That must have been a fun conversation.”

“Not my favorite, no.” Sebastian’s tone was clipped.

I removed my hand again. Carefully. “Good news. The bleeding’s stopped.”

Ben said, “I’m never going to be able to go back to sleep tonight. I guess I’ll go hang out in my room. Are you sure you’re OK?” he asked me.

“I’m sure. Absolutely. I’ll just—” I was going to slide off Sebastian’s lap, then remembered the nightgown thing. “Could you take me back to your room?” I asked him.

He sighed. “See, I love that. You actually asking me for help. That’s what I’m talking about. A person could even think you trust me.”

“Yeah,” Ben said. “Probably because you broke her nose. Really romantic, dude. Great job. I’ve never even asked a girl out, but I’m pretty sure I’d do better than you.

” He stood up. “Come on, Lexi. And if this is supposed to be my steady new living situation so I don’t freak out about my future, it’s not working out all that great. For your information.”