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RED

R ed hadn’t heard from Ashe in two days. He tried calling multiple times with no luck. He left work early when Genie realized he wasn’t getting anything from him. He showed up at Ashe’s apartment and started knocking. She barely opened the door, her body behind it, her face just peeking around the edge of the door. The anger drained out of his body when he saw her. He pushed into the apartment and shut the door. She was in a hoodie and sweatpants, and she was visibly freezing. He snatched her up and took her to bed. When her body sagged into his arms he really started to worry. He pulled up her hoodie and put a hand over the bandage on her side. It was warm and goosebumps were coming up over her newly exposed torso. “Why didn’t you call me,” he grit out as he righted her sweater, picked her back up, and headed to the door.

“I don’t want to go back to the hospital.”

“Too bad. I just found you, you aren’t getting away from me so easy-”

“Red, I can’t sleep,” she cut him off and leaned back into the passenger seat of his truck.

“Fine, I’ll take you to my place.” Red shut the door and got into the driver’s seat.

“I can stay at my own house.”

Pointing back at her building, Red retorted, “That is an address, girlie.”

Stopped at a red light it hit Red. Without turning to look at Ashe he started, “You were a foster kid.” When he turned to look at her for verification, she was asleep.

When he got to his apartment he pulled Ashe out of her seat, walked her into his room and set her down on his king-sized bed. He realized he had pulled her out of her building so fast she only had thick socks on her feet. She rolled onto her right side. Red signaled his dog, “Toby, this is Ashe. She’s my Acushla, nothing happens to her.” Toby jumped onto the bed and nestled up against her back, his view back toward the door.