“Don’t worry, there’s more on the inside,” Banks informed me. “Ten whole stitches. Super manly.”
I let my head fall back on the pillows, tightening my abs a few times to gauge the pain.
“The injury wasn’t that serious,” Will said, folding his arms over his chest. “But ignoring it was. You lost a lot of blood.”
“Luckily Rika had the same blood type,” Michael stated.
“Yeah, luckily,” Kai mumbled.
I almost laughed. Rika gave me blood? Like really?
I shot my eyes over to her, dropping my gaze to the Band-Aid on her arm where they’d drawn the blood.
Interesting.
“You going to say ‘thank you’?” Michael prodded.
“Someday.”
Rika let out a snort. “Well, now that he’s fine, I need to go lock up the dojo.”
“I’ll go, too,” Kai moved around Banks. “Some inventory came in that needs to be sorted.”
“See you at home,” Rika told Michael, leaning up to kiss him.
“I’m heading out, too,” he said.
Kai kissed his wife as he, Michael, and Rika started to leave the room, but then Rika stopped and looked over at me.
“I would say ‘I’m glad you’re okay’,” she told me, “but I’m still deciding.”
I quirked a smile, and she shook her head, probably more at herself than me.
They left, but Will and Banks stayed, Banks handing me a bottle of water.
“I’m going to get you some real food and pick up some clothes,” she said, smirking. “I gather you won’t be here for long.”
Damn straight.
“Thanks,” I told her.
She leaned down and did something she never does… she kissed me on the cheek. But before she could rise again, I grabbed her arm, keeping her eyes level with mine.
“I, um…”
I trailed off, wanting to say something, but I didn’t know what.
Before my friends and before Winter, Banks was my safe place. She could read me, take care of me, and just be there with no talking or expectations. She was the best thing in my life for a lot of years. I was tired of disrupting hers with all my bullshit.
I wanted to tell her that I…
I didn’t know.
The words tasted like sand on my tongue, and I knew they’d come off disingenuous and unnatural sounding, because I never said shit like that, but...
I finally just met her eyes and shrugged. “Ya know.”
A soft smile crossed her beautiful face and her eyes started to glisten. “Yeah, I love you, too,” she told me.