Page 4 of Layla's Daddy
“I’ll take good care of her,” the nurse says.
Theo steps out into the hallway.
Why does the room feel colder and empty without him?
Chapter Three
I try hard not to cry while Nurse Kristen helps me undress. I just feel so emotional. I was on the edge of a panic attack before I collided with Theo and fell to the ground. Now I’ve added to my problems. Not only is my head pounding and I have various scrapes and bruises, but I still don’t have a job, and now I’m not even out looking for one. I’m losing a day. I might lose more than a day.
Kristen is quick to get the gown on me, pile up my wet clothes, and tuck them into a plastic bag. I even had to remove my underwear and bra because they, too, were soaked.
The nurse grabs a small towel and pats my hair so that it’s not dripping, and then she helps me lie on my side and covers me with a blanket.
I’m still shaking when she opens the door to let Theo back in. I’m also slightly shocked he’s still here. If I were him, I would have taken off. He did his job. He brought me to the clinic.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” I murmur when he comes to my side.
He rubs my arm over the blanket. “I’m not going anywhere, Little one.”
I turn my head to look at him. “How do you know I’m Little?”
He smiles. “A hunch.”
I stare at him. I’m usually very careful to keep my Little tamped down except when I’m alone or at the Dungeon. It worries me that this stranger could tell.
“Don’t worry, Little one. I’m sure your Little is struggling near the surface because you’re injured. It happens. And I suspected because I have excellent Little radar. No one else would know.”
For some reason, his explanation calms me. I don’t feel like I need to be quite so careful. “Are you a Daddy?” I ask softly.
“Yep. And so is Dr. Rubio. Connor is his first name. I spoke to him in the hall. He’ll be in soon. He’ll take good care of you.”
For some reason, knowing that lifts a weight off my shoulders, too.
Theo continues to rub my arm. “You don’t have to hold back your Little, Layla. Relax. No one is going to judge you here.”
I sniffle. That’s good because she’s hovering at the surface, and my injuries are making it hard to keep her at bay.
“Deep breath, Little one.”
I try to draw in a breath, but it’s hard.
“Good girl.”
Goosebumps rise on my skin when he praises me. There’s nothing better in the world than agood girl.
He strokes my damp hair. “You have the prettiest hair I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’ve seen hair this light before.”
I know I have weird hair. It’s nearly white. Most people think I dye it like this, but I don’t.
I flinch when the door opens, interrupting my cocoon.
Theo moves out of my line of sight to reveal a man in a lab coat. I assume he’s a doctor. He pulls up a rolling stool and sits, putting him closer to eye level. “Hey there. I heard you had a run-in with Theo.” His smile causes laugh lines around his eyes. I instantly like him.
“It was my fault,” I tell him.
He chuckles. “Theo’s like a tree. He takes up a lot of space, and he’s immovable. I don’t advise sparring with him,” he teases. “How about if I check you out so we can see how much damage your collision caused.”
I sniffle and nod.